Health & Medical Pain Diseases

Migraine Headache Treatments - Beta Blocker Side Effects and Warnings

Mostly recommended for treating heart issues, it has also been suggested that beta blockers can help as a migraine headache treatment.
Migraines can be very painful and are often misunderstood.
When experiencing consistent migraines you feel the pounding inside your head many days of the month and look for any solution that will prevent these episodes of incessant pain.
Beta blockers relax blood vessels.
Since they help the heart relax and reduce blood pressure, they have been recommended as a long term treatment for preventing migraines.
They block the effects of epinephrine, also known as adrenaline.
When taking beta blockers, your heart beats slower and with less force, and therefore reduces blood pressure.
They help blood vessels to open up and improve blood flow throughout the body and therefore can ease the frequency and intensity of migraines.
Beta Blocker Side Effects:
  • Increased fatigue and drowsiness
  • Cold hands and feet
  • Sudden weight gain
  • Diarrhea
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness
Warnings: Caution must be exercised if you stop taking beta blockers too suddenly.
Never stop taking a beta blocker without consulting your doctor, even if you feel it isn't working, because this could increase your risk of a heart attack or other heart problems.
They also should not be taken if you have low blood pressure or asthma.
The jury is still out on the effectiveness of beta blockers as a migraine headache treatment.
It is best to determine the root cause of your migraines, identify the triggers in your body, and take steps to reduce the frequency and intensity by acting on what you have learned.
Every person should learn as much as they can about their own body especially when evaluating migraine headache treatments.
Each person's body reacts differently and responds uniquely to anything consumed, whether it is food, air, water, sunlight, or pills.
After struggling with migraines for most of my life, I still consider the positives and negatives of any treatment before putting something into my body.
Many times I have found the side effects are worse than the problem and outweigh any migraine headache treatments suggested.
Always use caution and learn as much as you can.


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