Migraine Consultation & Treatments At Pharmacy2U.
Our UK-based, GMC-registered GPs will review your details and if
appropriate can provide prescription treatments for Migraine,
including Sumatriptan, Almogran & Imigran
Nasal Spray.
Start Consultation >>
Migraines are a common problem, affecting 15% of the adult
population in the UK. They affect women more than men and 90% of
people have their first migraine before the age of 40.
Migraines can affect different people in different ways.
Normally (but not always) it includes a severe throbbing
headache felt at the front or on one side of the head, and is
usually accompanied by feeling or being sick, and/or a
sensitivity to bright light and loud sounds. Sufferers often say
they have to lie down in a darkened, quiet room and wait for it
to pass – it will usually last anywhere up to 72 hours.
In some migraine sufferers, the headache is preceded by changes
in mood, energy levels, behaviour and appetite for several hours
before the attack. This can be followed by an “aura” stage,
which includes seeing flashing lights, blind spots, inability to
focus and seeing things as though through broken glass. It can
be quite frightening if you are not used to it, and can last for
up to an hour before a headache starts. Most migraines fade away
or disappear after being sick or with sleep and, in many cases,
the sufferer will feel weak and exhausted afterwards.
Some people suffer migraine attacks rarely and can go for years
without an attack, whilst others can have several attacks a
week. For many, migraines are triggered by certain things.
Common triggers include stress or anxiety, shock, tiredness or
poor sleep patterns associated with shift work, neck or shoulder
tension and poor posture. For some people, certain foods can
trigger migraines too – chocolate, citrus fruits, alcohol,
cheese, the food additive tyramine and caffeine are common
culprits. Bright or flashing lights, strong smells, loud noises
or very cold temperatures may trigger migraines. Some medicines
can cause migraines, such as some sleeping tablets, hormone
replacement therapy and the contraceptive pill. Migraine
sufferers are often encouraged to keep a diary of foods to try
and identify any triggers so that they can be avoided.
Whilst migraines can seriously affect your quality of life, most
sufferers find a way of preventing them by identifying and
avoiding triggers. There are effective treatments available that
can prevent and treat the symptoms of migraine.
Many people find that non-prescription medicines available from
a pharmacy can be very helpful – including painkillers such as
paracetamol and ibuprofen, with or without codeine. Codeine can
be helpful, but it can also make people feel more nauseous.
Medicines to help with the feeling of sickness such as Avomine, Buccastem
M and Kwells are
also helpful. Migraitan
tablets are
also available without a prescription and are specifically
designed to lessen the symptoms of a migraine. They reduce the
swelling of blood vessels to the brain, which is associated with
a migraine, and can get to work within 30 minutes of you taking
one. All medicines should be taken at the first signs of a
migraine. As a migraine progresses, it becomes harder for
medicines to get into the blood stream, and they can be lost
altogether in bouts of sickness. Soluble painkillers (which are
dissolved in water before being taken) will get to work faster
than normal tablets and so are recommended for a migraine.
If non-prescription treatments do not work for you, there are a
number of prescription-only medicines that can help prevent and
reduce the symptoms of migraines. These treatments are available
through a convenient and confidential consultation with the
Pharmacy2U Online Doctor. A class of medicines called 5HT1
receptor agonists are used to treat migraines in patients who
have not responded to non-prescription medicines. These are not
suitable for everyone, so it’s important that a doctor decides
if this is the right treatment for you. The 5HT1 agonists are
available from the Pharmacy2U Online Doctor service and
include: Almogran (almotriptan) tablets,
Imigran nasal spray, Maxalt
melt wafers (rizatriptan), Migard (frovatriptan)
tablets and sumatriptan.
Click on each medicine to find out more about them.
Imigran nasal spray and Maxalt melt wafers can be beneficial to
some migraine sufferers as they are not taken by being
swallowed, which is difficult to do when you feel nauseous or
are being sick, and they get to work more quickly. Migard is
lasts longer, so there may be less incidence of a rebound
migraine.
The doctor can also prescribe Arlevert and Prochlorperazine
buccal tablets to
help combat the sickness of migraine, and co-codamol
effervescent tablets to
relieve the headaches. For frequent sufferers, the doctor can
prescribe propranolol to
prevent migraines. It's taken each day, even if you don't have a
migraine at the time, in order to make it less likely that you
will experience a migraine in the future.
If you suffer from migraines and need prescription treatments,
act now and start a convenient and confidential consultation
with our UK-registered GP.
Start Consultation >> |