Migraine Pain Relief

As mentioned, simple over-the-counter pain relief is a good place to start to help with the symptoms caused by migraines. Examples of these are paracetamol and ibuprofen. It is best to start taking these at the first signs of a migraine, even if the headache hasn’t fully developed yet. This is because taking pain killers early can reduce the severity of the headache. Getting soluble versions of these pain killers is thought to help increase the speed they are absorbed in your stomach during a migraine.

Aspirin is another option, instead of ibuprofen, that can work for some people. It works similarly to ibuprofen as it is the same broad type of medication (known as an NSAID - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug). Because of this, they should not be taken together. It is best to check with your pharmacist before taking aspirin or ibuprofen for the first time as it may not be recommended for some people. Codeine-based medications are usually best avoided unless discussed with your doctor first.

Triptans are medicines that can be used if pain killers don’t fully control the pain from a migraine. Although not technically pain killers themself, triptans can help with the symptoms of a migraine. They work by narrowing the blood vessels in your brain and reducing some of the chemicals released by your brain that can contribute to a migraine. Unlike pain killers, triptans should be taken once a migraine headache has developed and not before. One of the triptan medications known as sumatriptan can be purchased over the counter from your pharmacy. It is best to check with a pharmacist before taking sumatriptan before taking it for the first time as it may not be right for everyone. Other types of triptans can be prescribed by your doctor.

Ice and heat packs can also be useful in treating headaches and migraines. Either may work for you, but ice packs generally win out in easing migraines and heat packs can work better at soothing other types of headaches such as tension headaches. Experiment with what works best for you: wrap either in a towel and place it on the back of your neck, the crown of your head, or your temples for relief.

People who suffer from regular migraines requiring the use of pain killers or triptans more than 10 days a month could be at risk of medication overuse headaches. Although the medications help treat migraines if used regularly long term they can themselves cause headaches. The way to avoid this is if you are having frequent migraines is to see your doctor to discuss ways to prevent the migraines from occurring in the first place. Moving to a preventative strategy rather than a treatment strategy when the migraines happen may work better at reducing the number of times you are needing the pain relief medications.

If you are having medication overuse headaches, the way to cure them unfortunately is by stopping using the medications completely. You may experience an increase in headaches and migraines for around a week then they should start to improve. If you think you may be suffering from medication overuse headaches it is best to see your doctor to discuss this further.