What medicine works quickly for migraine

Migraine is a typical headache symptom, which manifests as pain around the temples. Many people always suffer from migraine in the summer. When encountering this situation, it may be due to a cold or heatstroke, but some people cannot relieve the pain in time, and because the pain is short-term, many people will not go to the hospital for treatment and let the situation go. So, what medicine is effective for migraine quickly? What are the relief methods?

1. Mild to moderate headache: NSAIDs such as acetaminophen, naproxen, ibuprofen, etc. can be effective alone. If ineffective, use migraine-specific treatment drugs. Opioid preparations such as pethidine are also effective for confirmed acute migraine attacks. Due to their addictive nature, they are not recommended for routine treatment of migraine. However, for cases where ergot preparations or triptans are contraindicated, such as those with concomitant heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, or migraine during pregnancy, pethidine can be given to terminate the acute migraine attack.

2. Moderate to severe headaches: Migraine-specific treatment drugs such as ergot preparations and triptans can be directly used to improve symptoms as quickly as possible. Some patients who have severe headaches but have responded well to NSAIDs in the past can still choose NSAIDs. ① Ergot preparations: They are non-selective agonists of 5-HT1 receptors. The drugs include ergotamine and dihydroergotamine (DHE), which can terminate acute attacks of migraine. ② Triptans: They are selective agonists of 5-HT1B/1D receptors, which may exert analgesic effects by constricting cerebral blood vessels and inhibiting the transmission of pain sensation in peripheral nerves and secondary neurons of the "trigeminal cervical complex". Commonly used drugs include sumatriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, and almotriptan.

Adverse reactions of ergot and triptan drugs include nausea, vomiting, palpitations, irritability, anxiety, and peripheral vasoconstriction. Large-scale long-term use can cause hypertension and limb ischemic necrosis. The above two types of drugs have strong vasoconstrictive effects and are contraindicated in patients with severe hypertension, heart disease and pregnant women. In addition, if ergot and triptan drugs are used too frequently, it will cause medication overdose headache. To avoid this situation, it is recommended not to use the drugs more than 2 to 3 days a week.

3. Associated symptoms: Nausea and vomiting are prominent associated symptoms of migraine and are also common adverse reactions of drugs. Therefore, it is necessary to use antiemetics (such as metoclopramide 10 mg intramuscular injection) in combination. For patients with severe vomiting, small doses of perphenazine or chlorpromazine can be given. People who are irritable can be given benzodiazepines to help them calm down and fall asleep.