Key TakeawaysResearch has shown that blood pressure-lowering medications can help people with migraines.Experts say that blood pressure medications can be used on their own or with other preventive medications to reduce the severity and frequency of migraines.If you get migraines, experts also recommend practicing daily wellness habits like mindfulness, consistent sleep, and getting in aerobic exercise.
Key Takeaways
Research has shown that blood pressure-lowering medications can help people with migraines.Experts say that blood pressure medications can be used on their own or with other preventive medications to reduce the severity and frequency of migraines.If you get migraines, experts also recommend practicing daily wellness habits like mindfulness, consistent sleep, and getting in aerobic exercise.
Migraines can cause intense throbbing head pain that can affect every part of someone’s life, from work and school to socializing with friends and family. There are some things people can do to alleviate migraine pain, including taking naps and staying hydrated.Some people also take migraine medications, but they don’t always help.
Researchers have found that common drugs used to lower blood pressure might be useful for migraines, too.
In a recent study, researchers looked at data from 50 studies that included 4,300 adults. The average age of the participants was 39 years old and 79% of the group was female. Some of the participants were given blood pressure-lowering medications to treat headaches, and others got a placebo.
The study showed that medications commonly used to lower blood pressure—like clonidine, atenolol, bisoprolol, metoprolol, and propranolol—reduced the number of headaches that migraine sufferers experienced each month.
Faraidoon Haghdoost, MD, PhD,an author of the study and a research fellow in headache disorders at The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW), told Verywell the team found nearly all kinds of blood pressure-lowering drugs are helpful for the prevention and treatment of migraines.
“More blood pressure drugs may therefore be beneficial than those that are currently recommended in guidelines for migraine therapy,” he said.
The American Migraine Foundation cites beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin receptor blockers as examples of blood pressure medications used to prevent migraines.
According to Haghdoost, blood pressure meds might give people with migraines an option that’s not only widely available, but also has fewer side effects and costs less than other treatments.
What Medicines Treat Migraines?
Why Blood Pressure Meds Help Migraines
Justin J. Lo Re, DO, a board-certified neurologist withAtlantic Health System’sAtlantic Medical Group Neuroscience Associates, told Verywell it’s not clear why taking blood pressure-lowering medications would help patients have fewer migraines.
“Migraine reduction is seen with a number of blood pressure medication types though, and this certainly suggests that lowering blood pressure in itself might reduce the frequency of migraines,” he said.
Deena Kuruvilla, MD, a board-certified neurologist and Excedrin Head Pain Expert, told Verywell that while researchers are not 100% sure how blood pressure medications help migraine disease, there are some theories.
Migraine Preventive Treatments
Blood Pressure Meds Are Already Recommended for Migraine Prevention
According to Kuruvilla, blood pressure-lowering medications are actuallyoften recommended as a “first line of defense” to prevent migraines.
Haghdoost said that providers decide whether to use blood pressure medications long-term for people who get migraines based on the potential for adverse effects, how a patient responds, and other conditions that a patient may have or develop.
“These drugs work well over time but, it definitely takes patience to see results,” Kuruvilla said. As with other migraine-preventative treatments, it cantake anywhere from six to eight weeksto see the full effect of blood pressure meds.
Lo Re and Haghdoost added that blood pressure medications can be used on their own or along with other preventive and as-needed treatments (like those used for acute migraines).
However, since every person’s experience is unique, Kuruvilla said that patients should work with their neurologist or healthcare provider on a migraine prevention and treatment plan.
What’s the Fastest Way to Get Rid of a Migraine?
Can Blood Pressure Pills Help With Any Type of Migraine?
There are two primary categories of migraine treatment: acute and preventive.
Acute treatments relieve symptoms while a migraine attack is still happening. Preventive treatment includes the interventions that patients use on a regular basis—even if they are not having an attack—to stop future attacks.
Blood pressure-lowering medications are preventative because they can help ward off further episodes. However, not every person with migraines needs to take these measures.
“Some people may only need acute interventions if they only experience a few attacks per year that have minimal impact on their lives,” said Haghdoost.
In general, Kuruvilla said that blood pressure-lowering medications could be beneficial across the board for reducing the severity and frequency of migraines. In fact, the American Headache Society recommends taking blood pressure-lowering medications.
What to Do When You Have a Migraine
Is It Safe to Take Blood Pressure Meds for Migraines?
