MIGRAINE HEADACHES

Clinical guidelines published by the American College of Physicians—American Society Internal Medicine in 2002 recommend the use of aspirin (EASPRIN, ECOTRIN, EMPIRIN, GENUINE BAYER ASPIRIN) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (ADVIL, MEDIPREN, MOTRIN, NUPRIN) for the first-line treatment for acute attacks of migraine headache, including those that are severe and that have responded to these drugs during previous attacks.[1] Acetaminophen (TYLENOL) has also been shown effective in the management of acute migraine attack.[2]

For reasons of both safety and cost, the newer migraine drugs known as triptans should be used only after determining that the NSAIDs and acetaminophen fail to work. The triptans can dangerously, even fatally, narrow arteries in the heart.

A number of factors have been reported that trigger the onset of a migraine attack.[1] These factors are listed on the table below. Try and identify these triggers and, if you can, learn to avoid them.