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The Tide is Turning in Migraine Treatment
New medications are improving outcomes
Migraines affect twelve percent of the population, most of them women. One in four women will get migraines in her lifetime. But until recently, there hasn’t been much development of medication that can treat or prevent them.
Migraines are more severe than regular headaches, and the symptoms can last as long as three days. The symptoms can include sensitivity to light and noise, as well as nausea and vomiting. Once the migraine is gone, the person can be left with exhaustion.
Medications that can help treat migraines once they start include over-the-counter aspirin and ibuprofen, and antiemetics — medications that treat nausea and vomiting. Caffeine can help as well.
Prescription medications such as sumatriptan can help get rid of a migraine once it comes on, but people may still have to face debilitating pain, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound for hours. And some people can’t take sumatriptan, depending on their medical history.
A new medication, called Reyvow (lasmiditan), was recently approved to treat acute migraines. It can be taken by mouth, and can get rid of a migraine in two hours.
