Are Medications for Me?
By Terry Mason
Medications can both prevent headaches and
relieve the symptoms
associated with them. Your doctor may prescribe medication
if any of the
following is true:
- Nonprescription pain relievers do not stop your
symptoms.
- Your headaches are severe.
- Your headaches interfere with your normal activities.
- You have at least 3 headaches a month.
- You have developed
rebound, or medication-induced, headaches.
While your doctor can suggest medications, the decision to
use them is up to
you. Your doctor's
goal will be to choose a drug that lets you take the least
amount with the
fewest possible side effects.
Before you take any
new medication, you need to give your doctor
specific information about yourself and your experiences
with medications.
You
also need to get specific information from your doctor
about the drug you're
going to take. This helps ensure that you're able to use
the medications
safely.
If you decide to take a medication, take it only
as directed and discuss your experience while taking it
with your doctor.
Finding the right one might take some time. Your
doctor will choose a medicine based on your headache type.
For a lot of
reasons, though, medications don't always work the same way
for everyone. So
taking a drug that doesn't have the desired effect doesn't
mean
no medication will work.
If you take a medication that doesn't seem to
be working for you,
tell your doctor right away. There are numerous options to
choose from to find
the right medicine.
