title: Acute treatment of migraine headaches.
abstract: Optimum acute treatment of migraine requires prevention of headache as a top priority. Recognition of the multitude of migraine presentations, the frequency of total headache attacks, and number of days of headache disability are critical. Successful treatment requires excellent patient-clinician communication enhancing confidence and mutual trust based on patient needs and preferences. Optimum management of acute migraine nearly always requires pharmacologic treatment for rapid resolution. Migraine-specific triptans, dihydroergotamine, and several antiinflammatories have substantial empirical clinical efficacy. Older nonspecific drugs, particularly butalbital and opioids, contribute to medication overuse headache and are to be avoided. Clinicians should utilize evidence-based acute migraine-specific therapy stressing the imperative acute treatment goal of early intervention, but not too often with the correct drug, formulation, and dose. This therapy needs to provide cost-effective fast results, meaningful to the patient while minimizing the need for additional drugs. Migraine-ACT evaluates 2-hour pain freedom with return to normal function, comfort with treatment, and consistency of response. Employ a thoroughly educated patient, formulary, testimonials, stratification, and rational cotherapy against the race to central sensitization for optimum outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Headache Clinic and Research Center, Park Nicollet Health Services, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. frederick.taylor@parknicollet.com
authors.forename: Frederick R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004087:Dihydroergotamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009480:Neuropharmacology / Q000379:methods*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D014363:Tryptamines / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D014363:Tryptamines; D004087:Dihydroergotamine