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As many as 32 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches and
approximately three quarters of those sufferers are women. More than half of
all sufferers rely totally on non-prescription remedies, the same as nearly 10
years ago, and nearly 30-40% of all sufferers are without relief.
An estimated 150 million workdays or an equivalent of 1.2 billion work hours are
lost each year to head pain. Such lost productivity and employee absenteeism
results in an estimated $13 billion in losses to employers each year.
A family of drugs known as “triptans”, which constrict the cerebral blood
vessels, dominate the prescription market for migraine remedies at costs
reaching as high as $60 per dose. Triptans are sometimes contraindicated for
patients with poor cardiac health and/or high blood pressure and patients are
generally restricted in the amount of these drugs that may be used within a
30-day period due to potentially serious side effects.
MigraSpray used as treatment for or prevention of migraine costs as
little as $1.33 per day and has not been shown to cause side effects including
Medication Overuse Headache (MOH).
MOH is a frequent headache caused by overuse of medication, particularly those
that treat migraine. Although evidence suggests that frequent use of analgesics
may not cause MOH in everyone, overuse of medications by migraine sufferers is
often found to increase the frequency of attacks. Studies have shown that a
number of medications may cause MOH and that only by discontinuing use of such
medications can the symptoms of MOH be avoided. These medications include:
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Triptans
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Ergotamine
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Common analgesics such as acetaminophen.
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Opioids
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Combination medications such as
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Butalbital compounds containing aspirin or acetaminophen, butalbital and
caffeine.
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Vicodin
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Other compounds containing more than one medication.
Total U.S. retail sales of alternative medicine are estimated to surpass $5
billion and are projected to increase at a rate of 15% per year. Studies have
indicated that approximately 20% of Americans use natural products most
commonly to relieve back, neck, head, or joint aches, or other painful
conditions; colds; anxiety or depression; gastrointestinal disorders; or
sleeping problems.
1 Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Ettner SL, et al. Trends in
alternative medicine use in the United States, 1990-1997: results of a
follow-up national survey. JAMA. 1998;280(18):1569-1575.
2 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 1997 National
Health Expenditures Survey. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Web
site. Available at www.cms.hhs.gov/statistics/nhe.
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