When a person has a migraine headache a minimum of 15 days every month for as many as 3 consecutive months, they can be classified as having a disorder known as chronic migraines. Transformed migraine is another term that is used to describe this condition. Some experts believe that this condition is caused when blood vessels in the head become enlarged. Because of the frequency that migraines occur, it is generally difficult to endure them.

Chronic migraine symptoms

Migraines typically cause intense pain, but there are other symptoms that are presented by those individuals who suffer from them. The pain is usually pulsating and often confined to only one side of the head, but the person who is experiencing it feels the effects throughout the body. The pain is often so intense that the individual is unable to function as they normally would. These headaches can last as long as 72 hours at a time.

Those who suffer from chronic migraines generally become sensitive to noise, light and odors, and they often experience symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Vision can become blurred, and some sufferers even report bright lights or black spots prior to being visited by a headache and many times during the episode. The frequency of bouts makes it painful to participate in activities of daily living.

There are medications to treat chronic migraines which can be found over the counter or by prescription. However, these medications often come with a warning to take them with care because it is possible to over medicate with them because of the frequency of the debilitating headaches. The body will build up a tolerance to these medications and they will be rendered ineffective. When this happens, the headaches may return quickly once the medication has metabolized out of the body.

Seek preventive remedies

With all of this information about migraine medications and the frequency with which chronic migraines return, it is essential that sufferers do everything they can to locate preventive remedies for this condition. One way to begin searching for preventive measures is to begin keeping a diary of when headaches occur along with physical as well as environmental factors at the time they occur. By doing this, sufferers will be able to identify possible triggers, and implement related treatment.

Possible triggers for chronic migraines

There are a number of factors that can be triggers for chronic migraines. Some of the most often noticed are related to certain foods, weather conditions, stress, insufficient sleep and alcohol. During an episode of chronic migraine, it may be difficult to remember and write down what may have been the cause for a particular episode, so it is wise to begin keeping a diary and writing everything down as they take place daily in an effort to be as accurate as possible. This could help to narrow down what is causing the headaches.

Chronic migraines are more than just headaches, they are serious health conditions, and every effort should be taken to find a cure. Some experts recommend taking supplements such as CoQ10 to treat and eliminate this disorder, but the individual must be vigilant and do their own research into the matter if treatments of any kind are to be effective.

Though research is progressing slowly, those facts are beyond medicine at present. There is no migraine cure, there are however treatments and preventions that can control or avoid migraine headache episodes or relieve the intensity of the migraine headache.

A migraine headache is a throbbing pain in the head that can be and often is unilateral (one sided) and it can be extremely painful as well as long lasting. The migraine headache progresses in stages with not all persons experiencing all of the stages.

The first stage is a prodome stage and the symptoms are often a change in energy level, in mood, in bowel habits, urination frequency, and sometimes sensitivity to light or sound. This is a broad spectrum of symptoms but a person with chronic migraine headaches learns to recognize this stage.

Only one in five persons with chronic migraines experiences the next stage, which is the aura. Often visual distortions, lights, black splotches or colors are present. Sometimes sounds, tastes or smells are distorted or present. Though often heard of it is not as common a symptom.

The migraine headache stage is what most persons with chronic migraine headaches experience. Only one in twenty persons who have chronic migraines avoids the pain stage. This stage is often characterized by nausea, possibly dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound in addition to the migraine headache pain.

The final migraine headache stage is recovery or Postdrome. The person may be disoriented with scalp tenderness or pain even though the headache is gone. Visual disturbances may linger and weakness or lack of coordination may continue during this stage.

A migraine headache can progress rapidly through all these stages in a matter of 3 – 4 hours or can linger for several days. It is no wonder a migraine cure is sought so avidly by those who experience migraines.

The exact reasons why a person has chronic migraines and others do not is unknown, there is ongoing research into genetic links, and research into how the trigeminal nerve in the face functions but the real answer is still out there. No one has a migraine cure, but there are treatments and means to help identify and prevent migraine headache episodes.

The most effective means thus far and the closest to a migraine cure are prophylactic medications, identification, and avoidance of migraine headache triggers.  Just as the stages and symptoms of a migraine headache vary from individual to individual there are some common triggers that can help the person avoid them. As time progresses the person with chronic migraine headaches can identify more of their individual triggers.

Though not a migraine cure, acupuncture and relaxation therapy have helped some persons with chronic migraine headaches manage the symptoms and avoid triggers such as stress.

With a chronic disorder as painful and potentially disruptive as migraine headaches, the temptation to reach for the fiction of a complete migraine cure is understandable. There is no magic pill that is a cure, but there are prescription medications that can act as preventatives or help lessen the severity of an episode.

With proper attention to diet, lifestyle and with the right medication the person who experiences chronic migraine headaches can have fewer headaches and lead a fuller and more comfortable life and this is the closest thing available right now to a migraine cure.

