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. However, since this headache is usually a short-lasting headache, abortive treatment is typically not helpful because the headache will usually go away before the medicine gets into the system.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)/Analgesics: (Until this headache is evaluated and cleared with normal testing with a physician, Acetaminophen would be the only safe one.)
---Indomethacin (Indocin) (sometimes this can be taken routinely for a short period of time during periods of increased coughing spells)
---Diclofenac (Cataflam)
---Naproxen (Aleve)
---Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
---Acetaminophen Extra Strength (Tylenol)
---Excedrin (Tylenol +/- Aspirin +/- Caffeine)
- 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.
- Anti-convulsant (Anti-seizure) medications:
---Topiramate (Topamax)
---Gabapentin (Neurontin)
---Zonisamide (Zonegran)
- Anti-depressant/Anti-anxiety medications:
---Amitriptyline (Elavil)
---Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
---Venlafaxine XR (Effexor XR)
---Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq)
---Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
- Anti-hypertensive (blood pressure) medications:
---Verapamil (Calan)
---Propranolol (Inderal)
---Metoprolol (Toprol)
---Atenolol (Tenormin)
---Nadolol (Corgard)
---Lisinopril (Zestril)
---Candesartan (Atacand)
---Acetazolamide (Diamox)
