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Migraine Pain, Coping with Health Channel

Feature Article

Migraine Headaches - Advanced Treatment

A migraine is more than just a headache - it is a chronic illness and almost 28 million people suffer from it. Recent research into what works to prevent and control migraine headaches has lessened the suffering for the millions in need of assistance. General guidelines are to choose medications with minimal side effects that are most effective in treating your migraine, and to take an effective medication at the first sign of migraine pain. One approach is to take a migraine "rescue" medicine if non-prescription medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDS) are not effective within 1-2 hours. A migraine rescue medicine is a drug specifically prescribed for relief of migraine headache. However, many migraine sufferers know that they can reliably obtain pain relief only if they go directly to an anti-migraine medication.

Ergotamine and its derivatives have been used to treat migraine headaches for years; however, there are concerns about toxicity. FDA officials have approved 10 new drugs for migraine treatment in the last decade and others are working their way through the necessary studies for approval. The gold standard drugs reside within the triptan family. Researchers have used the triptans (such as sumatriptan and zolmitriptan) as a foundation for an array of variations. One major pharmaceutical company is seeking FDA approval for a combination of sumatriptan and naproxen sodium, an NSAID better known to most of us by one of its copyrighted names, Aleve. Sumatriptan is now known to be most effective if delivered by injection or as a nasal preparation...

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Pain of a Migraine (Sponsored Information)
The pain of a migraine - the pounding, nausea and long list of other symptoms - can be so great that normal life becomes impossible. Fortunately, physicians and other health care professionals have workable solutions. Some of these do not involve taking medications.
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Advanced Reading

This Advanced Reading section offers users the opportunity to dig deeper into this subject. This section provides information that comes from selected patient series, medical textbooks, and professional medical journals. All are published by Elsevier, the world's leading publisher of science and health information.

Migraine Headache
from "MDConsult Clinical Topic Tour"  | Email  |  Save

Headache
from "Textbook of Primary Care Medicine, 3rd ed."  | Email  |  Save

Headaches And Other Head Pain
from "Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 22nd ed."  | Email  |  Save

Preventive Treatment Of Migraine
from "Trends in Pharmacological Sciences"  | Email  |  Save

Health Videos

When Is a Headache a Migraine?
Migraine headaches can do more than ruin your day - they can interfere with your life. But migraines can be managed. Learn what can be done to prevent atta...
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Pharmacological Approaches to Preventing and Treating Migraine A...
There are two basic types of medications used to treat migraines: drugs to prevent migraines from occurring and drugs to treat the headache once it develop...
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Living with Migraine
Pain from migraines can be so debilitating that it affects a sufferer's ability to carry on his or her daily activities and diminishes his or her quality o...
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What Are the Different Types of Headaches?
Anyone who suffers from headaches knows they can put a damper on everyday life. But not all headaches are alike. Learn what type of headache you have.
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Non-Pharmacological Approaches to Migraine Prevention
Many migraine sufferers are using alternative treatments to prevent and alleviate their migraine attacks.
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Talking to Your Doctor About Migraines
Good communication between a doctor and patient is crucial. Migraine sufferers should prepare to discuss details of their symptoms with their physician to ...
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Health Experts, Healthline's Network of Health Experts

Migraine Headache. in Medicine for the Outdoors - 252 days ago
Migraine headache is generally more severe than an "ordinary" or tension headache. An elderly person with a severe migraine should seek immediate medical a... Email  |  Save
Topamax: I love you. in Healthline Connects - 1 year 173 days ago
free, thanks to Topamax. I decided to try Topamax. You have to take Topamax with a full glass of water. Topamax is a horrible drug with dangerous side effe... Email  |  Save
Headache Awareness: Menstrual Migraines. in Healthline Connects - 137 days ago
It's great to raise awareness. My first experience with migraine headaches. An intelligent and talented friend of mine, William, lost days of school at a t... Email  |  Save

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