Migraine is not just a headache: while the latter can be difficult to cope with, the first one is torturing, destructive, and absolutely disabling. Migraine attack may seem to be impossible to live through, and a patient often feels like he/she is not going to make it till a pill starts to work.

Unfortunately, migraine management adds up to the relief of acute attacks, for the time being; and little is usually done to cure the disorder. The truth is modern science knows too little about the initial cause and the actual reason for migraine headaches, in spite of the fact that the mechanism of their occurrence is understood.

As a result, scientists do their best to develop the most effective pain-relieving medications for more people to be able to cut short their sufferings at least for some period of time. Too bad that actually only those in the developed countries can and want to enjoy the achievements of the modern pharmaceutics: patients of “the third world” not only lack the basic knowledge of modern medicinal issues, they are often even resistant to try something new, because they literally got used to metamizole sodium, even if it does not work.

The latest word in the migraines treatment is the drug Treximet. This new option is said to possess a very substantial benefit over the older drugs used to alleviate acute migraine attacks: it combines two effective ingredients sumatriptan (vasoconstrictor) and naproxen sodium. Sumatriptan works to eliminate the trigger of the migraine attack – dilated blood vessels in the brain; while naproxen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain reliever capable of soothing pain caused by inflammation of the tissues surrounding brain blood vessels and nerves.  

Clinical trials, supporting the new drug, showed its higher efficacy in eliminating migraines than each ingredient used alone: higher percentage of patients responded to Treximet and the relief lasted as long as 24 hours in the majority of cases.

At the same time, it is necessary to note that doubled benefits of the combination drug may be accompanied by the doubled side effects, since each ingredient can cause its own adverse reactions. Consequently, Treximet was associated with dizziness, sleepiness or somnolence, nausea, chest pain and discomfort, pain or pressure in the neck or jaw, upset stomach and dry mouth.

It should also be noted that sumatriptan may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke (that is why people with the history of such events may be recommended against the use of the drug). Naproxen, in its turn, raises the risk of serious stomach and intestinal problems such as bleeding and ulcers, thus, doctor’s examination concerning these conditions is necessary prior to the use of Treximet.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women are not recommended to take this medication, as well as patients with liver or kidney disorders, or those allergic to any of the ingredients.

Combination of two chemicals in a single pill also means wider range of drug interactions; therefore, detailed information should be given by a doctor taking into account the use of other medications by a particular patient.

It is also worthy of noting that although each ingredient has been in the pharmacies for some time in a separate form, thus having a significant history of use and extensive trials results, Treximet is not recommended to be used more than 5 times a month, as the consequences of such treatment were not evaluated.

Hopefully, the new drug will help more people to fight the acute attacks of migraine today, waiting for the cure from this condition, which, who knows, may be discovered even tomorrow…