What Are the Treatments for Familial Hemiplagic Migraines?

Familial hemilplegic migraine (FHM) is a serious and rare type of migraine that runs in families. The symptoms combine all the misery of a migraine with paralysis or loss of coordination on one side of the body. Treatment is difficult.

Initial Attack

• Since the symptoms of FAM so closely resemble that of stroke, anyone who experiences their first FAM attack has to be hospitalized to be sure he or she is not suffering from stroke.

Diagnosis

• According to MAGNUM, the National Association for Migraines, diagnosing FAM is difficult, because it closely resembles other conditions like epilepsy or brain tumors. An MRI or other scan is needed, but there is no definitive test for FAM.

Medications

• Patients experiencing FAM attacks usually need to be hospitalized in order to get injectable medications such as verapamil, ergotamines such as Cafergot, narcotics or triptans such as topiramate.

Prevention

• People with FAM often are put on medications to take every day in the hopes of preventing attacks. These medications include blood pressure medicines beta blockers like propranolol and calcium channel blockers such as verapamil, as well as anti-seizure medications.

Warning

• According to Migraines for Dummies (Diane Stafford and Jennifer Shoquist, MD; 2003) painkillers used to treat other types of migraines will not work for FAM.