New Migraine Treatment
Migraines range in severity, but most patients agree they have a negative impact on their lives, and can make day-to-day living difficult. Chronic migraine suffers can have an attack occur several times a week, and some patients face difficulty when searching for a treatment option. Recent information from researchers offers hope to those within the early stages of migraines.
According to the American Academy of Neurology, two new drugs may actually prevent migraines from occurring in the first place, rather than treating them once present. The researchers stated, "We've identified a new preventive treatment for migraines, something that reduces frequency, the number of attacks and severity of attacks, how bad the attacks are," said Dr. Peter Goadsby, co-author of both studies and professor of neurology at Kings College, London and the University of California, San Francisco. "The results herald a new mechanism for the preventive treatment of migraines."
Migraines are caused from a protein known as “calcitonin gene-rated peptide", and by stopping this protein; migraines can be stopped as well. The new migraine treatment named for prevention of migraines fall within a class of drugs used to treat cancer, and is created from genetically engineered antibodies. The drugs were tested in patients who suffered from regular migraine attacks, and spend 5-14 days per-month with the attacks. The patients were treated for a 6 month period, and the results offered much excitement. According to the results, these patients reduced their migraine attacks by 6 days, and saw a 66% reduction in the number of days they had attacks.
The doctors involved in the treatment study said this method of treatment offers a lot of hope because unlike other treatment methods, this one is entirely new and specific to those suffering with migraines. One main reason behind treatment issues for those with migraines is the lack of medication available. Over the past 50 years, no new medication has been released for migraine treatment, and there aren’t any preventative methods available. With the release of these new drugs, the lives of many migraine suffers will be improved.
Conclusion
Patients who suffer with migraines await the release of these new preventative treatment methods. Patients treated with these medications tolerated it well and side effects were limited.