Migraine Treatment

Migraines typically produce moderate-to-severe unilateral throbbing pain, worsened by activity, accompanied by nausea, light sensitivity, or sound sensitivity — lasting 4–72 hours untreated. Aura — visual, sensory, or speech disturbances — precedes headache in about 25% of people.

Acute treatments — triptans, gepants, ditans, NSAIDs — are taken at the onset of a migraine to abort the attack. Preventive treatments are taken daily to reduce the frequency, severity, and duration of migraines and are recommended when attacks occur four or more days per month.

Preventive treatment is typically recommended when migraines significantly impair daily function, occur four or more days monthly, aren't well controlled by acute medications, or when acute medication overuse is a concern. Multiple effective options exist — both oral and injectable.

Yes. Using acute migraine treatments — triptans, analgesics, or even OTC medications — more than 10–15 days per month can cause medication overuse headache, which worsens underlying migraine frequency and becomes self-perpetuating. This is one of the most important reasons to establish preventive care.

Triptans may cause chest tightness, tingling, and fatigue — generally brief. Gepants are well tolerated with minimal cardiovascular concerns. Preventive medications vary: beta-blockers can cause fatigue, topiramate cognitive side effects, and CGRP monoclonal antibodies are generally very well tolerated.