Unlike acute treatments, which relieve pain and symptoms when they occur, preventative migraine headache treatments are taken daily to prevent or lessen the severity of the attacks.
So, the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society are releasing a new set of guidelines as to which of those medications and treatments work best to prevent migraine.
The guidelines recommend several prescription drugs and beta-lockers as effective for migraine prevention. Among them are medications typically prescribed for seizures.
A few over-the-counter options are included in the guidelines, including ibuprofen and naproxen. And the spikey plant petasites, also known as butterbur, is recommended as effective in preventing migraine.
Researchers say no matter which option you choose, you should consult your doctor because migraine can get better or worse over time. But the important thing is that you do seek help.
"My recommendation is that if a person has really tough headaches and is going nowhere that they probably ought to seek out a board certified headache medicine specialist," said Dr. Stewart Tepper, a headache expert at Cleveland Clinic.
The complete list of guidelines can be found in the journal "Neurology."
