Treating Migraine Attacks
Breaking down migraine treatments
While migraine does not yet have a cure, treatments can help relieve migraine symptoms, stop attacks, prevent them, or do both.
The types of migraine treatments
There are 2 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.
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
Usually the first treatment recommended in patients with moderate-to-severe migraine. A class of drugs that works by balancing chemicals in the brain.
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). Nurtec ODT is a CGRP receptor antagonist medication.
Ditans
A class of drugs that acts similarly to triptans, which can be useful for patients who don’t respond well to triptans.
Ergot derivatives
A class of drugs that can balance brain chemicals similarly to triptans and are often reserved for patients who don’t respond to triptans or analgesics.
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 attacks, such as beta blockers and calcium channel blockers.
ORAL
Depression medications
Drugs originally designed to treat depression that have been used to help prevent migraine attacks.
ORAL
Anti-seizure medications
Some drugs originally designed to treat seizure or epilepsy that are used to help prevent migraine attacks.
ORAL
CGRP receptor antagonists
A class of drugs—also known as gepants—that can prevent migraine attacks by blocking pain signals thought to be linked to the activity of a protein called CGRP. Nurtec ODT is a CGRP receptor antagonist medication.
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.
INJECTABLE
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.