Acute Management of Migraine Attacks: Overcoming Pain and Gastrointestinal Distress to Improve Patient Outcomes

Program Description
The goal of this activity is to highlight new guidelines for diagnosis of migraine headaches and review treatment strategies for specific patient subtypes, particularly those who experience concomitant gastrointestinal distress. At times, gastrointestinal distress can prevent patients from using their acute medications or reduce the efficacy of oral agents, which means that treatment must be tailored to individual patients and presence of symptoms over time. Patient-centered care based on a comprehensive evaluation of migraine attacks, medical history, and patient preferences, along with the importance of routine follow-up, will be discussed in this engaging, case-based Clinical Research Updates™.

Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

Discuss potential pathologic mechanisms underlying common migraine manifestations, including headache, vomiting and nausea, aura, and disease progression
Differentially diagnose migraines based on the latest guidelines for headache classification, patient history, and comprehensive evaluations of presenting symptoms

Tailor acute management strategies to reflect migraine severity, functional disability, and gastrointestinal symptoms
Educate patients on migraines to improve self-management and appropriate medication use