Treating Migraine

Breaking down
migraine treatments

While migraine does not yet have a cure, medicine has recently made great progress in treatment. These treatments that can help relieve migraine attacks, prevent them, or do both.

Actual
Nurtec ODT
Patients

The types of migraine treatments

There are two main approaches to migraine care: stop migraines after they start (acute) or prevent them before they start (preventive).

Many people with migraine use both acute and preventive treatments. There are also approved drugs that both treat and prevent migraines.

Acute

There are many kinds of treatments that aim to stop a migraine attack or treat its symptoms. They can come in the form of oral medications, nasal sprays, injections, or devices.

  • Pain relievers or analgesics

    Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, as well as prescription options. Can often be taken with other treatments.

  • Triptans

    A class of drugs that can balance chemicals in the brain to reduce the inflammation and tightening of blood vessels.

  • CGRP receptor antagonists

    A class of drugs — also known as gepants — that can stop migraine pain signals thought to be linked to the activity of a protein called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP).

  • Ditans

    A class of drugs that acts similar to triptans, but doesn't cause the tightening of blood vessels in the brain.

  • Ergot derivatives

    A class of drugs that can balance brain chemicals similarly to triptans and shouldn't be used by those with high blood pressure or heart disease.

  • Nerve stimulation devices

    Devices that use electrical currents or magnets to "turn down" nerve activity in the brain and stop migraine attacks.

Preventive

As the name suggests, preventive treatments aim to prevent migraine attacks from ever starting. They too come in many forms, including oral medications, injections, and devices.

ORAL

  • Blood pressure medications

    Drugs that treat high blood pressure and migraine, such as beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and more.

  • Depression medications

    Drugs designed to treat depression that have also been shown to help prevent migraine attacks.

  • Anti-seizure medications

    Anti-seizure and anti-epilepsy drugs that have also been shown to help prevent migraine attacks.

  • CGRP receptor antagonists

    A class of drugs — also known as gepants — that can prevent migraine attacks by stopping pain signals thought to be linked to the activity of a protein called CGRP.

Injectable

  • CGRP antagonist antibodies

    Injections that can reduce the activity of CGRP in the brain — a protein involved in sending pain signals to the nervous system.

  • Neuromuscular blockers

    Injections that use a neurotoxin to temporarily prevent muscle contractions and can block pain signals in the brain.

Devices

  • Nerve stimulation devices

    Devices that use electrical currents or magnets to "turn down" nerve activity in the brain and can prevent future attacks.

Acute & preventive

Nurtec ODT is approved to treat and prevent migraine.
A CGRP receptor antagonist, it is thought to block pain signals linked to the activity of a protein called CGRP.

talk to your doctor

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your doctor, try using our
Doctor Discussion Guide.

why Nurtec ODT?

Learn how
Nurtec ODT can help
when migraines attack.

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how to get Nurtec ODT

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from a doctor, in person
or through telemedicine

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