Migraine
Pain Relief

No Prescription
US Pharmacy
without Appointment

Menu

Home Page
Medical Guide
Infectious Disease
Chronic Conditions
Buy Discount Meds

Category	Prescription Drug	Strength	Quantity	Cost
Migraine Headache and Pain Relief	Butalbital Esgic Plus Fioricet Imitrex Motrin	40 mg 500 mg 40 mg 100 mg 800 mg	30 pills 30 pills 30 pills 9 tablets 60 pills	$55 $46 $55 $270 $53

Esgic Plus (pain relief, relaxant, tension headache)

Esgic Plus is a pain reliever and a relaxant. Use this medicine to treat tension headaches. Adults may take one or two tablets every four hours as needed. Since each tablet contains 500 mg of acetaminophen, you should not take more than six per day.

Fioricet (barbiturate sedative, tension headache, migraine)

Fioricet is a barbiturate sedative mixed with a non-aspirin pain medication and caffeine. This non-narcotic pain medication and relaxant is often prescribed for tension headaches caused by contractions of the muscles in the neck and shoulder area, and migraine. Extended and repeated use of this product is not recommended because of the potential for physical dependence.

Imitrex (triptan for migraine headache)

Imitrex is used to treat migraine headaches. Imitrex targets the blood vessels and the nerves which cause the migraine headaches. When you have migraine symptoms take one dose of Imitrex. In some cases two doses, but not more than 200 mg a day, can be taken only if instructed by your personal healthcare practitioner. The following side effects can occur when taking Imitrex: dizziness, nausea, fatigue, drowsiness.

Motrin (pain relief, arthritis, headache)

Motrin Tablets are used for relief of the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Take this medicine for the relief of mild to moderate pain. Your doctor may prescribe Motrin for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. Do not exceed 3200 mg total daily dose. If you experience gastrointestinal toxicity, take Motrin with meals or milk.

Headache is a common and frequently recurrent disorder that can seriously disrupt a person's life. Headache pain may be generalized (all over) or localized (in one area) and may range from mild to severe. Some headaches have a known cause while others, like migraine headaches, may not. Postural changes, prolonged coughing, sneezing, or exposure to sunlight may contribute to headache. Sometimes a headache may be a symptom of a serious underlying problem (such as stroke or brain tumor) and may call for prompt medical care. Serious headaches include those that are sudden and severe, associated with convulsions or seizures, accompanied by confusion or loss of consciousness, associated with a blow on the head or pain in the eye or ear, or persistent in a person who was previously headache-free. Recurring headaches in children, those associated with fever, or those that interfere with normal life should be checked by a doctor. The most common types of headaches include migraine, cluster, and tension-type.

Migraines produce throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head. Symptoms, besides pain, may include nausea, vomiting, light and noise sensitivity, fever, chills, flu-like achiness, and sweating. Some sufferers have warnings before a migraine, such as visual disturbances. Migraine attacks may last from a few hours to days, and may recur several times a week or once every few years.

Cluster headaches, which mainly occur in men, occur as a series of one-sided headaches that are sudden and excruciating and may continue for 15 minutes to 4 hours. Symptoms on the painful side may include nasal congestion, drooping eyelid and irritated, watery eye.

Tension-type headaches, which are the most common headache type, produce a dull, achy pain that feels like pressure is being applied to the head or neck. These headaches may be associated with muscle tenderness and increased electromyogram (EMG) activity.

Treatment

For many people, analgesics may provide relief. Antidepressants may be used to relieve stress-related headaches. Muscle relaxants may benefit chronic tension headache sufferers. Ergotamine tartrate or sumatriptan taken at the beginning of a migraine headache may reduce the severity of the headache. Other therapeutic options may include supportive measures such as regular exercise, biofeedback, and physical therapy. Chronic and repetitive use of headache treatments may increase headache frequency in some individuals. Monitoring by a physician experienced with treating headache is often helpful.

At one time, aspirin was almost the only available treatment for headaches. Now there are drugs specifically designed to treat migraines. Several drugs commonly used to treat other conditions also may help relieve migraines in some people. All of these medications fall into two classes: pain-relieving medications that stop pain once it has started and preventive medications that reduce or prevent a headache. Choosing a preventive strategy or a pain-relieving strategy depends on the frequency and severity of your headaches, the degree of disability your headaches cause and other medical conditions you may have. You may be a candidate for preventive therapy if you have two or more debilitating attacks a month, if you use pain-relieving medications more than twice a week, if pain-relieving medications aren't helping or if you have uncommon migraines.

