What are the difficulties in treating a headache disorder in someone who has other significant health problems such as hypertension, asthma, or stomach ulcers?
It is of utmost importance to understand the health and health problems of the patient when treating head pain disorders, as many preventive and abortive medicines have potential to aggravate the underlying condition. Numerous medical disorders can be aggravated by choosing the wrong pain medication. However, with a good history and medical workup, it is sometimes possible for the physician to select one medication to treat both headache and a coexistent health disorder. For example, migraine prevention with Depakote will address certain types of seizures and mood disturbance; Corgard is commonly used for hypertension; Pamelor treats depression, anxiety and sleep disturbance; and Prozac lends itself well in the management of anxiety and PMS disorders, among others. On the other hand, anti-inflammatory medications should be used with caution or not at all in those with a history of gastric ulcer disease, colitis or high blood pressure.
