The Treatment of Headaches
Rose Williams | December 20, 2009While we are suffering from a headache it is natural to think of ways to stop the pain. However, as there are different types of headaches, sometimes the treatments may work for only a few headache types. There are two different ways of curing the pain caused by headaches. These types of headache treatment are called prophylactical and abortive headache treatment.
The prophylactic type of headache treatment needs to be ingested continuously in order to reduce the frequency of and to control the pain of the headache. The abortive type of headache treatment is begun only when the headache starts.
You must understand that your doctor will not prescribe any prophylactic headache treatment unless you are suffering from several, frequent headache attacks per month. When you take the prophylactic medication you will be monitored for side effects like weight gain, water retention, lethargy, memory impairment and hallucinations.
The treatment of headaches with prophylactic medication begins with a low dosage. The dose amount is then increased as time passes. You will be tested every month or so to see if the treatment is taking effect. Your doctor will also check that, during this phase of your headache treatment, you are not taking any other types of medicine or vitamins.
It is very important for the doctor to know whether the patient is or becomes pregnant. If you do become pregnant, then your doctor should be told, so that tests can be done to discover any possible side effects to the unborn baby.
The main prescription drugs given for stopping headache are beta blockers such as Tenormin and Lopressor. Calcium channel blockers like Cardizem, Dilacor, and Procardia are also used. Doctors can also prescribe anti-depressants such as Elavil and Zoloft. You could also be given serotonin antagonists like Sansert.
Usually, anti-convulsants such as Tegretol, Depakote, and Dilantin are also given for headache treatment. Cafergot and Sansert (ergot derivatives) may also be prescribed by your doctor. The ‘abortive’ headache treatment types that you can take for your headache pain are usually the ‘over the counter’ (OTC) type. These include Paracetamol, Aspirin, Tylenol, Panadol, Motrin, and Advil to mention only a few. Tylenol and Panadol are known as Acetaminophen drugs. Motrin and Advil are in the family of drugs known as Ibuprofen.
Besides these headache treatments, medicines include nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. The side effects of NSAIDs like Naprosyn and Meclomen include nausea, gastrointestinal pain, dizziness, diarrhea, light-headedness and constipation. These headache treatment medications can also cause some people to get a different type of headache.
Since these drugs can cause other problems, you should consult your doctor and find out if they are suitable for you or not. People who prefer an ‘alternative’ headache treatment should ask their doctor whether he thinks the alternative medicine, such as aromatherapy, will be efficacious.
If you have a problem with migraine or headaches, you really ought to definitely go to our website on Stopping Headaches. You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.