Migraine是一种健康状况，您会经历重复出现，使人衰弱的头痛。它影响 12 percent 美国的人。

Migraine attacks can be severe. They’re often described as a pulsing or throbbing pain that can be felt on one or both sides of the head. Some people experience a collection of symptoms called光环prior to a migraine attack.

A variety ofmedicationscan be used to treat or prevent migraine. Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications are often used to ease symptoms of a migraine attack that’s already begun.

Let’s dig deeper into the different types of OTC medications used for migraine and how they work.

There are a few different types of OTC medication that are available to treat migraine. For the most part, they’re used to address the symptoms of a migraine attack that’s underway rather than to prevent a migraine attack.

You can typically find these in a capsule or tablet form at your local grocery or drugstore. The amount of medication contained in an individual capsule or tablet can vary, so be sure to check the packaging before taking it.

以下药物是一线治疗. This means that they’re generally the first types of treatment recommended for migraine. As such, it’s possible they may not be effective for everyone, particularly when migraine pain is severe.

布洛芬（Advil，Motrin）

Ibuprofenis one of the many非甾体类抗炎药（NSAIDS）that can be used to treat migraine. NSAIDs are often used to treat symptoms like pain, inflammation, and fever.

Traditional NSAIDs like ibuprofen work by inhibiting enzymes called cyclooxygenase (COX) 1 and 2. By blocking these enzymes, NSAIDs prevent the formation of compounds called prostaglandins, which contribute to pain and swelling.

The recommended dosage of ibuprofen for migraine attacks is 400 milligrams (mg). However, dosages up to 800 mg have been used.

A 2013评论 found that taking ibuprofen during a migraine attack provided pain relief in about half of people. However, complete relief of pain was observed in only a minority of participants.

萘普生（Aleve）

Naproxenis also an NSAID. It works to ease pain in much the same way as ibuprofen. However, it has a slower time of onset thanibuprofen, meaning that it may take longer to feel naproxen’s effects.

The typical recommended dosage of naproxen for acute migraine is 500 mg. In some cases, doses of up to 825 mg have been used.

A2020 reviewfound that although naproxen was superior to a placebo for relieving migraine pain, other commonly used pain relievers have reported better results. Reviewers didn’t recommend it as a standalone treatment for acute migraine pain.

Naproxen can better alleviate acute migraine pain when combined with other drugs. For example, using naproxen along with the prescription drug sumatriptan has been found to bemore effectivethan using either of the two drugs alone.

Aspirin

像布洛芬和萘普生一样aspirinis an NSAID. It works through a similar mechanism to the other NSAIDs we’ve discussed so far.

The recommended dose of aspirin for acute migraine is up to 1,000 mg.

A 2010评论 found that this dosage of aspirin had a similar effectiveness to 50 or 100 mg dosages of sumatriptan. A 2014评论 also supported aspirin at doses of 900 to 1,000 mg for acute migraine pain.

除了帮助治疗急性偏头痛疼痛外，阿司匹林还可以努力防止偏头痛发作。一些数据表明，每日服用阿司匹林 81至325毫克 may help to prevent migraine attacks from occurring.

对乙酰氨基酚(Tylenol)

对乙酰氨基酚is often used to treat symptoms like pain and fever. You may also see it called paracetamol. The exact mechanism of how acetaminophen works to ease pain is unknown.

The recommended dosage of acetaminophen for migraine is 1,000 mg.

A2013评论found that acetaminophen was superior to a placebo for acute migraine pain relief. However, it wasn’t as effective as other pain relief options. This was particularly true when it came to easing severe migraine pain.

审稿人得出的结论是，对乙酰氨基酚可能是不能服用NSAID的人的一线治疗选择。

阿司匹林，对乙酰氨基酚和咖啡因（Excedrin）

This OTC medication is actually acombination of three ingredientsat a fixed dosage. These are:

  • aspirin (250 mg)
  • acetaminophen (250 mg)
  • 咖啡因（65毫克）

这些成分中的每一种都有其自身的作用机制，我们已经为阿司匹林和对乙酰氨基酚讨论了。那咖啡因呢？

When you have a headache, blood flow is increased in your brain. Caffeine can cause blood vessels in the brain toconstrict（拧紧），减少这种血流。咖啡因也有anti-inflammatory propertiesand can enhance the effects of aspirin and acetaminophen.

阿司匹林，对乙酰氨基酚和咖啡因的组合可在单剂量丸或片剂中使用OTC。

Like the OTC medications that we’ve already discussed, studies have been performed on the effectiveness of aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine. In fact, some studies have found it to be more effective than ibuprofen or sumatriptan alone.

这取决于。每个人都不同。一个人可能会发现对乙酰氨基酚可以很好地缓解症状，而另一个人可能会注意到布洛芬对他们最有效。

在发现一种有效的偏头痛之前，您可能需要尝试几种不同类型的OTC药物。

It’s also possible that OTC medications won’t effectively alleviate your symptoms, particularly if you experience severe migraine. In this case, a doctor can work with you to recommend a prescription medication that may be more effective.

When discussing strength, we often refer to how much of a medication is given per dose.

Many of these OTC migraine medications are given in high doses. For example, the recommended dosages for aspirin and acetaminophen are typically around 1,000 mg.

但是，在考虑力量时，您可能还会考虑这些药物对偏头痛症状的强烈作用。

In this case, an argument can be made for the aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine combination. Older research 已经发现，这三种成分的组合比单独的单独成分具有更大的有效性。

总体而言，重要的是要记住，最有效缓解急性偏头痛症状的药物可能会因人而异。因此，专注于找到最能解决症状的治疗方法。

It’s possible that OTC medications don’t effectively alleviate your migraine symptoms. If this is the case, make an appointment to see a doctor to discuss other treatment options.

There are several types of prescription medications that can help to ease acute migraine symptoms. Some examples include:

  • triptans, such as rizatriptan (Maxalt),sumatriptan(Imitrex), and zolmitriptan (Zomig)
  • ergot derivatives like dihydroergotamine and ergotamine tartrate
  • newer medications, such as lasmiditan (雷沃）和ubrogepant（Ubrelvy)
  • antiemetics，用于治疗恶心，包括甲氧氯普胺和氯丙嗪等药物

Another good reason to see a doctor for migraine is that there are prescription medications available that can help to防止症状。这些可以包括：

几种OTC药物可用于治疗偏头痛攻击。这些通常被用作急性偏头痛疼痛的一线治疗方法。

哪种OTC药物最适合缓解急性偏头痛症状可能因个人而异。此外，有些人可能会发现OTC药物无法有效缓解其症状。

If you have migraine symptoms, see a doctor for recommendations on acute and preventive treatments.