News

More than 7 migraine headache treatment drugs have been approved in the past 18 months.  The newest categories are for treatment of an active migraine headache, unlike the drugs covered last week which are for prevention. “GEPANTS” CGRP Antagonists for TREATMENT of ACUTE MIGRAINE HEADACHE “Gepants” are small molecule...

CGRP (calcitonin-gene-related peptide) when released causes intense inflammation in the coverings of the brain (the meninges), and for most migraine patients, causes the pain of a migraine attack.  This peptide dilates blood vessels which causes several pain processes, most notably migraine headache. Mechanism:  drug therapy is directed against calcitonin...

The medications we discussed last week that we are not supposed to use for migraine headache treatment were the mainstay of therapy until the early 1990’s.  In December of 1992 Imitrex (sumatriptan) injection was approved by the FDA, and the oral dosage form was approved in June of 1995. ...

Ergotamine preparations Discussion of ergot alkaloids has a rich history that dates to known cases in the Middle Ages, that caused gangrene and hallucinations.  The Salem witch trials were believed to be due to ergotism. It has been postulated that the 10th plague of the Egyptians was also due...

For mild to moderate migraine attacks not associated with vomiting or severe nausea, simple analgesics like  non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) , acetaminophen or combination analgesics are first choice agents because they are effective, less expensive, and less likely to cause adverse effects than some of the prescription migraine drugs...

There are many types of headaches, and your Thompson Pharmacist can be a great resource.  In the upcoming weeks, we will explore treatment of the various types of headache.  Here is a overview of headache types: Tension Headache definition: Tension headache: also referred to “chronic scalp muscle contraction headache”...

The teenage brain is not an adult brain with fewer miles on it. During adolescence, the teen brain is only 80% developed.  The frontal lobe (responsible for reasoning, planning, judgement, emotional expression, problem solving, memory, language, and sexual behaviors) is not fully in gear until age 25-30. The adolescent...

The numbers and percentages are staggering. 85% of teens get less than the minimum requirement of 8 ½ hours of sleep.  We all are aware that shortened sleep impairs learning, performance, health and safety.  Nearly 55% of fall-asleep crashes involve drivers 25 years of age or younger. It is...