Pain-relieving medications

For best results, take pain-relieving drugs as soon as you experience signs or symptoms of a migraine headache. It may help if you rest or sleep in a dark room after taking them:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or aspirin, may help relieve mild migraines. Drugs marketed specifically for migraine, such as the combination of acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine (Excedrin Migraine), also may ease moderate migraines, but aren't effective alone for severe migraines. If over-the-counter medications don't help, your doctor may suggest a stronger, prescription-only version of the same drug. If taken too often or for long periods of time, NSAIDs can lead to ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding and rebound headaches.

Triptans. Sumatriptan (Imitrex) was the first drug specifically developed to treat migraines. It mimics the action of serotonin by binding to serotonin receptors and causing blood vessels to constrict. Sumatriptan is available in oral, nasal and injection form. Injected sumatriptan works faster than any other migraine-specific medication ( in as little as 15 minutes ) and is effective in most cases. But injections may be inconvenient and painful. Since the introduction of sumatriptan, a number of similar drugs have become available, including rizatriptan (Maxalt), naratriptan (Amerge), zolmitriptan (Zomig), almotriptan (Axert), frovatriptan (Frova) and eletriptan (Relpax). These newer agents provide pain relief within two hours for most people, have fewer side effects and cause fewer recurring headaches. Side effects of triptans include nausea, dizziness or muscle weakness and, rarely, stroke and heart attack.

Ergots. Drugs such as ergotamine (Ergomar) and dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45) and dihydroergotamine nasal spray (Migranal) help relieve pain. These drugs may have more side effects than do triptans.

Medications for nausea. Metoclopramide (Reglan) is useful for relieving the nausea and vomiting associated with migraines, not the migraine pain itself. It also improves gastric emptying, which leads to better absorption and more rapid action of many oral drugs. It's most effective when taken early in the course of your migraine or even during the aura before your headache begins. The drugs prochlorperazine (Compazine), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), promethazine (Phenergan) and hydroxyzine (Vistaril) also may relieve nausea, but don't affect gastric emptying.

Preventive medications

Preventive medications can reduce the frequency, severity and length of migraines and may increase the effectiveness of pain-relieving medicines used during migraine attacks. In most cases, preventive medications don't eliminate headaches completely, and some can have serious side effects.

Cardiovascular drugs. Beta blockers, which are commonly used to treat high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, can reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. These drugs are considered among first-line treatment agents. Calcium channel blockers, another class of cardiovascular drugs, especially verapamil (Calan, Isoptin), also may be helpful. In addition, the antihypertensive medications lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril) and candesartan (Atacand) are useful migraine prevention medications. Researchers don't understand exactly why all of these cardiovascular drugs prevent migraines. Side effects can include dizziness, drowsiness or lightheadedness.

Antidepressants. Certain antidepressants are good at helping prevent all types of headaches, including migraines. Most effective are tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline (Pamelor) and protriptyline (Vivactil). These medications are considered among first-line treatment agents and may reduce migraines by affecting the level of serotonin and other brain chemicals. Newer antidepressants, however, generally aren't as effective for migraine prevention. You don't need to have depression to benefit from these drugs.

Anti-seizure drugs. Although the reason is unclear, some anti-seizure drugs, such as divalproex sodium (Depakote), valproic acid (Depakene) and topiramate (Topamax), which are used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disease, seem to prevent migraines. Gabapentin (Neurontin), another anti-seizure medication, is considered a second-line treatment agent. Taken in high doses, however, these anti-seizure drugs, depending on which one you take, may cause side effects such as nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, hair loss and dizziness.

Cyproheptadine. This antihistamine specifically affects serotonin activity. Doctors sometimes give it to children as a preventive measure.

Botulinum toxin type A (Botox). Some people receiving Botox injections for their facial wrinkles have noted improvement of their headaches. However, it's unclear what effect Botox actually has on headaches. It may cause changes in your nervous system that modify your tendency to develop migraines. Additional research is necessary.

Disclaimer

This drug information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended that this information covers all uses, directions, drug interactions, precautions, or adverse effects of your medication. This is only general information, and should not be relied on for any purpose. It should not be construed as containing specific instructions for any particular patient. We disclaim all responsibility for the accuracy and reliability of this information, and/or any consequences arising from the use of this information, including damage or adverse consequences to persons or property, however such damages or consequences arise. No warranty, either expressed or implied, is made in regards to this information.