- With Mayo Clinic neurologist
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
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Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Dr. Jerry Swanson is a board-certified neurologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He is also board certified in headache medicine and is a professor of neurology at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic. He has a special interest in medical education.
Dr. Swanson, a Lacon, Ill., native, was appointed to the Mayo Clinic staff in 1982 and works in the Department of Neurology with more than 90 other physicians. He formerly chaired the department's Division of Headache and continues to work with headache subspecialists around the world. He has published and lectured widely on headache disorders. He also serves as assistant dean for assessment at Mayo Medical School.
"In a manner similar to the printing press, Internet technology enables the unprecedented ability to communicate with the global community about health information," Dr. Swanson says. "There is no doubt that the knowledgeable individual contributes greatly to his or her own health care, and now we can share information much more widely.
"There is much information already available about health care on the Internet. Unfortunately, much of it is not founded on sound principles. It is exciting to be a part of the web team and contribute to the creation of a reliable and timely health resource."
Dr. Swanson is the neurology editor for "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and has reviewed articles for "Mayo Clinic Health Letter" and "Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource." He is also editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic on Headache" book, published in 2004. In 2008 the magazine Women's Health named him one of America's Top Doctors for Women. In 2011 he received the Mayo Medical School Dean's Recognition Award for his contributions to undergraduate medical education.
Definition (1)
- Ocular migraine: When to seek help
Causes (3)
- Migraines: Are they triggered by weather changes?
- Nighttime headaches: How can I get relief?
- Nighttime headaches: How can I get relief?
Treatments and drugs (3)
- Occipital nerve stimulation: Effective migraine treatment?
- Migraine medications and antidepressants: A risky mix?
- Migraine treatment: Can antidepressants help?
Prevention (1)
- Aerobic exercise: What's the best frequency for workouts?
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Question
Migraine treatment: Can antidepressants help?
My doctor prescribed an antidepressant for my migraines. Is this an appropriate migraine treatment? I don't have depression.
Answer
from Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Certain antidepressants can help reduce the frequency and severity of some types of headaches, including migraines. You don't have to have depression to benefit from these drugs.
Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, are most effective and likely work by affecting the level of serotonin and other chemicals in your brain. There is little evidence that other classes of antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), are effective for migraine prevention. However, preliminary research suggests that one SNRI, venlafaxine (Effexor), may be helpful in preventing migraines.
Side effects of antidepressants vary from one medication to another and from person to person, but can include weight gain, fatigue, constipation and dry mouth. Such side effects can make it difficult to stick with treatment.
If the medication doesn't seem to be working or is causing bothersome side effects, call your doctor before making any changes. Don't stop taking a prescribed medication without talking to your doctor first.
Next questionAerobic exercise: What's the best frequency for workouts?
- Koch HJ, et al. Antidepressants in long-term migraine prevention. Drugs. 2009;69:1.
- Silberstein SD. Preventive migraine treatment. Neurology Clinics. 2009;27:429.
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Preventive treatment of migraine in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 14, 2010.
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