How to Use Beta Blockers to Treat Migraines

Although the cause of migraines is not entirely understood, there are some effective treatments to prevent them. Beta blockers, most commonly used to treat high blood pressure and chest pain, are among the preventative drug therapies used to treat migraines. Beta blockers work on the nervous system and the vascular system. While it is not known how beta blockers help to prevent migraines, it is thought to have something to do with how the vessels in the brain operate.

Things You'll Need

• Medical supervision
• Written record of the frequency of your headaches

Instructions

1. Evaluate your symptoms to determine if you actually have migraines or another type of headache. A migraine is a specific type of headache that is characterized by moderate to severe throbbing pain beginning in one region of the head. Migraines are accompanied by a collection of other symptoms, including light, sound and smell sensitivity, a visual aura, nausea, vomiting and others.

2. Calculate the frequency of your migraines. People use beta blockers to treat chronic migraines, not episodic migraines. If you experience migraines more than three times a month, then your migraines are chronic.

3. See a doctor for a proper diagnosis of the cause of your headaches. Headaches can be triggered by a number of different causes, and a doctor can provide a more specific diagnosis based on your symptoms, history and diagnostic tests.

4. Talk to your doctor about taking beta blockers as a preventative treatment for your migraines. Beta blockers are generally well tolerated, but they are not recommended for people with asthma, diabetes, heart problems and some other conditions.

5. Discuss the different forms of beta blockers you can use. Beta blockers are available in extended-release capsules and tablets or in a concentrated oral solution. The most common type of beta blocker used to treat migraines is propranolol.

6. Work with your doctor to find the right dosage for your preventative use. For propranolol, doctors typically start the dosage at 20mg, four times daily. If you are not responding to the therapy, your dosage may be increased incrementally up to 240mg throughout the day.

Tips & Warnings

• There are many different preventative therapies for migraine headaches. If you don't get relief from beta blockers, talk to your doctor about other options. It can take a while to find the right therapy for you.

• Beta blockers help decrease the frequency, intensity and duration of migraines, but they do not prevent them entirely. You can expect to have some migraines while taking beta blockers prophylactically.

• Side effects include sleep problems, fatigue, memory problems, depression and sexual dysfunction, among others.

• Beta blockers should not be used during pregnancy or breast-feeding.