Is it normal to have several Migraines a week?

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My question is it normal to have several migraines in a week? I have them almost everyday, and no matter what I take it does not go away. I have been on Imitrex 100mg and I'm only 18. I've had migraines as long as I can remember. Is there anything I can take to get rid of these headaches or is it normal? I don't know if it's serious enough to get a cat scan of my head. Should I? Nasiya.


Dear Nasiya;

Anyone who has more than three Migraines a month needs to talk to their doctor about something for prevention. There's growing evidence that Migraine is a progressive brain disease. A recent study showed that Migraines can cause brain damage, and that people with three or more Migraines a month are more susceptible to this damage. For more information, see Is Migraine a Progressive Brain Disease? and ** Yes, Migraines Can Cause Brain Damage**.

How many days a week are you using Imitrex? Taking Migraine abortive meds such as the triptans (Imitrex) or ergotamines or any kind of pain med more than two or three days a week can make matters worse by causing medication overuse headache (MOH), aka rebound. See _Medication Overuse Headache - When the Remedy Backfires _ for more information on this.

There's really no hard and fast "rule" about when to have a CT scan or MRI. When the diagnosis of Migraine is clear, especially if there's a family history of Migraine, imaging studies often aren't felt to be necessary. However, if it would make you feel better, there's certainly nothing wrong with asking your doctor about it.

Good luck,
John Claude Krusz and Teri Robert

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