Headache - migraine

• Avoid smoking, caffeine, and alcohol.
• Exercise regularly.
• Get enough sleep each night.
• Learn to relax and reduce stress. Try progressive muscle relaxation (contracting and releasing muscles throughout your body), meditation, biofeedback, or joining a support group.

If you get at least three headaches per month, your doctor may prescribe medication for you to prevent recurrent migraines.

Such prescription drugs include:

• Beta-blockers, such as propranolol (Inderal)
• Anti-depressants, including tricyclics like amitriptyline (Elavil) or SSRIs like fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), paroxetine (Paxil), or sertraline (Zoloft)
• Anti-convulsants, like valproic acid (Depacon, Depakene) or divalproex sodium (Depakoate)
• Calcium channel blockers, such as verapamil