Headache Medications - Preventative Medications

The best way to treat a headache is preventing it from occurring at all. Unfortunately for many people avoiding is just not enough and prevention headache medication is required. If you suffer from frequent headaches, it is recommended for you to see your doctor who can help prevent them.

Preventative medications for headaches are to be taken daily whether a headache is present or not to keep headaches from occurring. It is not recommended that they be taken for a small attack. There are many preventative medications to choice from and the one you use will depend on any co-existing conditions, including asthmas, diabetes, high blood pressure, pregnancy and others. Knowing this, choosing the right preventative medication can help this sometimes difficult process.

Preventative headache medications are used to help lower the severity, frequency and/or length of headaches. They are normally given to people:
1. have four or more days in a month where headaches occur.
2. whose medication currently taking to stop headaches is not working efficiently.
3. whose headaches are very crippling.

Taking preventative headache medications may help abortive medications work better. Abortive medications include those that aid in stopping a current headache. It is recommended that preventative medication be used daily for at least four or six weeks before you begin to feel the medication fully. Preventative medication should not be stopped suddenly and should be discontinued very slowly over a period time to avoid any side effects.

Types of preventative headache medications:

1. Beta-blockers (Inderal, propranolol, Tenormin, atenolol, metoprolol, nadolol, timolol). This type of headache medication stabilizes blood vessels while minimizes size changes and limits stimulation around the nerves.

2. Botulinum (Botox). This is a natural-occurring toxin and when injected subcutaneously in small doses, it can prevent headaches.

3. Calcium channel blockers (verapamil, diltiazem, nimodipine). In the same group as beta-blockers in that they aid in stabilizing blood vessels.

4. Dopamine reuptake inhibitors (Wellbutrin, bupropion) . This type of medication raises the amount of dopamine in the body.

5. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). (Prozac, fluoxetine, Paxil, paroxetine and Zoloft, sertraline). Increases the body’s amount of serotonin.

6. Serotonin and Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI)(Effexor, venlafaxine, Cymbalta, duloxetine). This medicine increases serotonin and norepinephrine.

7. Noradrenergic/Specific serotonergic (NaSSA) (Remeron, mirtazepine). Releases more amounts of serotonin and norepinephrine in the body and stops histamine effects (histamine can cause swelling of blood vessels and be the root of pain).

8. Tricyclic antidepressants (Elavil, amitriptyline, nortriptyline, imipramine). This medication changes the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine for the body.

9. Anticonvulsants (Depakote, divalproex sodium, Neurontin, gabapentin, Topamax, topiramate)

Studies suggest that the key to the best headache treatment may be found in many drugs that are used for lowering blood-pressure. These new studies show there are four different classes of these that prevent headaches. The idea that many headaches are caused by high blood pressure goes back 100 years or so.

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