Get relief from migraines
By Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld
About 10% of Americans -- some 30 million of us -- get migraines. These disabling headaches can develop at any age, and they strike three times as many women as men.
Doctors believe their migraines are due to a change in certain chemicals in the brain that regulate blood vessels and inflammation.
Beta-blocker drugs – effective in treating high blood pressure, angina and heart rhythm irregularities – are often prescribed to prevent these headaches.
But the most important advance for reducing pain is the triptan family of drugs, which inhibit the action of serotonin, the neurochemical involved in pain control. These medications come in tablets that you swallow or are dissolved under the tongue, injections and nasal sprays – but they probably should not be used by anyone with angina or other cardiac problems.
Studies now suggest that combining a triptan drug with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent can be even more effective than either one alone. A new medication with this formulation is under review by the Food and Drug Administration.
Source: Parade magazine, Oct. 7, 2007
About 10% of Americans -- some 30 million of us -- get migraines. These disabling headaches can develop at any age, and they strike three times as many women as men.
Doctors believe their migraines are due to a change in certain chemicals in the brain that regulate blood vessels and inflammation.
Beta-blocker drugs – effective in treating high blood pressure, angina and heart rhythm irregularities – are often prescribed to prevent these headaches.
But the most important advance for reducing pain is the triptan family of drugs, which inhibit the action of serotonin, the neurochemical involved in pain control. These medications come in tablets that you swallow or are dissolved under the tongue, injections and nasal sprays – but they probably should not be used by anyone with angina or other cardiac problems.
Studies now suggest that combining a triptan drug with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent can be even more effective than either one alone. A new medication with this formulation is under review by the Food and Drug Administration.
Source: Parade magazine, Oct. 7, 2007
Labels: Migraine relief
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