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27 Years Old, Severe Migraines, Chronic Condition. Recommended SOS Medication?
Hi, I am 27 yrs old, and have been suffering from Migraines since i was 15. for the last few years, they have been easily managable with just plain paracetamol . Recently, there were two instances when things were really bad and the pain did not go away even with the regular medicines. i got really sick at work. 2 painful days later, it started getting better. Is there a good over the counter (SOS) drug that i can maybe keep with me all the time?
Fri, 6 Jul 2012
Hello,
Welcome to HCM,
I have read your query, headaches are very common; in fact, almost everyone will have a headache at some point. Most are probably the result of an inborn protective mechanism responding to an external environmental stress. Migraine, cluster, tension, and rebound headaches are types of primary headache. Common triggers of migraine headaches include heat, stress, and lack of sleep or food. Many drugs are now available for immediate treatment of migraine attacks but a prior diagnosis needs to be confirmed. The goal is rapid and effective relief of headache. The most effective drugs for stopping a migraine are the triptans like sumatriptan, zolmitriptan etc which specifically target serotonin receptors. The following nontriptans like ergotamines also act on the serotonin receptors. They also act on some other receptors, most likely on those for dopamine and noradrenalin. Sometimes, they are effective when the triptans fail. Combination drugs like with acetaminophen with codeine are general painkillers in the narcotic class. They can help relieve any kind of pain to some degree, whereas the triptans and ergotamines, are used specifically for headaches. Treatment strategies are more successful if they are tailored to the individual patient and are initiated early in the headache. Patients who have frequent acute migraine attacks and report that the attacks affect their quality of life should consider preventive therapy as a supplement to the specific headache-stopping drugs (abortive treatments). Will advice you to confirm your cause and take migraine medications accordingly after consulting your physician. Thanks
Welcome to HCM,
I have read your query, headaches are very common; in fact, almost everyone will have a headache at some point. Most are probably the result of an inborn protective mechanism responding to an external environmental stress. Migraine, cluster, tension, and rebound headaches are types of primary headache. Common triggers of migraine headaches include heat, stress, and lack of sleep or food. Many drugs are now available for immediate treatment of migraine attacks but a prior diagnosis needs to be confirmed. The goal is rapid and effective relief of headache. The most effective drugs for stopping a migraine are the triptans like sumatriptan, zolmitriptan etc which specifically target serotonin receptors. The following nontriptans like ergotamines also act on the serotonin receptors. They also act on some other receptors, most likely on those for dopamine and noradrenalin. Sometimes, they are effective when the triptans fail. Combination drugs like with acetaminophen with codeine are general painkillers in the narcotic class. They can help relieve any kind of pain to some degree, whereas the triptans and ergotamines, are used specifically for headaches. Treatment strategies are more successful if they are tailored to the individual patient and are initiated early in the headache. Patients who have frequent acute migraine attacks and report that the attacks affect their quality of life should consider preventive therapy as a supplement to the specific headache-stopping drugs (abortive treatments). Will advice you to confirm your cause and take migraine medications accordingly after consulting your physician. Thanks
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