Can Sedatives and Tranquilizers be Used in Treating Headaches?

Can Sedatives and Tranquilizers be Used in Treating Headaches?

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QUESTION: Headaches are my big problem, and I am constantly hoping for new
and different ways of dealing with them. Can sedatives and tranquilizers be
of any use in treating headaches?
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ANSWER: Some studies have shown that sedatives and tranquilizers have, at
times, helped patients suffering from migraines, muscle contraction headaches,
and to a lesser extent, cluster headaches in adults. Evidence of the value of
these drugs in properly conducted, double-blind trials has not yet come in,
however, and doctors must weigh the risks of addiction and withdrawal symptoms
before prescribing tranquilizers and sedatives for treatment of headaches.
Recurrent headache is one of the most common reasons that people seek the
help of doctors. A detailed patient history is necessary to identify the true
nature of the headaches. The prudent doctor will have patients undergo a
complete physical, neurological exam and blood pressure tests before treatment
is administered. Although more than 400 remedies have been used for
migraines, with the exception of propranolol, there has been a poor success
rate for most. That seems to be why sedatives and tranquilizers are being
prescribed. There is little agreement among researchers regarding when these
drugs should be employed.
The most common cause of headache in adults is tension. The tension may
cause what are known as muscle-contraction headaches, which can be severe,
recurrent and disabling. Double-blind trials on patients with this problem
have shown that a combination of aspirin and a mild tranquilizer relieved the
sufferer more than just aspirin alone. Sedatives and analgesics have been
used for years, but because they can be habit-forming and are not consistently
successful, alternative methods have been sought to reduce the pain. The
tranquilizer valium given intravenously has been proven effective as a
treatment for cluster headaches. Sedatives have been found to be of little
help in treating them.
When the causes of a symptom such as headache are so numerous, and the
available medications which might be helpful are so abundant, it takes careful
cooperation between patient and physician to arrive at just the right
combination of drugs which will be correct for a specific individual and
situation.