There’s no cure for migraine. However, regardless of the type of migraine you have, a range of treatments can help you manage migraine symptoms and, in some cases, make them less frequent and severe.[1]
Doctors generally classify migraine drugs as acute or preventive treatments. Acute treatments reduce pain and other symptoms at the first sign of a migraine attack, while preventive medications aim to reduce attack frequency and severity.[1]
Neuromodulation, or neurostimulation, is another migraine treatment option that may reduce migraine attacks or relieve symptoms for some people. Various devices can deliver electric or magnetic pulses to specific nerves involved in migraine, calming overexcitable nerves and changing the way pain messages are relayed to the brain.[2]
Certain mind-body therapies, such as acupuncture, biofeedback, and massage, can also prevent migraine attacks in some people. Plus, avoiding known triggers might reduce the number of migraine attacks.[1] This article breaks down the different migraine treatments and remedies.
Medications
Acute migraine treatments relieve migraine attacks that are in progress, easing pain, nausea, and light sensitivity. These include over-the-counter pain relievers, triptans, ditans, gepants, dihydroergotamine, steroids (usually for attacks that don’t respond to other treatment) and antinausea medications.
[1]Others are preventive, meaning that people taking them aim to reduce how many attacks they have and how severe they are. People who have frequent or severe migraine attacks that disrupt daily life may be candidates for preventive migraine medications.
[1]Preventive medications include antiseizure medications, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, CGRP monoclonal antibodies, and certain antidepressants.
[1] People may need to try different options to settle on a preventive drug that works for them, and it may take a few months to start reducing migraine attacks. [3] Low doses can help people limit side effects while finding a treatment that works for them.
