How to Deal With Migraines

Do all over the counter medications work to treat migraines?

Migraines are severe headaches that can knock you off your feet for hours or even days with throbbing pain (typically on one side of the head). In North America, statistics show that 1 in 10 people suffer from some form of migraines. As a migraine sufferer, I am always looking for the next best way to try and curb my migraines, but while prevention is the ideal we all aim for, knowing how to react when a migraine hits is important to getting through your day. Keep these simple suggestions in mind when you next feel a migraine coming on.

Treat The Pain

Simple and to the point: take medicine as soon as you feel a migraine coming on. This is key to stopping a migraine in its path. Most migraine sufferers recognize signs and symptoms of an approaching episode. Some people have visual disturbances called auras, while others may experience no visual aura at all, but may have a feeling of muscle weakness or tingling.

Not all pain medications are made equal when it comes to treating migraines. While some migraine sufferers have to turn to prescription medications, for others a regular dose of ibuprofen taken as soon as you feel your particular symptoms begin may do the same work that prescription pain medication will, but with few, if any, side effects.

I used to be a member of the “I’ll just wait it out” community. I didn’t want to keep filling my body with pain medications that just weren’t working for me and, ever the optimist, hoped that it wouldn’t be so bad this time. A visit to a neurologist specializing in migraines explained that the brain begins to “crave” the activity associated with migraines and that by not treating my migraines, I was actually promoting more migraines! Timing was touted as the number one factor determining if an over the counter pain reliever will be effective. Once a migraine takes full hold of you, over the counter pain medicine will not effectively alleviate the pain, so carry a travel size bottle of pills with you in your purse, in the glove compartment of your car and keep one in your desk.

Why Ibuprofen?

Most people think that ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) is the same thing as acetaminophen (Tylenol), but these two pain relievers work on the body in different ways. Ibuprofen belongs to a class of drugs that are used to treat pain and inflammation, while acetaminophen does not treat inflammation.

A migraine causes tissue in the brain to become inflamed, so the best over the counter treatment should treat the inflammation as well as the pain.

Caffeine

Caffeine can sometimes cause migraines, especially in cases of caffeine withdrawal. However, caffeine is an important tool in treating migraines that you can easily incorporate into your relief routine.

When you feel a migraine coming on, try drinking one cup of coffee with your pain medicine. If you’re not a fan of coffee, drink a can of caffeinated soda. WebMD says, “Caffeine additives make pain relievers 40% more effective in treating headaches. Caffeine also helps the body absorb headache medications more quickly, bringing faster relief.”

to be continued next...