🧠 Nervous System🔴 ApplicationHeadache and Migraine

Drugs for Migraine

Drugs used to stop a migraine attack once it starts, and others taken regularly to make attacks less frequent.

Key points

Migraine drugs fall into two groups: those that stop an attack (acute) and those taken regularly to prevent attacks (preventive).
For an acute attack, the triptans such as sumatriptan act on serotonin receptors to narrow the widened brain vessels and calm the nerve signals.
Simple pain-killers and anti-sickness drugs also help an acute attack, especially if taken early.
Preventive drugs, used when attacks are frequent, include some beta-blockers, certain antiepileptics and some antidepressants.
Overusing acute pain-killers can itself cause a medication-overuse headache, so their frequency is limited.

Memory trick

Migraine drugs are acute (triptans narrow vessels via serotonin, plus pain-killers and anti-sickness) or preventive (some beta-blockers, antiepileptics, antidepressants); overusing pain-killers causes a rebound headache.

All of Pharmacology More Nervous System

Next in Pharmacology · Nervous System

Loading…

🧠 Nervous System🔴 ApplicationHeadache and Migraine

Drugs for Migraine

Drugs used to stop a migraine attack once it starts, and others taken regularly to make attacks less frequent.

Key points

Migraine drugs fall into two groups: those that stop an attack (acute) and those taken regularly to prevent attacks (preventive).
For an acute attack, the triptans such as sumatriptan act on serotonin receptors to narrow the widened brain vessels and calm the nerve signals.
Simple pain-killers and anti-sickness drugs also help an acute attack, especially if taken early.
Preventive drugs, used when attacks are frequent, include some beta-blockers, certain antiepileptics and some antidepressants.
Overusing acute pain-killers can itself cause a medication-overuse headache, so their frequency is limited.

Memory trick

All of Pharmacology More Nervous System