Living with migraine means dealing with more than just a headache. Persistent headache pain and recurring symptoms can disrupt your daily life.¹ That’s why having a clear treatment plan with specific goals can help ensure everything from managing your pain to improving your everyday life is considered.²

It’s important to work with your health care provider to set clear goals for your migraine treatment plan.¹ That way, you can identify the ways your treatment plan is or isn’t working for you and make adjustments as needed.

Read on to learn more about the different goals of acute treatment for migraine and how you can work with your health care provider to personalize a treatment plan that is right for you.

What Is Acute Treatment of Migraine?

Acute treatment is a type of migraine treatment that is taken when you’re actively experiencing a migraine attack.¹ Acute treatment may be taken early, at the beginning of a migraine attack, which can even be before the head pain starts.³

Examples of acute treatments for migraine attacks include³:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Acetaminophen
• Triptans
• Anti-nausea medications
• Small molecule calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonists (gepants)

In addition to acute treatment, migraine treatment can also include preventive treatment — medications taken on a regular basis to help reduce migraine attack frequency and severity.¹ Your doctor may decide if you need a combination of these treatment methods.

What Are the Goals for Acute Treatment?

The American Headache Society has outlined several goals for acute treatment of migraine.² Since everyone’s needs differ, some people may also need preventive treatment to help them reach their goals.² Below are some acute treatment goals you might work toward with your health care provider.

Relieve Your Pain and Symptoms

Migraine symptoms can make it difficult to focus on work, school, or daily commitments.² The symptoms can last anywhere from hours to days, be severe, and occur repeatedly.¹

One of the main goals of acute treatment is to get relief from headache pain and other symptoms.² If you’re taking acute treatment, an option is to take your medication as soon as you notice symptoms.³ At the start of a migraine attack, you may experience symptoms such as¹:

• Aura (sensory or visual disturbances such as seeing bright lines or shapes)
• Yawning
• Changes in mood
• Stiff neck
• Sensitivity to sound and light
• Restlessness

Impact on Ability To Function in Everyday Life

Relieving pain and symptoms is crucial to treatment because migraine can disrupt your life in many ways.¹ Migraine can make it difficult or impossible to function at home, school, or work or in social settings.² The condition can also significantly impact your quality of life.¹ Migraine is ranked as the second leading cause of disability in the world.¹

Acute treatment can have an impact on disability, making it easier for people with migraine to function in everyday life.² Your provider may also recommend lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and avoiding triggers, to help improve your mental health and overall quality of life with migraine.¹

If migraine significantly disrupts your daily activities or quality of life, helping your ability to function may be a key treatment goal to discuss with your health care provider. If your current treatment plan doesn’t consider how you function daily, your provider may want to adjust your treatment. They may also consider preventive treatment if that isn’t already a part of your plan.²

Minimize Side Effects

Like all medications, migraine treatments can cause side effects, or adverse effects. Medication side effects vary, and may be especially frustrating if they resemble your migraine symptoms. Side effects can cause people with migraine to delay or avoid taking their acute treatment, which can affect a treatment plan.²

If you experience unmanageable side effects from your current treatment, tell your doctor. They can help adjust your plan to reduce side effects. Every person with migraine is different. Your health care provider may have to try a few different treatment options to see which is right for you.²

Reduce the Need for Extra Medications

Some people with severe migraine attacks may not find relief with their acute treatment. In this case, they may need rescue medications — medications that help provide relief when other treatments don’t address symptoms enough.^3,4 Some people even need to go to their doctor’s office or an emergency room (ER) for help when severe pain won’t let up.¹

Acute treatments for migraine attacks aim to reduce the need for rescue medications and prevent you from having to head to your doctor or the ER.² You and your provider can work together to adjust your treatment plan to address these goals if they apply to you.

Discuss Your Goals With Your Doctor

To identify which goals are important for your current treatment plan, think about what impacts you the most about living with migraine. Is it that the pain impacts your ability to work or attend school?² Maybe your medication’s side effects disrupt your life too much. If something like the cost of medication is a barrier for you, let your health care provider know.²

Consider the goals in this article and which are important to you. You can write down your thoughts and bring these notes to your next appointment with your neurologist or migraine specialist. Together, you can make sure your treatment plan aligns with and works toward your treatment goals.