What Do I Need to Know About Preventive
Medications?
By Terry Mason
The Least You Should Know
About Headache
Preventive Medicines
If you take a preventive
medicine for your
headaches, you need to know:
- why you need it, how long you'll need it, and about
the specific types
available to you
- how to use it safely
- how to take it
- how it works
- what to do if you have side effects
Read on to learn more and talk with your doctor about each
of these items
before you start to take preventive medication.
Preventive medication is also called prophylactic
medication. You use it to
reduce the number of headaches you have and lessen their
severity. If the
number of your headaches is even reduced by half, your
preventive medication is
working.
Who needs it. Your doctor may
prescribe preventive
medication if any of the following is true:
- You have at least 3 headaches a month.
- You have developed rebound, or medication-induced,
headaches.
- You are very limited in your day-to-day life by
headaches.
How long you need it.Your doctor
may reduce or stop
these medications once the symptoms and frequency of your
headaches are under
control.
What Are the Types of Preventive
Medicines?
There are several different types of
preventive medication. Some are used to treat other
conditions. For instance, antidepressants are sometimes
used to help prevent headaches. This fact should not
concern you. You do not have to be depressed to benefit
from these medications. On the other hand, if you do have
another condition such as depression, a preventive
medication that also treats that condition may be the best
choice for you. To learn more about the specific types, see
What Should I Know
About the Specific Type I'm Taking?
