The Migraine Brain by Carolyn Bernstein M.D. & Elaine McArdle

Author:Carolyn Bernstein, M.D. & Elaine McArdle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

How long will I take the medication? We never know how long a particular migraine drug will continue to be effective for you. Migraines often change in severity, duration, and symptoms, so you need regular reviews of your medication. You and your headache doctor should have an ongoing relationship that continues past the initial visit.

My patients complete the MIDAS scale at our first visit, before starting any medication, to give a baseline of how disabled they are by migraine. Then, they repeat the MIDAS scale to give us a measure of whether their headaches are improving.

Make sure you and your doctor have a plan for monitoring your reaction to the drug and that you schedule return appointments for evaluation. I like the “rule of three months,” where a patient tries out a medication for three months before we decide whether it’s working or we need to try something else. But don’t wait three months if you’re having a problem! Call your doctor immediately if you have a negative reaction to the drug or some other serious issue.

It’s likely you can be weaned off a preventive med at some point in the future. How long that will take varies with each patient. If your headaches come back, you will most likely want to get back on a preventive.

Types of Preventive Drugs

Different classes of drugs for migraine prevention work in different ways and have different side effects. Your doctor should explain why she has chosen a particular drug for you.

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