Migraine

Migraine can be eased with simple painkillers such as paracetamol, aspirin or ibuprofen, as appropriate – especially if taken at the first signs of an attack. Soluble tablets can be a good option as they get into the bloodstream more quickly then non-soluble formats. If simple painkillers are not helping to relieve the customer’s symptoms, they may need to make an appointment with a GP, who may prescribe a specific migraine treatment such as sumatriptan, as well as an anti-sickness medicine, if appropriate.

Frequent migraine sufferers may need preventative treatment. Propranolol and topiramate are two of the more common medicines prescribed for this. 

Identifying possible migraine triggers can help sufferers to avoid these and prevent attacks from occurring. Common triggers include strong smells, certain foods (red wine, cheese and chocolate are often to blame), bright lights, skipping meals, dehydration and lack of sleep. Keeping a migraine diary can help customers to pinpoint what their own triggers are (they may have more than one).

Medication overuse headache (MOH)

MOH is treated by withdrawing from the overused medication. Because this needs to be abrupt, symptoms may get worse before they start to improve. Close monitoring and support is therefore essential. There is a high relapse rate for medication overuse headache, so providing information about the condition to customers, as well as advice on appropriate headache management, is important if they are to break their cycle of pain.