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Treatment Options for Migraine Headache
Complications of Migraine Headache Medications
The most common complications associated with medications used for migraine include:
- Recurrent headache - this is a moderate to severe headache that occurs within 24 hours of relief from the first headache. They tend to occur with all short-acting migraine medications. The incidence of recurrent headache with triptan medication is lower than for other types of medication.
- Rebound headache - this headache is related to medication overuse. It may occur daily or near daily in response to regular, prolonged usage of fast-acting analgesics for headache pain (more than 2-3 times a week). It can be caused by NSAIDs, triptan, ergotamine, opiates, acetaminophen, and aspirin. Therefore, if a patient is taking any of these medications for migraine more than twice a week, preventive therapy may be recommended.
