Migraine Headaches - Highlights

Highlights

Migraine Triggers

Migraines can be triggered by many everyday things. Different people respond to different triggers, so it is important to track your migraine patterns to help avoid migraine attacks. Common migraine triggers include:

• Emotional stress
• Intense physical exertion
• Abrupt weather changes
• Bright or flickering lights
• High altitude
• Travel motion
• Lack of sleep
• Skipping meals
• Odors
• Certain types of foods and beverages (aged cheese, chocolate, red wine, beer, coffee, and many others)
• Food additives or preservatives (such as nitrates and monosodium glutamate)

Migraine Treatment Approaches

Migraines need a two-pronged approach: Treatment and prevention. Treatment uses medications that provide quick pain relief when attacks occur. These drugs include pain relievers such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), triptans such as sumatriptan (Imitrex), and ergotamine drugs.

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Preventive strategies begin with non-drug approaches, including behavioral therapies and lifestyle changes. If headache attacks continue to occur on a weekly basis, your doctor may recommend you try preventive medication. Drugs currently approved for migraine prevention include the beta-blocker drugs propanolol (Inderal) and timolol (Blacadrene), and the anti-seizure drugs divalproex (Depakote) and topiramate (Topamax).

Drug Approval

In 2010, the FDA approved onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) for prevention of chronic migraine in adults. Botox is given as injections to the head and neck area every 12 weeks.

Review Date: 11/04/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).