Abstract

The objective of abortive treatment of migraine attack is to reduce the intensity and duration of pain with its attendant symptoms and to optimize the patient's ability to function normally. The efficacy of most abortive anti-migrainous drug is probably related to their inhibitory effects on neurogenic inflammation mediated through serotoninergic control mechanisms. A variety of treatment strategies provide effective treatment for most attacks of moderate to severe migraine when utilizing one or a combination of the following classes of drugs: anti-emetics, simple analgesics, nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs, ergot derivatives, and narcotic analgesics. The choice of medication for an acute attack depends on factors such as the severity of the attack, the presence or absence of vomiting, time from onset of pain to peak pain level, rate of bioavailability of the drugs, comorbid medical conditions, and the side effect profile of the drug. Korean Journal of Headache 2(1):10-19, 2001