Migraine Medication - Over The Counter

[simon43]

My partner has migraine headaches every month during her period. The local clinic provided her with some sleeping tablets and a limited supply of medication to reduce the pain/nausea. These do help, but I'm unhappy that the scientific name/brand name of the medication has not been disclosed by the doctor to my partner. (Knowledge is power!).

Are there any over-the-counter medications available in Thailand to relieve mild to medium migraines? I'm not talking about paracetamol, but a medication that is specifically manufactured for migraine sufferers.

Thanks!

Simon

[SeanMoran]

Anadol - contains 50mg tramadol HCI per capsule. Fixes any pain as good as codeine IMHO.

Do not Anadol and drive...

[Sheryl]

There are drugs which work specifically to prevent migraine attacks or stop them early on. I am assuming you know for sure that the headaches are in fact migraine and not another type, if any doubt about that best have her see a neurologist with special interest in headaches. Not all severe headaches are migraine.

Migraine medications include:

1. Triptans, which work by constricting the dilated cerebral blood vessels. These are specific to migraine and may not help if in fact her headaches are of another type. The preparations available in Thailand include:

Sumatripton Brand name: Imigran.

Zolmitriptan Brand name: Zomig

These need to be taken at the very first sign of an attack. These drugs are still under patent and hence expensive.

2. Ergot preparations- these are all forms of ergotamine, usually in combination with caffeine, which also constrict the cerebral blood vessels, they are much older drugs and available in local generic forms. Be advised that they cause severe vomiting in many people. Common preparations in LOS include:

Imported (expensive): Avamigran, Cafergot, Degran

Local generic equivalents: Hofergot, Migana, Polygot and Tofago

All of the above are used to stop a migraine at its first onset. They are sold over the counter in Thailand, but as with any medication they do have contraindications and side effects so be sure to read up on them before using.

For a migraine attack already underway, these will not work. At that point only pain killers will help. The various narcotic preparations will help but are addictive and Thai doctors often hesitant to prescribe them. Tramadol is OTC and works for some people. NSAIDs such as naproxen, ibuprofen etc are also effective in some people but must be taken with food as they irritate the stomach. Applications of ice packs are also helpful.

There are other medications used to prevent migraine but they must be taken daily; if her migraines are just once a month this may not be warranted. And in any event I would not recommend them without medical supervision and assessment first.

There are no studies on it but many anecdotal reports of relief for menstrual migraines through use of a bioidentical form of the female hormone progestterone. Brand name Utrogestan is the only form currently available in LOS. Take once a day at bedtime for 1-2 weeks before period is due and stop after period comes (if necessary may continue 1-2 days into the cycle). Can also try it at first sign of migraine, in which case punch a small hole into the gel-coated capsule and place it under the tongue for more rapid absorption.

Last but not least -- Is she on birth control pills? Because if so this is quite likely the culprit and may be able to resolve the problem altogether by changing to another method of family planning or switching to a progestin-only brand of pill.

Detailed info on migraine can be found at www.migraines.org

[halfhead]

I was kept in overnight in a private hospital a few weeks ago for bad headache,

I was given Ponston,Cafergot and Xanax