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List of Combination Medications for a Migraine

A migraine headache is a painful condition that can be quite severe. The tendency to develop migraines is inherited and appears to involve serotonin, a chemical in the brain, according to Medicine Net, Inc. Pain from a migraine headache can last from a few hours up to a couple of days.

Migraines can interfere with your day-to-day life, and once you've been diagnosed with them, your doctor may start you on a specific drug regimen. One common method of treating migraines is with combination medication.

  1. Excedrin Migraine

    • This was the first nonprescription medicine approved by the FDA to treat symptoms of a migraine, according to Novartis Consumer Health, Inc. You may decide to begin alleviating symptoms of migraines on your own, with over-the-counter medication. Excedrin migraine contains a combination of ingredients including acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine. In clinical studies, after taking Excedrin Migraine, even patients with tough migraines experienced a noticeable reduction in pain within 30 minutes.

    Midrin

    • Like over-the-counter medications, prescription drugs often come in combinations. This combination medication is used to relieve tension and migraine headaches. Acetaminophen helps to decrease the pain from the headache. Isometheptene helps to narrow the widened blood vessels in the head. Dichloralphenazone helps to relax the body, according to Healthcentral.com.

    Cafergot Oral

    • This combination of ergotamine and caffeine in this medication are used to treat or prevent migraines. Ergotamine reduces the throbbing effects by narrowing blood vessels in the head, while caffeine increases the absorption of ergotamine.

    Fioricet Oral

    • This combination medication is used to treat migraines brought on by tension headaches. Acetaminophen decreases the headache pain, while butalbital--a sedative, helps to decrease anxiety and cause sleepiness and relaxation. Caffeine helps increase the effects of acetaminophen and butalbital.

    Fiorinal Oral

    • Fiorinal works similarly to Fioricet; however, the acetaminophen is replaced with aspirin. This combination of aspirin, caffeine and butalbital is used to treat migraines by decreasing the pain, reducing anxiety that causes tension and increasing drowsiness while the caffeine aids in absorption.

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