Ilan Danan, MD, MSc, a sports neurologist and pain management specialist at the Center for Sports Neurology and Pain Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, CA, told Verywell that some patients may need to avoid taking blood pressure-lowering medications for migraines because of the possible side effects and risks.
Do BP Meds Have Side Effects?Common side effects of blood pressure medicationsinclude low blood pressure and pulse, increased physical fatigue, lightheadedness, dizziness, shortness of breath, swelling in the legs or feet, or stomach upset.
Do BP Meds Have Side Effects?
Common side effects of blood pressure medicationsinclude low blood pressure and pulse, increased physical fatigue, lightheadedness, dizziness, shortness of breath, swelling in the legs or feet, or stomach upset.
How to Treat Migraines Without Blood Pressure Medication
Experts say there are other medications and non-medication options to prevent migraines and treat migraine attacks.
“In addition to medications, therapeutic lifestyle changes can be very effective in reducing the severity and frequency of migraines,” said Lo Re. “There are many options for us now to improve migraines. If you’re suffering from frequent migraines, seeing a neurologist may help.”
If blood pressure medications aren’t right for you, here are a few other strategies to try:
What This Means For YouResearch has shown that certain medications used to lower blood pressure may help some people manage migraines. Talk to your provider about whether BP meds could be a safe and effective way to prevent migraines.
What This Means For You
Research has shown that certain medications used to lower blood pressure may help some people manage migraines. Talk to your provider about whether BP meds could be a safe and effective way to prevent migraines.
How to Prevent Migraines
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Migraine.American Headache Society.What to do when migraine treatment fails.Carcel C, Haghdoost F, Shen J, et al.The effect of blood pressure lowering medications on the prevention of episodic migraine: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Cephalalgia. 2023;43(6):3331024231183166. doi:10.1177/03331024231183166American Migraine Foundation.Understanding migraine medications.Johns Hopkins Medicine.How a migraine happens.Mount Sinai.High blood pressure.Sprenger T, Viana M, Tassorelli C.Current prophylactic medications for migraine and their potential mechanisms of action.Neurotherapeutics. 2018;15(2):313-323. doi:10.1007/s13311-018-0621-8Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Blood pressure medicines.American Migraine Foundation.Migraine home remedies.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Migraine.American Headache Society.What to do when migraine treatment fails.Carcel C, Haghdoost F, Shen J, et al.The effect of blood pressure lowering medications on the prevention of episodic migraine: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Cephalalgia. 2023;43(6):3331024231183166. doi:10.1177/03331024231183166American Migraine Foundation.Understanding migraine medications.Johns Hopkins Medicine.How a migraine happens.Mount Sinai.High blood pressure.Sprenger T, Viana M, Tassorelli C.Current prophylactic medications for migraine and their potential mechanisms of action.Neurotherapeutics. 2018;15(2):313-323. doi:10.1007/s13311-018-0621-8Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Blood pressure medicines.American Migraine Foundation.Migraine home remedies.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Migraine.American Headache Society.What to do when migraine treatment fails.Carcel C, Haghdoost F, Shen J, et al.The effect of blood pressure lowering medications on the prevention of episodic migraine: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Cephalalgia. 2023;43(6):3331024231183166. doi:10.1177/03331024231183166American Migraine Foundation.Understanding migraine medications.Johns Hopkins Medicine.How a migraine happens.Mount Sinai.High blood pressure.Sprenger T, Viana M, Tassorelli C.Current prophylactic medications for migraine and their potential mechanisms of action.Neurotherapeutics. 2018;15(2):313-323. doi:10.1007/s13311-018-0621-8Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Blood pressure medicines.American Migraine Foundation.Migraine home remedies.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Migraine.
American Headache Society.What to do when migraine treatment fails.
Carcel C, Haghdoost F, Shen J, et al.The effect of blood pressure lowering medications on the prevention of episodic migraine: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Cephalalgia. 2023;43(6):3331024231183166. doi:10.1177/03331024231183166
American Migraine Foundation.Understanding migraine medications.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.How a migraine happens.
Mount Sinai.High blood pressure.
Sprenger T, Viana M, Tassorelli C.Current prophylactic medications for migraine and their potential mechanisms of action.Neurotherapeutics. 2018;15(2):313-323. doi:10.1007/s13311-018-0621-8
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Blood pressure medicines.
American Migraine Foundation.Migraine home remedies.
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