5 Reasons You Need Real Migraine Medication 

Do you handle migraines with OTC meds, home remedies, or just doing anything you can to “power through”? Then it’s probably time to get prescription headache medicine from a healthcare provider who knows all of the options and can find the one that’s best for you. Here are five compelling reasons to get serious about your headache treatment. 

Taking too many OTC painkillers is . . not good.

It’s tempting to think of drugstore medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen as harmless since they don’t require a prescription, but in some cases when you take them regularly they can lead to serious side effects, including stomach bleeding and kidney and liver problems. In addition, relying on OTC meds too often can make headaches worse, says Dr. Charisse Litchman, neurologist, headache specialist and Nurx advisor. For frequent migraines and chronic tension headaches it’s usually a better plan to get prescription medications that treat or prevent head pain. The prescription medications will both work better and pose fewer risks.

Migraines can hurt your career. 

According to the Migraine Research Foundation, more than 157 million workdays are lost each year due to people experiencing migraines (that includes both actual sick days and days when people show up to work but are less productive because of migraine symptoms). If some of that missing work was yours, know that getting migraines under control can have real career and financial benefits.

Migraines can get in the way of relationships. 

Research shows that about 50% of people who experience migraines report that they’re less engaged in family activities as a result of their headaches and other migraine symptoms. Because it may seem like migraines tend to strike at the worst times—birthday parties, big dates, special family occasions—then getting a real treatment strategy can give people important parts of their lives back.

Uncontrolled migraines may even cause brain damage.

Although more research is needed, there are scary signs that repeated uncontrolled migraine may lead to lesions on the brain, changes associated with eventual cognitive impairment. These lesions are more often seen in patients who experience migraine with aura, those who experience nausea with their headaches, those who experience severe headaches, and those who’ve had migraines for many years. 

You may be under-treating your migraines.

An estimated 25% of migraine sufferers would benefit from preventive treatment, meaning a daily pill or monthly injection that prevents migraines and reduces their frequency and severity. Preventive medications include beta blockers, anticonvulsants, and CGRP inhibitors. Although preventive treatment would be right for 1 in 4 migraine patients, only 12% of them receive it, according to the Migraine Research Foundation. A good prevention plan may be able to help you avoid #1-4 above. 

To get the right migraine treatment prescribed online and delivered to your door, complete your online medical consultation with Nurx today. Our patients tell us that our migraine treatment is no less than “life changing.”