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Bright glaring lights and loud blaring noises tend to intensify the head pain, thus the need to take migraine medications arises.

However, caution should be observed when taking drug based migraine medications. One has to consider the frequency and the severity of migrane attacks in order to determine the type of migraine medications to ingest. For those suffering only occasional migraines, simple non-prescription medications will suffice to alleviate the discomforts present during the migraine episode.

Difference between abortive and preventive migraine medications

For a deeper understanding of drug based migraine medications, it would be worthwhile to know that they are classified into two categories: the abortive medication and the preventive medication. The abortive medications are taken to provide relief from migraine already in progress in a person while the preventive medications are taken regularly and on a daily basis to prevent the onset of migraine in a person.

Hence, for persons suffering from migraine headache attacks whether mild or severe, abortive migraine medications are to be taken to lessen the discomfort of the pain brought by the disorder.

Effective abortive migraine medications

The most common of these abortive medications are aspirin, naproxen and ibuprofen, which are further classified as non-prescription drugs or over-the-counter medicines.

On the other hand, common abortive medications that require prescriptions include Triptans, Ergots and also Midrin. To get a prescription one has to go to the doctor. He will check and classify the migraine type and make sure that the right medicine will be taken.

The matter of preventive medicines is much more complex in the sense that there are many types of preventive medications to choose from. In determining which one to choose, its proven ability to effectively prevent the onset of migraine attacks should be considered.

Effective preventive migraine medications

Included under this type are the beta blockers, a migraine medication proven to be effective in preventing migraines since they are used for cardio or heart protection.

The tricyclic anti-depressants, which are also proven effective for migranes since they are used to treat patients suffering from clinical depression

Anti-convulsants, its relevance of success is used to treat patients with epileptic disorders; and the serotonin antagonists, drugs that effectively prevent migrane as treatment for patients with behavioral or psychotic tendencies such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Hence, it is not uncommon to resort to preventive migrane medication since migraine’s control and prevention will not only provide relief but will likely prevent the onset of other disorders as well.

Consulting your doctor for proper migraine medications will ascertain the real causes for these migraine attacks.

Though a migraine that occurs with no headache might seem a boon to some sufferers, the symptoms that occur with a migraine and no headache can be just as debilitating as the migraine headache pain. Only about 5% of the persons who experience chronic migraines regularly have a migraine without headache. However, some 20% of migraine sufferers experience a migraine with no headache occasionally.

A simple fact is that a migraine episode is not just a headache that is medicated or suffered through and it is over, the effects are multitudinous and most migraine sufferers spend hours or even days recovering after a severe migraine whether it is with a headache or without.

The various stages of a migraine are as follows:

The prodome stage (before the headache) where many migraine patients even those who do not experience an aura recognize this stage in muscle stiffness, food cravings, irritability, or increased urination.

The next stage is called the aura for those who experience auras. Only some 20% of patients with migraines experience auras and they can manifest in visual disturbances such as spots, flashing lights or zigzags. Other types of auras might be tastes, tingling, or buzzing in the ears. Patients who have migraine headaches and those who experience migraines but without a headache can go through the aura.

The migraine headache pain is absent in those few who have migraine without headache and its attendant dizziness nausea and other side effects however the visual disturbances, aura and prodome stages can be disruptive. Instead, the migraine manifests in visual disturbances most often with dots in front of the eyes or zigzags or flashes and sometimes tingling or numbness.

If a migraine without headache is infrequent and mild then not much need be done however, it is critical that medical advice be sought before dismissing the symptoms, a migraine without headache can be difficult to diagnose for even professionals.  The symptoms of a migraine without headache also can be significant of some other neurological or medical disorder and professional advice is important to distinguish a migraine from another condition.

If the migraine without headache is chronic and begins to interfere with daily life on a regular basis then sometimes the same  prophylactic medications that are used for the traditional migraine headaches work for the sufferer. There are a number of medications available to help alleviate the frequency and severity of migraines. Occasionally the migraine without headache episodes is so infrequent and mild that patients with that type do not need medication.

Because the migraine without headache does not include headache pain, the patient may delay seeking medical advice or even believe the symptoms are a sign of a mental disturbance if the migraines are of sudden onset. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth and headaches are only one manifestation of a migraine.

With advances in medical science and research into the causes and imbalances that may be present during a migraine episode the patient who requires medication for migraine headaches has many more options. Of course, there are over the counter medication for migraine headaches that can work if taken soon enough. A mixture of one example is Excedrin for Migraines, which is effective on some migraine headaches.

One of the historical problems with medication for migraine headaches was their ability to be effective was limited by the fact that when the migraine headache begins it often produces a sympathetic response in the stomach which causes the digestive process to slow.

This decreases the effectiveness of medication that are taken orally since the medication just sits in the stomach. The nausea that is often experienced with a migraine headache also complicated taking medication orally since it is difficult to swallow or retain medicine when nauseous.

A chronic migraine headache is generally very painful and can cause lost work time and missed school as well as social obligations. A migraine headache episode can last from several hours to several days and most migraine sufferers find their function impaired or they are unable to function during their episodes.

There are three common approaches to medications for migraine headaches.

Preventative migraine headache medications
Palliative migraine medications
Interruptive migraine headache medications

It used to be that once a migraine headache began there were not many options as far as effective medication for migraine headaches went. However now there are medications that are intended to interrupt the headache not just fix the pain but to solve the issue. These medications are usually nasal sprays or injections.

Preventative medication for migraine headaches are used only in cases where migraine episodes are very frequent, at least one episode a week.  These are overall not drugs developed originally for migraine headaches but repurposed and can be effective if the physician deems it necessary.

Palliative medication for migraine headaches are for use when the migraine cannot be interrupted and is full blown. These might include anti-nausea medications and pain medications that work strictly upon migraine headaches. A last ditch recourse might be a narcotic but since migraine episodes are recurrent with many people, narcotics have limited usefulness.

Medications called Triptans are often used for migraine headaches. They help stop the pain and can interrupt the migraine headache though they are ineffective on anything but headaches.

Beta Blockers or Calcium channel blockers such as Propranolol and Verapamil are high blood pressure medications but are also sometimes used as preventative migraine headache medications. Diphenhydramine and Cyproheptadine are antihistamines that may be used to prevent migraine headaches in some persons.  Antidepressants such as Amytriptiline and Nortriptyline have had some success as well.

Because these drugs are used in ways not intended originally, it is important that they be used only under a physician’s direction. There are a growing group of medications either repurposed to treat migraines or developed specifically as medication for migraine headaches. There are choices in treatments as well as preventions for migraine headaches and control is better today than ever before.

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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.