5 Symptoms That Migraine Treatment Is Not Working

When you have a pain like a migraine, all you really want is relief. Despite the different medications that are available, they are not effective in all cases.

Ideally, your doctor will work with you to create the right plan, based on your history, your symptoms, and how often your migraine episodes occur.  In this way you will be able to find a treatment that suits your needs.

Treatment plans often include drug combinations and lifestyle changes. However, even with a solid and well-formed plan, you need to follow up with your doctor to see how well you are progressing.

If you notice any of the following 5 symptoms, it’s time to talk to your doctor about a different migraine treatment.

1. You regularly take “rescue” medications

To assess how well you are doing with your migraine treatment, you need to know what parts of the action plan you are taking and what each part is supposed to do.

Your plan may include preventive treatments, abortifacient (for acute attacks), and rescue medications.

• Preventive medications are responsible for preventing migraine from appearing. You generally need to take them daily for them to work. Its job is to reduce the number of episodes you experience.
• Abortives are those medications you take when a migraine comes on suddenly. These should be kept close by at all times to quickly prevent the pain from attacking intensely. Its purpose is to relieve migraine symptoms.
• Rescue medications are the ones you should only use if the previous two fail in their mission.

Many people have rescue medications as a safety measure, but they should not be taken regularly. If you must use them constantly, it means that you must opt ​​for another plan of action.

2. You still suffer from regular migraine episodes

If you are taking a preventive migraine treatment, you should have fewer episodes . Over time, the need for abortifacient or rescue medications should be reduced.

If you have these symptoms, you probably need a new prevention medicine:

• You are taking preventive treatment as prescribed and still have regular migraines.
• You have not noticed a reduction in migraines after 3 months of treatment.
• You are taking abortion medications two or more times a week.

3. You are experiencing unwanted side effects

Like any medicine, Migraine treatments can cause side effects that can range from nausea to constipation to dizziness.

Finding a suitable medication and its correct dosage will minimize these effects by allowing you to take your medications when you need them.   It is important to know the proper doses to take.

If you are wondering whether to take medication because of how you react to side effects, you may need to change your migraine treatment to avoid these problems.

4. You are not getting enough relief quickly

When you have a migraine attack, you wish you could ease the pain as fast as possible. The abortion medication is the one that should be working quickly, especially if you take it before you experience the crisis.

The normal range of time for the migraine medicine to take effect is two to four hours.

If you have taken your medication correctly and your migraine does not decrease greatly within this time frame, the medications you are using may not be the right option for you.

When you don’t get migraine relief with abortive treatments, you can turn to rescue medications, but you run the risk of abuse if you don’t pay attention.

We recommend you read: Headache: causes and prevention

5. Your migraines keep interfering with your life

A migraine has the power to stop your life when it wants to. But are you still losing time at work regularly, avoiding social activities, or unable to carry on with daily life due to the pain of migraines?

Finding the right migraine treatment for you means that it should be one that can prevent and treat migraines quickly and efficiently. That will allow you to continue with your day to day without the interruptions caused by pain.

Although no plan to treat migraines guarantees you can prevent attacks all the time, it should significantly improve the frequency with which you have them, as well as the severity of the symptoms.   If not, talk to your doctor about changing treatments and finding the best solution for you.

Keep in mind that lifestyle changes, such as avoiding seizure triggers, changes in your diet, and relaxation exercises can also help improve your quality of life.

Remember that you must work hand in hand with your doctor, since changing your treatment without informing him could be a problem for your health.