Leslie was at the point of turning down a terrific job offer because she was afraid her headaches would get out of control with all the added responsibilities and travelling. The new triptan her doctor had prescribed gave her just enough relief to get through the workday, but almost always the headache would be back in force by evening or the next day. Leslie figured she had already tried everything there was to try for her 48-hour killer migraines, but thought she would ask her doctor anyway, since she was due for follow-up.
The answer, to Leslie's surprise and relief, was "Yes." There was more that could be done to control her headaches. There are medicines that can hopefully cut down on the number of headaches she experiences, and also make them less severe, more easily controlled by her triptan. Success wasn't guaranteed, but she could reasonably expect to be doing much better within a few months' time.
Over the last 10 to 15 years, headache sufferers have benefited from a new generation of headache drugs that are faster-acting with fewer side effects. However, some people, like Leslie, still have headaches that are so severe or pro-longed that they can't be adequately controlled by these medications. Others get good results with drugs such as DHE or the triptans, but their headaches are so frequent that they find they are taking these medicines several times a week.
If you are losing too much of your life to frequent or severe headache attacks, there are other options for managing your headaches. Instead of taking medication as needed, to control the pain and other symptoms of a headache attack, you can try one of a number of medicines that can reduce the number of headaches you experi-ence stopping headaches before they strike.
Next: Stopping vs. Preventing Headache >>
Reprinted from the web site of the American Council for Headache Education (www.achenet.org)
