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News and Research |
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Prevention: The Future of Migraine Therapy |
Stopping a migraine headache before it ever begins is the new focus of treatments.
Until a few decades ago, people had little more than aspirin to fight the throbbing, debilitating pain of a migraine headache. Then, in the 1980s, researchers developed strong drugs to halt migraine pain once it begins. But those drugs have serious side effects. Some people cannot take them if they are at risk for heart disease or other conditions. Also, if the drugs are not taken within the first hour of migraine headache pain, they don't help much.
These older drugs are still prescribed. But more recently, the approach to taming this lion has made a 360-degree turn. Now, prevention is the focus. It involves disabling a migraine headache before the pain ever begins. One method is to take non-migraine drugs daily to help prevent a migraine from starting. The drugs affect brain chemicals or blood vessel inflammation that lead to migraines.
For those who can't take medications or aren't happy with them, a few supplements also show promise for preventing migraine headaches. "In my own practice, I recommend these if there are at least two well-controlled clinical trials showing benefit," says Sarah DeRossett, MD, a neurologist and migraine specialist in Atlanta. "Magnesium, Riboflavin (vitamin B-2), and coenzyme Q10 all fit those criteria." |
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Alternative Choices for Migraine Pain |
While medications are the mainstay of migraine treatment, they're not a cure-all. For women who are pregnant or hoping to be, supplements are a safe alternative. For people who can't get enough relief from prescriptions or who dislike the side effects, supplements can also help.
"Almost anyone, including children, can take magnesium," DeRossett tells WebMD. "The only side effect is diarrhea. Some people get it, some don't. For some, it's dependent on how high the dosage is."
She recommends magnesium "more than other supplements, and have found it to have the most robust effect in preventing migraines," she says. "I advise vitamin B-2 if a patient has a predisposition to diarrhea." Some supplements combine magnesium, vitamin B-2, and the herb feverfew. Coenzyme Q10, which the body produces naturally, has also been shown to cut migraine attacks, but it's pricier than the others, she adds.
You have to take magnesium for three months to get a benefit, says DeRossett. "People sometimes give up on it too soon."
The herb butterbur can also help prevent migraine attacks, she adds. A recent study found that a daily 150 mg butterbur supplement cut migraine frequency by more than 50%.
Published April 2005. |
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