Chronic migraine headaches can be debilitating and for some people – very frequent. Narcotics were an inadequate answer for a person with a migraine headache since the whole idea was to function and be pain free and any narcotic can be addictive if used in excess. This brought about a completely new line in research and new medication for migraines and new choices for those with chronic migraine headaches.

A migraine headache often shows up in adolescence and continues until around age 60 for those with chronic migraines. Most persons with migraine headaches would only have the choice of aspirin or a trip to the hospital and strong narcotics as recently as 30 years ago.

This has changed immensely though and now the thrust is toward preventing the full-blown migraine headache by avoiding triggers and using interrupting or abortive medication designed to kill the pain and stop the cycle.

Medication for migraine headaches is becoming increasingly more sophisticated and directed to the problems associated with migraine headaches.

Serotonin appears to be low in some people with chronic migraines so some abortive types of (interrupts the migraine before it grows too large) medication for migraines are Triptans, which work on the serotonin level.

This is not a narcotic nor is it an effective painkiller for other types of pain other than headache but is proving to be effective as a medication that works for migraines. Other medications used to interrupt the migraine headache are acetaminophen-isometheptene-dichloralphenazone, dihydroergotamine and ergotamine tartrate.

Sometimes a migraine will progress too far to be interrupted and in that case, palliative medications are used to help relieve the symptoms. The most obvious of course is the headache pain but nausea is another uncomfortable migraine headache symptom that is addressed by specific medication.

A prophylactic (preventative) approach to migraine headaches is taken when the migraine episodes are several times a month and interfere with the individual’s quality of life and vocation or schooling.

The migraine prevention is often a drug that has been used for another purpose but is effective in preventing chronic migraines. It is important if preventative medication is prescribed that it be taken only as directed by the physician and exactly as directed to be safe and effective.

Though options have grown immensely in what medication for headaches is available one of the most effective treatments at this time for migraine headaches is the identification and avoidance of migraine headache triggers.

With some relatively simple lifestyle changes, regular sleep patterns, moderate exercise and a proper diet many persons who experience migraines can greatly reduce the occurrence without excessive need for medication.

In more severe cases or when a migraine episode gains too much of a foothold the newer medication for migraine headaches are injectable or inhalable which increases their efficiency immensely and control the pain much more quickly.

The days when the only medication for migraine pain was aspirin and a dark room are long past and now a person who experiences migraine headaches can look forward to pain free days.

by sacks08 under CC BY

.

Chances are that the person who experiences severe migraines first tried over the counter migraines medications, which may not work if they are delayed too long or the headache is too intense. If the chronic migraines are severe and not amenable to lifestyle changes, the physician may try some other types of migraine medications.

Medication for migraine is generally divided into three types, which are:

Relief: The same thrust for these medications is present as in the over the counter medications that is to help alleviate the symptoms. Not only migraine headaches may be targeted for pain relief but also sometimes anti-nausea prescriptions are added. Sometimes narcotics are used but not regularly, because any narcotic is habit forming.

Prevention: Regular doses of certain medications may be prescribed in order to prevent migraine headache occurrences. This is only done when the episodes are frequent, such as several times a month. Though these are not solely migraine medications, they can help to prevent some of the episodes.

Certain antidepressants such as Amytriptiline and Nortriptyline can help reduce the number of episodes.  Some antihistamines such as Diphenhydramine and Cyproheptadine though not migraines medications are used at times.  Calcium channel blockers such as Verapamil or beta blockers such as Propranolol are prescribed in some cases.

The use of these medications to act as migraines medications must be supervised by a physician at all times.

Migraine medication after a migraine starts: These are intended to stop the migraine before it progresses too far. Of course, the effectiveness of these migraines medications depends on how quickly the symptoms are recognized and how the medication is administered.

1. Triptans are a class of migraines medications used to help provide serotonin and stop the headache pain. There are many drugs in this classification and it is worth noting that these work only upon migraine headache pain and are less effective against other types.

2. Other migraines medications may affect more than serotonin and are administered via a wafer or injection or sometimes a nasal spray. Such medications as acetaminophen-isometheptene-dichloralphenazone, dihydroergotamine, ergotamine tartrate are common of this class.

3. Nausea is common with migraine headaches and drugs such as prochlorperazin and promethazine not only help with the nausea but may help stop a migraine episode.

Many of the migraine medications intended to stop a migraine in progress are in nasal spray or injection form because of the improved speed as well as the nausea problems that many experience commonly with a migraine headache.

There are new migraine treatments and migraines medicines coming into use every day. The approach to migraine medication therapy will depend on the individual and their pattern of migraine headache episodes. The person who experiences chronic migraine episodes is no longer ignored or shunted off to the side.

The medical community has finally arrived at the conclusion that migraine headache patients are patients with a valid problem that may all be in their head, but it is not in their imagination. Seeking proper diagnosis and migraine medications where appropriate can improve the life of the individual as well as save time lost in employment, family activities and school time.