MEDICATION & PRESCRIPTIONS

Medication is not THE HEADACHE CLINIC’s preferred treatment, but some patients opt to be treated with drugs instead of our highly successful Non-Drug Treatment. There are two types of medications used in the treatment of headaches and migraines – ‘RESCUE’ medication, and ‘PREVENTIVE’ medication.

The 'RESCUE' medication is taken to treat the pain once the headache has started. The most damaging effect of rescue medications is that their repeated use leads to a condition called 'Medication Overuse Headache' or MOH.

The 'PREVENTIVE' medication, on the other hand, is taken on a daily basis, even when there is no headache, in order to prevent the pain from occurring. There are a number of drugs that are commonly prescribed in an attempt to prevent headache and migraine, but most patients stop using them because they either don't help, or the side-effects are worse than the headache pain. For this reason, they are usually prescribed only as a last resort for the worst sufferers. At THE HEADACHE CLINIC, patients are encouraged not to opt for preventive medications, but instead to undergo our Non-Drug Treatment.

Patients opting for drug treatment are prescribed both rescue and preventive medication. THE HEADACHE CLINIC provides the prescriptions but not the medications themselves.

Following the COMPLETE DIAGNOSIS ^™ all prescriptions and any necessary further consultations with our professional staff are provided free of charge for the following 12 months. Follow-up consultations at no further charge are made on a two-weekly basis so that the patient's progress can be monitored accurately. The follow-up consultations are extremely important for the following reasons:  

1. To ensure that the medications are being used correctly
2. To check whether the drugs are having the desired beneficial effect
3. To check for the presence of undesirable side-effects
4. To give advice on possible dosage changes
5. To change the medication if necessary