Migraine & Rheumatoid Arthritis Remedy

Migraines are severe headaches that often cause nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic condition that causes inflammation, pain and swelling in the joints. Neither of these conditions can be cured but many medications are available to you to manage them.

Medications for Acute Attacks

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are over-the-counter medications that can treat mild migraines. Products such as Excedrin Migraine are specifically formulated to treat this kind of headache. These products will not treat more serious migraines.

  Triptans,such as the medication Imitrex, are the primary treatment for severe migraines. They address pain, nausea and sensitivity to light. This is not a suitable treatment if you are at risk for a heart attack or stroke.

  Ergot (ergotamine) works in a similar fashion as triptans; it costs less but is also less effective. It works best in people whose pain lasts more than two days. Dihydroergotamine, derived from ergotamine, works better and has fewer side effects.

  Since nausea and vomiting often occur with migraines, anti-nausea medication can be administered along with standard treatments for acute attacks.

  Butalbital combinations combine the sedative butalbital with aspirin. Sometimes, they will also include caffeine or codeine. This treatment has a high risk of rebound headaches and withdrawal, making them unsuitable for primary treatment.

  Doctors usually prescribe opiates when you are unable to use triptans or ergot. These substances can be highly addictive and are only used as a last resort.

Medications for Prevention

• Preventative medicines can reduce attacks and make medicines used for acute attacks more effective.

  Cardiovascular drugs and anti-seizure drugs reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. Researchers do not know the exact mechanisms of how this occurs.

  Antidepressants prevent migraines by altering the levels of serotonin and other brain chemicals. You do not need to be suffering from depression to benefit from these drugs.

  Studies looking at botox for chronic migraines showed mixed results. If you find this an effective treatment, you will need to get injections every three months.

Medications for Rheumatoid Arthritis

• NSAIDs treat the pain and inflammation of arthritis. These include your common over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium. A doctor can also give you prescription-strength versions of these medications.

  Steroids provide quick relief of pain and inflammation while slowing joint damage. They are good for providing dramatic relief of acute symptoms but over time will lose their effectiveness and cause serious side effects.

  DMARDs (disease modifying antirheumatic drugs) control joint damage and are most effective at the early stages of the disease. It takes several weeks to several months to see benefit and your doctor will probably prescribe another medication in addition to this for this period of time.

  Immunosuppressants act on your immune system, which is mistakenly attacking healthy joint tissue at this time.

  TNF-alpha inhibitors block a particular protein that causes inflammation, thereby reducing many symptoms of this condition. It usually begins working one to two weeks after starting treatment.

  A doctor might prescribe abatacept or rituximab if TNF-alpha inhibitors are not working for you. These medications act on certain immune system cells to decrease inflammation.