| Q: | I fast intermittently for reasons of faith. Can I take my abortive therapy without food? | | A: | Fasting may trigger a migraine attack. Abortive therapy is more effective once dehydration and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) are treated. However, if you must fast, you can take your medications without food. Watch out for a stomach upset if NSAIDs are taken without food. |
| Q: | My migraine attacks are infrequent. Do I always have to carry my abortive medication with me? | | A: | When migraine attacks are infrequent, it is easy to be caught off guard without your abortive medications. An attack can occur at any time, so you must be prepared to treat it early. Lack of medication will delay treatment and make the attack more difficult to treat. |
| Q: | Can I adjust my preventive medication dosage? | | A: | You should consult your doctor if you think your preventive medication dosage needs to be changed. He or she may at first prescribe a small dose, instructing you to increase it gradually as you tolerate the side effects. |
| Q: | What happens if I miss doses or run out of my preventive medication? | | A: | You can trigger a migraine attack by missing doses of your medication, so it is important to take them as instructed. Pill containers that provide sections for each day of the week may help you remember each dose. |
| Q: | If I develop side effects, should I stop my preventive medication? | | A: | You should consult your doctor. Some drug side effects are serious and require that the medication be discontinued. Others may be less serious and only require a change in dosage. Some preventive migraine medications can cause problems if discontinued suddenly; therefore you need to talk to your doctor before you stop taking a drug. |
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