Home Symptoms Migraine

Migraine — what to take?

Migraine is not an ordinary headache - it is a neurological condition with recurrent attacks of 4-72h, pulsating pain, nausea, photophobia. It affects about 15% of adults, three times more often in women.

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OTC — no prescription

What you can take for migraine

Informativ. Nu înlocuiește sfatul medicului. Consultă medicul sau farmacistul înainte de a lua orice medicament.

Phases of a migraine attack

A typical attack has four phases. The prodrome appears hours or a day before: fatigue, frequent yawning, sweet cravings, irritability. The aura (only in ~25% of patients) lasts 20-60 minutes with visual (flashes, blind spots) or sensory phenomena.

The pain itself lasts 4-72h, moderate to severe, pulsating, unilateral, worsened by effort. It is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, photophobia and phonophobia. The postdrome (migraine hangover) lasts another 24-48h with fatigue and a heavy head.

OTC medicines for a migraine attack

For mild-to-moderate attacks, ibuprofen 400-600 mg taken rapidly at the onset of pain is effective. Naproxen 550 mg has a longer duration. Combinations of paracetamol + aspirin + caffeine are also OTC and useful in some patients.

Antiemetics (metoclopramide) help with nausea and increase the analgesic's absorption, but they require a prescription. For severe attacks, triptans (sumatriptan, rizatriptan) are specific treatment but prescription-only.

Tricks that increase efficacy

  • Take the medication within the first 30 minutes - if you wait, the response is much weaker.
  • Dark room, absolute silence, cold compress on the forehead.
  • If you vomit, repeat the dose after 30 min (or use effervescent/suppository forms).
  • Avoid alcohol and screen light until complete remission.

Common triggers

Stress, lack of sleep or too much sleep, hormonal changes (menstruation), foods (red wine, aged cheese, chocolate, nitrites), dehydration, sudden weather changes, flashing lights. An attack diary over 2-3 months reveals patterns.

Preventive treatment

If you have 4+ attacks per month or attacks lasting 24h+, ask your doctor for preventive treatment: beta-blockers (propranolol), antiepileptics (topiramate), antidepressants (amitriptyline) or anti-CGRP monoclonals (erenumab, fremanezumab). Magnesium 400-600 mg/day and riboflavin 400 mg/day have evidence for prophylaxis.

Medical disclaimer: the information in this guide is for informational purposes only and does not replace the advice of a physician or pharmacist. For diagnosis and treatment, consult a healthcare professional.

Nights, weekends, holidays

24/7 pharmacies for migraine

Migraine doesn't wait for office hours. If you need a medicine at 2 AM or on a weekend, open the map with the 24/7 filter on and find the nearest on-call pharmacy. Major cities have several round-the-clock pharmacies — the per-city pages below list them all, with address, phone and verified opening hours.

Call ahead before you leave, especially at night — on-call schedules can change and stock for some prescription items may be limited between deliveries.

Search the pharmacy

Medicine categories for migraine

Step by step

How to find a pharmacy fast for migraine

Open the interactive map and grant location permission — you'll immediately see pharmacies sorted by distance, each with its opening hours and a one-tap route in Google Maps. If it's night or a weekend, switch on the 24/7 filter to keep only the on-call ones. For migraine most of the listed remedies are over the counter, so you can walk in without a prescription, but check stock and prices first to avoid wasted trips.

If you have a preferred active ingredient (paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc.), search it in the comparator before you leave — you'll see which chain has it cheapest near you and whether it's in stock. For chronic prescriptions, save your favourite pharmacy in the app and turn on hours notifications — it saves unnecessary trips, especially when treatment for migraine runs over weeks.

When to see a doctor

If any of these signs appear, consult a doctor — OTC treatment is not enough:

  • Attack different from your usual ones (location, intensity)
  • Aura lasting over 1h or with motor symptoms
  • Attack with fever, confusion, neck stiffness
  • More than 15 days of migraine per month (chronification)
  • OTC treatment no longer works

Frequently asked

Common questions

How do I tell a migraine from a tension headache?
Migraine is pulsating, unilateral, severe, with nausea and photophobia, worsened by effort. Tension-type headache is bilateral, pressure-like, mild-to-moderate, without nausea.
Can I prevent a migraine?
Yes - identify triggers via a diary, maintain regular sleep, stay hydrated, avoid trigger foods. At 4+ monthly attacks, your doctor can prescribe preventive treatment (propranolol, topiramate, anti-CGRP).
Does magnesium help with migraine?
Yes, there is evidence for 400-600 mg magnesium/day as prophylaxis, especially in menstrual migraine. The effect appears after 8-12 weeks of continuous use.
Is it normal to feel nauseous with migraine?
Yes, nausea and vomiting are part of the attack in most patients. An antiemetic (metoclopramide) before the analgesic increases treatment efficacy.

See also

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