Best Medications for Migraines

Until recently, when you had a migraine the only medicines available were headache medicines. There are now prescription medications specifically manufactured to treat migraine headaches. Some medicines used in the prevention of migraine headaches and relieving migraine pain have other primary uses including antidepressants, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, high blood pressure, and anti-seizure drugs. The two types of migraine drugs currently available are migraine prevention medications and migraine pain-relieving medications.

Only you and your doctor can determine if you are a candidate for preventive migraine headache drugs.

Preventive Migraine Medications

When your migraine headaches strike more than twice month it may be time to consider a preventive migraine medication. Preventive migraine medication may also be effective for migraine sufferers who finds their work or school attendance and productivity is hindered by migraine headaches.

Unfortunately, preventive migraine medications will not totally eliminate the onset of migraine headaches. Preventive migraine drugs can limit a migraine’s severity. The medications may also decrease the severity of a migraine and shorten the length of a migraine headache.

Common drugs prescribed for migraine prevention include:

Atacand (function: antihypertensive; main drug: candesartan)
Blocadren (main drug: timolol)
Calan (function: cardiovascular; main drug: verapamil)
Depakene (function; anti-seizure; main drug: valproic acid)
Depakote (main drug:divalproex, function: anti-seizure)
Effexor (function: antidepressant)
Inderal (main drug: propranolol)
Isoptin (function: cardiovascular; main drug: verapamil)
Keppra (main drug: levetiracetam)
Pamelor (function: antidepressant)
Paxil (function: antidepressant)
Prinivil (function: antihypertensive; main drug: lisinopril)
Topamax (function: anti-seizure; main drug: topiramate)
Vivactil (function: antidepressant)
Zestril (function: antihypertensive; main drug: lisinopril)
Zoloft (function: antidepressant)

Pain-Relieving Migraine Medications

There are also some over-the-counter (OTC) drugs which may help prevent migraine headaches. Effective OTC migraine headaches drugs are classified as Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and include naproxen sodium (brand: Aleve), and ibuprofen (brand names; Advil, Motrin, Nuprin). For some migraine sufferers, an OTC headache drug with caffeine, including Excedrin Migraine.

Prescription medications may be best for those with severe and frequent migraine headaches, including:

Amerge (main drug: naratriptan)
Axert (main drug: almotriptan)
Frova (main drug: frovatriptan)
Imitrex (main drug: Sumatriptan)
Maxalt (main drug: rizatriptan)
Relpax (main drug: eletriptan)
Zomig (main drug: zolmitriptan)

All prescription drugs, including preventive and pain-relieving migraine headache medications, may have mild to severe side effects. Consult your doctor to find the best migraine drug for you.