Drugs to Treat Headaches and Migraines

Medications for Migraines

Today there are a lot of medications to treat headaches and Migraines. As you can see from the list below there are many medications used to successfully treat both headache and migraine, and for their prevention. Many people find that rather than a single medication, it turns out that a combination is sometimes more successful.

The following list of medications are successfully used by some headache and Migraine patients as preventive medications. They’re listed first by class, then generic names followed by brand names.

Antihypertensives (blood pressure meds)

Clonidine (Catapres)
Guanfacine (Tenex)

ACE Inhibitors:

Benazepril (Lotensin)
Captopril (Capoten)
Enalapril (Vasotec)
Fosinopril (Monopril)
Lisinopril (Zestril, Prinivil)
Moexipril (Univasc)
Perindopril (Aceon)
Quinapril (Accupril)
Ramipril (Altace)
Trandolapril (Mavik)

Alzheimer’s/Dementia Medicaton

Memantine (Namenda)

Angiotensin II Inhibitors

Candesartan (Atacand)
Eprosartan (Teveten)
Irbesartan (Avapro)
Losartan (Cozaar)
Olmesartan (Benicar)
Telmisartan (Midcardis)
Valsartan (Diovan)

Beta Blockers

Acebutolol (Secral)
Atenolol (Tenormin)
Betaxolol (Kerlone)
Bisoprolol (Zebeta, Emconcor)
Cartelol (Cartrol)
Labetalol (Normodyne, Trandate)
Metoprolol (Lopressor)
Nadolol (Corgard)
Penbutololm aka Levatol)
Pindolol (Visken, Syn-Pindolol)
Propranolol (Inderal)
Timolol (Blocadren)

Antihistamines

Cyproheptadine (Periactin)
Pizotifen (Sandomigran (UK))

Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)

Amitriptyline (Endep)
Amoxapine (Asendin)
Clomipramine, aka, Anafranil)
Desipramine (Norpramin)
Doxepin (Sinequan)
Imipramine (Norfranil, Tofranil)
Nortriptyline (Pamelor, Aventyl)
Protriptyline (Vivactil)
Trimipramine (Surmontil)

MAOI Antidepressants

Isocarboxazid (Marplan)
Phenelzine (Nardil)
Tranylcypromine (Parnate)

Other Antidepressants

Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban)
Mirtazepine (Remeron)
Trazodone (Desyrel)

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Citalopram (Celexa)
Escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro)
Fluoxetine (Prozac)
Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
Paroxetine (Paxil)
Sertraline (Zoloft)

Selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs)

Duloxetine hydrochloride (Cymbalta)
Venlafaxine (Effexor, Effexor XR)

ADHD Medications

Dextroamphetamine (Adderall)
Atomoxetine HCl (Strattera)
Methylphenidate HCl (Concerta, Ritalin)
Pemoline (Cylert)

Arthritis Meds, Cox-2 Enzyme Inhibitors

Celecoxib (Celebrex)

Muscle Relaxants

Carisoprodol (Soma)
Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril)
Lioresal (Baclofen)
Metaxalone (Skelaxin)
Tizanidine (Zanaflex)

Antiseizure medications

Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
Clonazepam, Klonopin)
Clorazepate (Tranxene)
Divalproex (Depakote)
Gabapentin (Neurontin)
Levetiracetam, Keppra)
Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
Oxcarbazepine, Trileptal)
Tiagabine (Gabitril)
Topiramate (Topamax)
Valproate Sodium (Depacon)
Zonisamide (Zonegran)
Pregabalin (Lyrica)

Ergot Alkaloid

Methylergonovine (Methergine (the only ergot used as a preventive))

Leukotriene Blockers

Montelukast (Singulair)
Zafirlukast (Accolate)
Zyleuton (Zyflo)

Others

Baclofen (Lioresal)
Botulinum Toxin Type A (Botox)
Memantine (Namenda)

Dietary Supplements

Coenzyme Q10
Feverfew
Butterbur (Petadolex)
Magnesium
Vitamin B2
5-HTP (Check carefully with doctor because of interactions with meds including triptans and SSRIs)
Lecithin
Melatonin

References:

Thanks goes to the American Academy of Neurology Practice Guidelines, September, 2000, Nahib M., MD; Silberstein, Stephen D., Md, FACP; Frietag, Frederick G., DO; Gilbert, Thomas T., MD, Frishberg, Benjamin M., MD. “Evidence-Based Guidelines for Migraine Headache in the Primary Care Setting: Pharmacological Management for Prevention of Migraine.”

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