An oral nonopioid analgesic may be sufficient for treatment of mild to moderate migraine without severe nausea or vomiting. A triptan is the drug of choice for treatment of moderate to severe migraine. Use of a triptan early in an attack when pain is still mild to moderate in intensity improves headache response and reduces recurrence rates.

Drugs for treatment of migraine are listed in Table 2 on page 9. Drugs for prevention of migraine are listed in Table 3 on page 10. Treatment of migraine in the emergency room, which may involve use of intravenous drugs, is not included here.

Concerns have surfaced again at the FDA and in the media about the safety of acetaminophen and the multiplicity of products on the market in the US that contain various amounts of it.

An FDA panel has recommended that stronger warnings about hepatotoxicity be added to the labeling for acetaminophen (www.fda.gov, search "acetaminophen hepatotoxicity").