Migraine Therapy Options

Scientists today have finally begun to realize that migraine is a serious disease and very misunderstood. The diagnosis is hard to make and many people are living with it who do not even know they have it. Oftentimes a patient has to go through many unnecessary procedures before a migraine diagnosis is finally made. (Coleman, 1994) So, when a person is finally diagnosed with migraine, they really need to understand their options for treatment. Sadly, there is no known cure but, there are a range of migraine treatments and options available to bring some relief.

With all the new information regarding migraine available today, and the somewhat slow but progressive change in the attitude toward migraine treatment, it is important to understand the many factors involved. There are usually two ways that migraine has been treated in the past: —The doctor either tried to prevent the migraine attack before it started;

-or-

The doctor chose to use medication to treat the pain of the migraine attack.
Today, migraine sufferers are treated using a multifactorial approach which includes health care, prevention, stopping the triggers of the attack, and stopping the pain. (Coleman, 1994)

Today, the first step for any migraine sufferer is to look at their overall health and determine factors in their everyday life that may be a trigger to the migraine attack. Elimination of certain foods can be considered an important first step in the treatment of migraine pain although it has been found to only help about 20% of migraines sufferers. The food issue is, of course, going to be related to the individual, considering that we all have different reactions to certain foods. However, it is pretty well agreed upon in the medical community that caffeine should be cut from the diet. (Harris, 2009)

Other food related triggers seem to be Tyramine, Histamine, Nitrates, Monosodium Glutamate (or MSG) and Citrus. (Harris, 2009) Trigger management can take other forms also. Once again, as with the issue of what foods to eat, triggers can be different for different people. Some commonly known triggers include weather changes, smelling strong odors – especially chemical in nature, aspartame, and bright lights. (Shreve, 2006)

When a migraine sufferer first feels an attack beginning, or is experiencing a headache, then pain medication is usually prescribed. Pain medication should not be used to prevent attacks and definitely should not be taken daily. The idea is that you take the pain medication to allow you to return to your daily routine and begin to work on finding a way to prevent the attack in the first place. (Shreve, 2006)

The idea of prevention is of utmost importance because a migraine sufferer can return to an almost normal life, headache free, if they never trigger the attack in the first place. Recurrent migraines can be disabling, so prevention is the best way to improve the quality of life of a sufferer. The migraine disease itself is related to vessels in the brain swelling, so to try and prevent this from happening, doctors will most commonly prescribe beta blockers to help prevent swelling. Antidepressants are often prescribed because they are thought to help with serotonin levels in the brain. Calcium channel blockers and methysergide are also used to help prevent swelling. The newest drug treatment is Depakote®, which was originally developed for epilepsy attacks, and seems to have some positive outcomes for migraine treatment. (Coleman, 1994)

There are also some alternative holistic migraine treatments and methods available but they’re so numerous that I cannot mention them all but a few of the obvious ones are Butterbur root, Feverfew Leaf, Vitamin B2 supplements, and Magnesium. (Shreve, 2006) The prevention and management of migraine disease is not easy, but with careful management and consistency, a migraine sufferer can lead a normal life.

Works Cited

Coleman, J. M. (1994). MAGNUM. Retrieved October 24, 2009, from The National Migraine Association: http://www.migraines.org/about/abouhist.htm

Harris, D. K. (2009). MSN. Retrieved 10 29, 2009, from Migraines and food: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/pain-management/headaches/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100123958

Shreve, D. (2006). Migraine.org. Retrieved october 24, 2009, from Migraine.org: http://www.migraine.org/index.php

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