{"id":629732,"date":"2024-09-11T08:56:22","date_gmt":"2024-09-11T12:56:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=629732"},"modified":"2026-06-05T15:43:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T19:43:41","slug":"amitriptyline-migraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/amitriptyline-migraine\/","title":{"rendered":"Amitriptyline for migraines and headaches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Affecting over <\/span>37 million people<\/span><\/a> in the United States, <\/span>migraines<\/span><\/a> are a disabling type of headache that causes intense pain. Unfortunately, migraines are often a recurrent condition, and preventive therapy is key to improving the quality of life for many. A wide range of medications are used for migraine prevention, with amitriptyline being one of them. But is amitriptyline good for migraines? As a tricyclic antidepressant (<\/span>TCA<\/span><\/a>), amitriptyline is a prescription drug that\u2019s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (<\/span>FDA<\/span><\/a>) to treat depression. However, it\u2019s also used off-label for migraine prevention.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read on to learn more about amitriptyline and migraines.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Does amitriptyline treat migraines?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Amitriptyline<\/span><\/a> is an <\/span>antidepressant<\/span><\/a>, but it has many additional off-label uses, including migraine prevention. While <\/span>off-label<\/span><\/a> use means the FDA hasn\u2019t approved the drug for this particular use, there is <\/span>substantial evidence<\/span><\/a> from 12 studies that amitriptyline can be effective. However, because amitriptyline has a considerable risk of side effects, the American Headache Society and American Academy of Neurology only classify amitriptyline as \u201c<\/span>probably effective<\/span><\/a>\u201d for migraine prevention. Examples of studies supporting its use are:<\/span><\/p>\n