Treatment
- Abortive: What to take “as needed” for a headache. The earlier the medicine is taken, the more effective it will be. These are the medications used most commonly, although this is not an all-inclusive list.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs):
---Indomethacin (Indocin) (This is considered a first line treatment.)
---Diclofenac (Cataflam)
---Naproxen (Aleve)
---Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
- Others:
---Caffeine upon waking with headache (This is considered a first line treatment.)
- Preventive: What to take on a daily basis to try to lessen the frequency and/or severity of the headaches. Preventive medicines generally take 4-6 weeks to start working and 2-3 months for full effect, assuming the correct dose of the medication is reached. These are the medications used most commonly, although this is not an all-inclusive list. However, this type of headache usually is not treated with a daily preventive medicine because if it is a recurrent pattern, it is usually an infrequent one.
- Others:
---Caffeine before bed if tolerated (This is considered a first line treatment.)
---Melatonin (This is considered a first line treatment.)
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs):
---Indomethacin (Indocin) can be helpful when taken prior to bed (This is considered a first line treatment.)
- Anti-depressant/Anti-anxiety medications:
---Lithium (This is considered a first line treatment.)
---Amitriptyline (Elavil)
---Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
---Venlafaxine XR (Effexor XR)
---Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq)
---Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
- Anti-convulsant (Anti-seizure) medications:
---Topiramate (Topamax)
---Gabapentin (Neurontin)
---Zonisamide (Zonegran)
---Divalproex sodium (Depakote)
