{"id":4475,"date":"2019-06-17T14:31:40","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T18:31:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www1.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=4475"},"modified":"2020-07-15T19:38:19","modified_gmt":"2020-07-15T23:38:19","slug":"talk-doctor-migraine-prescriptions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/talk-doctor-migraine-prescriptions\/","title":{"rendered":"When to talk to your doctor about a prescription for migraine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Throbbing, pulsing pain. Sensitivity to light and sound. Nausea and vomiting. If you are one of the <\/span>38 million Americans who experience migraine<\/span><\/a>, you recognize these symptoms. And, you may need a prescription <\/span>migraine medication<\/span><\/a> to help.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who does migraine affect?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Studies estimate that between 10% and 13% of people worldwide live with migraine. In fact, nearly 5 million Americans experience at least one migraine per month, and more than 11 million say that migraine causes a moderate to severe disability.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the numbers vary greatly by age and sex. <\/span>Women are three times as likely<\/span><\/a> as men to have migraine. About 20% of women in the U.S. and 9.7% of men experienced a severe headache or migraine in the past three months, according to one study by the <\/span>U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/span><\/a> (CDC). Reports of recent migraine pain changed with age. For example, 24.7% of women aged 18-44 years old reported having experienced a severe headache or migraine in the last three months. But among women aged 75 and older, the percent of people with recent migraine was only 6.3%.<\/span><\/p>\n

So what\u2019s a person with migraine to do? If your migraine headaches are frequent, it may be time to seek professional help.<\/span><\/p>\n

Migraine medication<\/b><\/h2>\n

When you have an ordinary headache, you might reach for an over-the-counter pain reliever such as naproxen, Tylenol, or Advil. Or you might simply drink some water and lie down in a cool, dark, quiet room for a bit. Often, this is not enough to knock out a migraine.<\/span><\/p>\n

While there is no cure for migraine, there are two effective approaches to migraine treatment with medications, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health. The first approach is prevention of migraine attacks, and the second is pain relief of migraine symptoms once an attack has occurred.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>Meet Ubrelvy, the new FDA-approved medication that cures migraine<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Prescription medication for migraine prevention<\/span><\/h3>\n

NINDS reports that preventive treatment of migraine involves the use of drugs as well as behavior changes. People who experience frequent migraine headaches should practice stress management techniques, such as exercise, meditation, biofeedback, and other methods of relaxation.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to <\/span>Mahan Chehrenama<\/span><\/a>, MD, a neurologist and migraine specialist in McLean, Virginia, patients should consider preventive medications if their migraine attacks are frequent (more than four to six attacks per month) or severely disabling. \u201cPreventive medications are generally prescription-based, except for certain supplements like magnesium oxide,\u201d she says. \u201cThese preventative drugs might also help patients better respond to pain relieving medications if a migraine does occur.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Preventive medications are taken daily, even when you don\u2019t have a headache. They can include:<\/span><\/p>\n