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Headache Living with Headaches

The Latest Weapons in the Migraine Battle

Summary & Participants

Newer and more effective medications can change the life of a migraine sufferer.

Medically Reviewed On: August 05, 2008

Webcast Transcript

Cathy, migraine sufferer: When you’d wake up with a migraine, it ruins your whole day, because you can’t do your normal routine. I would suffer. Just, you know, swallow and suffer.

ANNOUNCER: A prescription medication changed Cathy’s life.

Cathy, Migraine Sufferer: If I didn’t have this medicine, I wouldn’t have a life.”

ANNOUNCER: Cathy’s medication belongs to a class of drugs called triptans. Unlike painkillers, triptans are designed to derail the process in the brain that causes migraines.

Alexander Mauskop, MD, Headache Specialist: These drugs eliminate the entire complex of migraine; that is, nausea, light sensitivity, noise sensitivity. Dramatic impact on the quality of life of my patients. Many, many people tell me, "This drug changed my life.”

ANNOUNCER: For people who have frequent migraines, doctors may also prescribe medications to prevent or reduce the number of attacks.

Alexander Mauskop, MD, Headache Specialist: There are three major categories of preventive medications that we use for migraine patients - blood pressure medications, old-type tricyclic antidepressants, and the third category are epilepsy drugs.

ANNOUNCER: Botox may soon be added to that list. Some studies show it may prevent migraines.

Alexander Mauskop, MD, Headache Specialist: It is still being tested. But I’ve been using Botox off-label for the past ten years and many of my patients who've failed to respond to many drugs have a very good response to Botox.

ANNOUNCER: The main message for people with migraines is that they don’t have to suffer.

Cathy, migraine sufferer: There are so many medications out there now, there’s such a variety of triptans that -- and other types of medication that there’s a way to get relief. And I think for the crushing pain of migraines, you just want relief.

ANNOUNCER: Thanks for joining us on today’s Once Daily.