Avoiding Migraines

A migraine headache can affect one’s overall quality of life. Anyone who has had one will avoid known triggers such as stress, alcohol, (particularly red wine), chocolate, and cheese. Experts from the National Headache Foundation suggests that if frequent migraines are a problem, avoiding those triggers and maintaining a regular sleep schedule are important.

Now more than ever there is a variety of medicines available such as beta blockers, NSAIDS, and antidepressants as well as a new class of drugs recently approved by the FDA. These new drugs, such as Topamax or Depakote, are based on drugs that treat seizures (also known as anti-seizure, anticonvulsants, or antiepileptics) that work on the same part of the brain affected by migraines. The use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) to treat migraines is controversial; they have various side effects such as weight gain and drowsiness, they must be taken every day, and they are expensive. But for some people with frequent severe migraine headaches, they reduce the severity and frequency of episodes even if they don’t eliminate the headaches.
SOURCE: National Headache Foundation
www.headaches.org/consumer/educationalmodules/migraine_module/page_home.htm

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