Migraine is a chronic headache, usually one sided, varies widely in frequency,
may last several
days, and can be very incapacitating. Photophobia(light
sensitivity), and phonophobia(sound sensitivity)
are common. It may cause excessive tearing of the eye
on the affected side. Nausea and vomiting are common. Rarely, it
causes one sided paralysis, mimmicking stroke.
Frequency of the attacks, is the key to treatment. Maintenance treatment,
is the daily administration of a drug to prevent or lessen the frequency
of the attacks. Abortive( or acute ) treatment
is the episodic ingestion of a drug to abort an attack.
Hence, frequent migraines warrant maintenance
treatment, and infrequent migraine, can be treated episodically
by abortive drugs. One or more migraines
per week is generally considered frequent and deserves
maintenance treatment. Less frequent migraines
may also be treated by maintenance drugs, if they are
specifically severe or long lasting.
Migraine treatment has evolved beyond the addictive and cumbersome drugs
of yesteryear.
Anybody still taking Fiorinal with codeine, and stadol
nasal spray, should seriously consider seeing
a doctor for alternative, less addictive medicines.
"MIDAS" is a questionaire used to evaluate the severity of your headaches,
and helps
us find the best treatment method. Click here for the
questionaire,