Migraines: Not Just a Headache

People who have never experienced migraines may not understand how they differ from a regular headache. But those who do experience migraines (whether occasionally or frequently) can feel the difference.

Migraines can be debilitating, affecting someone’s daily life. Quite literally, 90% of migraine sufferers are forced to miss work and skip out on planned events in their lives.

Literally classified as a neurological disease, migraine symptoms can vary from person to person, but most often include the following:

While most people who suffer from migraines typically get one or two per month, more than 4 million people have chronic daily migraines, adding up to as many as 15 migraine days per month.

The problem with migraines is that they often go undiagnosed. If you’ve suffered from headaches for years, but only a couple times per month, you may not even realize you’ve had migraines.

Potential Causes and Early Warning Signs

As previously mentioned, migraines are genetic, but there are other factors that also play significant roles in your likelihood of having them. For example, women are disproportionately affected by migraines, with 85% of migraine sufferers identifying themselves as being female. And most women report having at least one migraine per month.

As to why women are so much more likely to be affected, the theory is that it traces back to hormone fluctuations. Hormonal birth control can trigger migraines, as can menstruation (there’s the one per month), pregnancy, nursing, and menopause.

This may also explain why migraines tend to decline after age 60. Given that estrogen levels fluctuate throughout each of the aforementioned reproductive events, it would make sense that fewer fluctuations would result in fewer migraines.

The longer someone deals with migraines, the more likely they are to recognize the possible warning signs ahead of time. The migraine itself is often only described as the “attack” phase, which is when you are experiencing the headache itself. In fact, there are two stages before the attack phase.

Prodrome is the first phase, in which a person may experience mood swings, constipation, stiffness in the neck, food cravings, increased yawning, and/or feeling very thirsty.

But it’s usually in the aura phase that people start to realize their migraine is coming. This phase could include visual phenomena (bright lights or various shapes), vision loss, tingling sensations in their limbs, and/or hearing phantom noises (like music). Some people even have some symptoms that could be confused with stroke, such as trouble speaking and numbness or weakness in one side of their face.

Aura isn’t necessarily something everyone experiences, but those who do may be able to take their medication during this phase to help alleviate the attack phase.

But knowing that these are potential causes of migraines — or even knowing that they’re coming — won’t prevent them. People need to figure out ways to cope with them. Fortunately, there are many options available, and NorthWestPharmacy.com can help you save on them.

Here are some of the best migraine medications on the market.

Migranal Nasal Spray

Migranal (dihydroergotamine) is a nasal spray in the ergot alkaloid family. This type of drug is highly targeted to only treat throbbing headaches. Theoretically, nasal sprays work faster than oral medications because they get to your bloodstream faster.

Migranal is only intended to be used once the migraine has begun. It will not prevent migraines, nor reduce the number of migraines a person has in any given period of time.

This popular migraine medication works by binding to receptors in your brain that control the release of serotonin (one of the happy hormones), which is believed to be a contributing factor to migraines. The active ingredient will cause the blood vessels around your brain to narrow and decrease inflammation.

In the United States, Migranal is extraordinarily expensive. If you utilize manufacturer’s coupons, you might get the price down to about $3,775.00 for an 8-pack of vials (roughly $475.00 per vial) but that’s likely the minimum price — it will probably only go up from there.

If you’re able to get the generic version, you’ll still have a hefty price tag, paying as much as $1,000.00 per vial. It’s not exactly a bargain.

However, at NorthWestPharmacy.com, we sell brand name Migranal in a 3-pack for about $65.00. That breaks down to about $22.00 per vial. We can also sell vials of Migranal in quantities of six and nine.

Imitrex

Imitrex (sumatriptan, in the “triptan” family) is a popular migraine medication because of how quickly it provides relief. If taken properly, Imitrex can significantly alleviate migraine symptoms within 30 minutes. It’s typically recommended that you take this migraine medication as soon as you recognize your first symptom.

Imitrex will not prevent a migraine, nor will it help stop future migraines. It can only be used to help provide relief during migraines that have already begun.

In the United States, you can expect to pay at least $685.00 for a 9-tablet pack of 50 mg Imitrex, which works out to be about $76.00 per pill.

At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we sell a 12-pack of 50 mg Imitrex for about $197.00, which works out to be about $16.00 per pill.

While Imitrex is available in various forms (tablets, nasal spray, injection), most people choose to take in as a pill.

Cafergot

Cafergot is an effective medication for migraines that contains a combination of ergotamine (another ergot alkaloid) and caffeine. It’s recommended that you take Cafergot at the first sign of a migraine, and then that you lie down in a comfortable place while the medication goes to work.

The ergotamine will stimulate serotonin receptors in the brain, which will restrict blood flow in order to alleviate symptoms before they become too severe. The caffeine is used as a boosting agent for the active ingredient and is also believed to help the body absorb the medication more quickly.

Like the others on this list, Cafergot will not prevent future migraines, nor reduce the number of migraines you have each month.

In the U.S., the name brand is more difficult to find, but the generic (ergotamine/caffeine) is readily available. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make it much more affordable. A 10-pill pack is likely to cost about $125.00, or $12.50 per pill.

At NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can get 30 pills (brand name Cafergot) for the much more affordable price of $38.00, or $1.27 per pill.

Frova

Frova (frovatriptan — another “triptan”) is an oral medication approved for treating the symptoms of a migraine after it has already begun. Like others on this list, it helps stimulate serotonin receptors in the brain.

What sets Frova apart from other migraine meds is that it’s the first triptan that also treats other symptoms of migraines, such as nausea, vision changes, and sensitivity to light and sound. Obviously, this has made Frova quite popular among migraine sufferers.

In the U.S., the cash price of a 9-tablet pack of Frova will cost about $945.00, or $105.00 per pill. The generic is much cheaper, but still not as affordable as it would be through an online Canadian drugs retailer or international pharmacy. The cash price for generic frovatriptan is about $103.00 for 9 tablets.

At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we sell a 12-tablet pack of brand name Flova for about $200.00, or about $17.00 per pill. Our generic is also more affordable, coming out to about $87.00 for a 12-tablet pack, or $7.25 per pill.

Zomig Nasal Spray

Zomig (zolmitriptan) combines the best of two worlds — a nasal spray which should get to the bloodstream more quickly, and a triptan, which will stimulate serotonin receptors. Some Zomig users say that they experience migraine pain relief in as little as 15 minutes.

Another perk of using nasal sprays as medication for migraines is that you will not waste a dose if your migraine pain is so intense that you vomit.

In the U.S., you can expect to pay a cash price of about $645.00 for 6-single use Zomig spray devices. The generic price is lower, but still expensive — about $520.00.

At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we sell brand name Zomig in the same 6-pack for $170.00. Our generic actually comes in a 21-pack for about $70.00.

Relpax

Relpax (eletriptan) is another triptan. It works similarly to the other triptans described here already, stimulating serotonin receptors, in addition to helping block pain receptors in the brain.

Relpax should be taken at the first sign of migraine symptoms, but will not prevent the migraine from occurring, nor will it decrease the number of migraines a person experiences.

In the U.S., Relpax is still very expensive, with the cash price of a 6-tablet pack starting at about $472.00.

At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we sell the same 6-tablet pack of Relpax for $125.00.

Maxalt

Maxalt is yet another triptan (rizatriptan) that can help alleviate the pain associated with migraine symptoms so the migraine sufferer can get back to their daily lives more quickly. Maxalt is not a migraine prevention medication, nor will it decrease the number of migraines a person has in a given period of time.

In the U.S., 9 tablets of Maxalt boasts a cash price of about $396.00, or about $44.00 per pill.

At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we sell Maxalt in packages of 6, which costs about $124.00, or about $21.00 per pill.

Zomig

We’ve already discussed Zomig (zolmitriptan) in the form of nasal spray, but it also comes in tablets. In many cases, this is because one form works better for the patient over another or is simply a matter of personal preference.

It works in the same way that the nasal spray does once it enters the system — stimulating serotonin receptors in order to restrict blood flow and reduce pain. Because it’s a tablet, it doesn’t enter the bloodstream as quickly as the nasal spray.

In the U.S., the cash price for Zomig starts at about $445.00 for just 3 tablets (5 mg), or about $148.00 per pill.

At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we sell 3-tablet packs of Zomig (5 mg) for just $120.00, or about $40.00 per pill.

The Economic Impact of Migraines

Migraine sufferers shoulder a massive burden when it comes to healthcare costs, as well as quality of life. Going back to data from the Migraine Research Foundation, an estimated $5.4 billion was spent on treating migraines in 2015. However, the patients themselves spent an additional $41 billion treating their symptoms and varying conditions that may contribute to their migraines.

It’s estimated that families with migraine sufferers spend an average of 70% more on their healthcare than families without migraine sufferers. Furthermore, brain scans amounting to $1 billion are conducted on people with migraines annually.

Each year, the cost of healthcare combined with lost productivity due to migraines amounts to about $36 million. More than 157 million workdays are lost each year because of migraines — surely a source of frustration for both employers and employees.

Migraine medications that help alleviate severe symptoms and allow people to get back to their daily lives more quickly are critical. Employers surely want their employees to be well enough to work, but employees definitely don’t want to suffer through a migraine for days at a time.

Getting More Affordable Migraine Medication

This list of popular medications for migraines is by no means a comprehensive list of what we offer at NorthWestPharmacy.com. If your migraine medication isn’t discussed here, feel free to search our website to see how much money we can save you.

If this is your first experience with purchasing prescription medication from an international discount online pharmacy, it’s understandable to feel a bit nervous.

Let us assure you that we take safety very seriously — it’s our top priority. We follow the safety guidelines set out by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association through which we are a certified online pharmacy with and you can always speak to a pharmacist on staff here at NorthWestPharmacy.com.

But please don’t take our word for it. Check out our overwhelmingly positive reviews on independent websites like Shopper Approved and Trust Pilot. And of course, if you ever have any questions, we’re available to answer them via email or the phone.

You can give us a call at 1-866-539-5330, where our knowledgeable customer service representatives are available to answer your questions, help you place an order, or connect you with a pharmacist seven days a week. We look forward to hearing from you soon.