Headaches
Headaches can't be cured, but they can
be controlled. There are many medications that can either
stop the pain associated with headaches or stop the symptoms,
like nausea, that accompany them.
Using medication should be only one part
of a wellness program. Life-style changes—such as
avoidance of any known headache triggers, personal and family
counseling, stress management, and relaxation
therapy—should accompany any drug plan your doctor
prescribes.
There are two ways to benefit from
available medications. You can take them either
prophylactically (every day to reduce the severity and
frequency of possible attacks), or abortively (once the
headache begins).
Prophylactic
Treatment
Your doctor probably won't suggest
prophylactic treatment unless you have several attacks per
month. If you take drugs this way, your physician will
monitor you for side effects, such as weight gain, water
retention, lethargy, memory impairment, and hallucinations.
Do not try to combine any weight loss medications with
prophylactic drugs, and do not stop taking the drugs
suddenly.
Here are a few principles of
prophylactic treatment:
-
It should begin with low doses,
which are increased slowly.
-
Every month or two, it should be
tested to see if it is working correctly.
-
Your doctor should check that you
are not taking any other drugs or vitamins that could
interfere with the headache medication.
-
You should be sure you are not
pregnant.
-
Medication should be tapered off and
discontinued once your headaches are under
control.
Although there is no set schedule for
how long someone should stay on prophylactic therapy, many
experts consider more than six months
excessive.
The major prescription drugs used to
treat tension, migraine, and sometimes cluster headaches
prophylactically include:
beta blockers such as Tenormin, Lopressor, and
Inderal;
calcium channel blockers such as Cardizem, Dilacor,
and Procardia; antidepressants such as Elavil and Zoloft;
serotonin antagonists such as Sansert;
anticonvulsants such as Tegretol, Depakote, and
Dilantin; and
ergot derivatives such as Cafergot and
Sansert.
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