HEADACHES: NEW MEDICATION USED TO TREAT MIGRAINES
There is a new medication used to treat migraines called Imitrex, or Sumatriptan. It comes in a kit that provides the patient with everything she needs to adminster the medication through self-injection. The medication is injected at the first signs of a migraine, when nausea and spots before the eyes begin to appear and the head begins to hurt. If the symptoms have not begun to subside after an hour, another injection can be given; this is usually effective. However, people with heart disease shouldn’t use Imitrex, since the medication can cause spasm in the coronary arteries.
Ergotamine is another medication that should be taken at the beginning of a migraine, except it is taken orally or sublingually and can be repeated at 30-minute intervals, or as often as necessary until the symptoms subside. If you want to take ergotamine, your doctor will want to monitor your health, since the medication can be habit forming and a rare disorder called ergotism can develop. Since ergotamine helps decrease the pain of a migraine through a process known as vasoconstriction, in which the blood vessels become narrow and the pain is reduced, some of the side effects of the medication include rapid heart rate, muscular aches and pains, coldness in the hands and feet, depression, and seizures, which explains why ergotamine is not a medication to be taken lightly.
A migraine headache doesn’t necessarily have to immobilize a person. The most important part of treatment is to recognize the onset of a migraine and treat it with medication immediately, as well as to eliminate foods that tend to trigger a migraine.
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Tags: General health