How Would You Manage This Patient With Frequent Migraine Headaches? Grand Rounds Discussion From Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Abstract
Migraine headaches are highly prevalent and, for women below the age of 50, the leading cause of years lived with disability. Migraines disproportionately affect persons of lower socioeconomic status and those who are uninsured, and they result in millions of office and emergency department visits annually. Migraines are also responsible for billions of dollars in lost productivity and health care expenses each year. Medication classes traditionally used for migraine headache treatment have included nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, antihypertensive drugs, antiseizure drugs, antidepressant drugs, and botulinum toxin. In recent years, triptans have come into widespread use for acute treatment, and calcitonin gene-related peptide antagonists, including gepants and monoclonal antibodies, have been used for both acute treatment and prevention. In 2025, the International Headache Society and the American College of Physicians published guidelines on pharmacotherapy for migraine headaches covering both acute and preventive treatments. Here, 2 experts in this field, a primary care physician and a neurologist and headache specialist, debate how to manage the case of a patient with frequent migraine headaches. They discuss the diagnostic considerations and the acute and preventive treatment challenges in the care of this population.
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