If you deal with migraine, you know how important it is to be prepared when the pain strikes. Beyond putting an ice pack on your head and laying down in a dark room, for most people treatment includes having an arsenal of migraine drugs at the ready. Some are so that symptoms can be addressed right away, while other medications can prevent them from happening in the first place.
While certain over-the-counter pain relievers (like NSAIDs) can provide some relief, many migraineurs rely on prescription drugs that are designed to stop migraine pain specifically. The good news is there are more options than ever to stop a migraine. The bad news? Navigating the world of migraine drugs can be tricky—that’s why we created this simple guide to help you find relief ASAP.
So what is a migraine, exactly?
It’s a common misconception that migraine is “just a headache.” The reality is migraine is a neurological disease that affects about 12% of people in the U.S.—most of whom are people assigned female at birth. Indeed, people with vaginas are approximately three times more likely than those without to have migraine, most likely because of the hormone estrogen.1
You’ll know you have a migraine (rather than a run-of-the-mill headache) because it typically comes with debilitating symptoms, and not just head pain. Severe head pain, though, often on one side of the head, is a major symptom. It may feel like a throbbing, pulsing, or stabbing sensation that gets worse with physical activity. You may also experience nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, sounds, and smells.
Another defining feature that some but not all people with migraine experience is aura. This involves visual disturbances before the attack begins, such as flashes of light, sparklers, squiggly lines, blurred vision, or even vision loss that usually resolves within an hour.2
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What types of migraine medications can be used for treatment?
When it comes to migraine treatment, there’s good news. “In the last 11 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved at least 13 new treatments—that’s the highest number in any neurology subspecialty,” Nauman Tariq, MD, the director of the headache treatment program at Atrium Health Neurosciences Institute Charlotte, tells SELF. “There’s no shortage of options so rather than suffering, I highly suggest people seek help.”
Migraine drugs are split into two categories: abortive medications, which stop a migraine that has already started, and preventative drugs that are taken on a regular basis (usually daily or monthly) to reduce the severity and frequency of migraine, according to the Mayo Clinic. “The decision to give patients abortive and preventative medication is based on the number of migraine attacks the person gets each month,” says Dr. Tariq. “There are different schools of thought, but I only give patients a preventative if they’re having eight or more days per month of migraine.”
If you’re having fewer than eight days of migraine per month, but still think you would benefit from a preventative medication, talk with your doctor. The “2021 American Headache Society Consensus Statement” actually recommends preventative treatment be offered if you’re getting migraine headache symptoms six days a month or more even with no degree of disability, four or more days a month with some disability, or three or more days a month with severe disability.3
Below is a breakdown of the most common abortive and preventative treatment options.
Abortive migraine medications
Medications for acute migraine relief fall into a couple of categories: over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers and prescription meds. Here are the best options:
Source: SELF
