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Suggest Treatment For Migraines And Depression

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Posted on Wed, 18 Mar 2015
Question: hello, I'm enquiring about my 52yo sister who is debilitated with migraines and depression. She suffered petit mal as a child. She can hardly tolerate any drugs. Can you help?
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Answered by Dr. Chintan Solanki (3 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Prophylactic medicines for migraine and antidepressant medicines will help

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Thanks for writing to us.

Migraine and depression are both treatable conditions. Both situation can also affect course of each other. If depression is more migraine will be more and vice-a-verse.
She needs to be evaluated in detail for both to check which is more and first happened.

In migraine if frequency is more one approach is to treat the patient with primary prophylaxis.These includes propranolol, flunarizine, sodium valproate or amitryptiline. Among these propranolol is very well tolerated by most of the people. If frequency is less, secondary prophylaxis like naprosyn or triptan group of drugs can be used. Try to avoid precipitating factors of migraine after identifying the same which may be some food, sun light, loud noise. Amityptiline can also work as an anti depressant but side effects like sedation,dry mouth and constipation are there.

For depression, antidepressant medicines from SSRI group like sertraline or escitalopram can help. Desvenlafaxine which is from SNRI group can help in depression as well as in headache.

Simultaneous counseling, psychotherapy and relaxation can help in both conditions.

Hope I have answered your query, I will be happy to help further.

Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E
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Answered by
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Dr. Chintan Solanki

Psychiatrist

Practicing since :2007

Answered : 2406 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Migraines And Depression

Brief Answer: Prophylactic medicines for migraine and antidepressant medicines will help Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for writing to us. Migraine and depression are both treatable conditions. Both situation can also affect course of each other. If depression is more migraine will be more and vice-a-verse. She needs to be evaluated in detail for both to check which is more and first happened. In migraine if frequency is more one approach is to treat the patient with primary prophylaxis.These includes propranolol, flunarizine, sodium valproate or amitryptiline. Among these propranolol is very well tolerated by most of the people. If frequency is less, secondary prophylaxis like naprosyn or triptan group of drugs can be used. Try to avoid precipitating factors of migraine after identifying the same which may be some food, sun light, loud noise. Amityptiline can also work as an anti depressant but side effects like sedation,dry mouth and constipation are there. For depression, antidepressant medicines from SSRI group like sertraline or escitalopram can help. Desvenlafaxine which is from SNRI group can help in depression as well as in headache. Simultaneous counseling, psychotherapy and relaxation can help in both conditions. Hope I have answered your query, I will be happy to help further. Regards, Dr.Chintan Solanki.