Options for Treating and Preventing Migraine Headaches

Migraine Tegan Parry

Preventing Migraine Headaches (Preventive Medications)

Preventive: This type of treatment is considered if migraines frequently occur, typically more than one migraine per week, or if migraine symptoms are severe. The goal is to lessen the frequency and severity of the migraine attacks. Medication to prevent a migraine can be taken daily. Preventive treatment medications include the following:

Medications used to treat high blood pressure:
- beta-blockers (propranolol, timolol, metoprolol)
- calcium channel blockers (verapamil)
Antidepressants: amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor)
Antiseizure medications: gabapentin (Neurontin), topiramate (Topamax), valproic acid (Depakote)
CGRP inhibitors used to block the calcitonin gene-related peptide: Eptinezumab (Vyepti), erenumab (Aimovig), fremanezumab (Ajovy), galcanezumab (Emgality)
Botox

If you can’t take medication or wish not to, a device might be worth considering. These include:

Cefaly, a small headband device that sends electrical pulses through the forehead to stimulate a nerve linked with migraines
Spring TMS or eNeura sTM, a device for people who have an aura before migraine headaches. You hold it at the back of your head at the first sign of a headache, and it gives off a magnetic pulse that stimulates a part of the brain.
Noninvasive vagus nerve stimulator (nVS) gammaCore is a hand-held portable device placed over the neck’s vagus nerve. It releases a mild electrical stimulation to the nerve’s fibers to relieve pain.
Nerivio, a wireless remote electrical neuromodulation device that is self-applied to the upper-arm and should be used in the home environment at the onset of migraine headache. [3]

Reference:

[1] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20360201

[2] https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/migraine-treatments

[3] https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/migraine-treatments

Tegan Parry November 29, 2020

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