Let’s pop some pills!

Today, it’s one of the first things most people do when they feel a headache or migraine coming up: take some painkillers in the hope the pain will ease quickly. I do it myself all the time. We usually don’t take a second to think whether we should take the pill or whether maybe it would be better to just drink a glass of water or take some rest. Over-the-counter painkillers provide us with a quick and simple cure for our pain, usually allowing us to go about our day as if nothing happened (as long as we remember to take another pill in a few hours).

Common and freely available pain medication for headaches include paracetamol, aspirin, ibuprofen, Nurofen, Advil and Excedrin. In the past, medication like ergotamine was popular in the migraine community. Over time, some painkillers proved to be more effective or safe than others. In the next step, we’ll explore different types of painkillers and take a closer look at their history.