Assessing Migraine Medication Satisfaction Levels C(NAPSA)—AnAmerican Council for Headache Education (ACHE) study of female migraine and severe headachesufferers found the daily activities and responsibilities of nearly all migraine sufferers (95 percent) are affected by headaches, though most (79 percent) report satisfaction with their current migraine medications. Migraine is a chronic medical condition affecting approximately 28 million Americans. Roughly three out of four migraine sufferers are women. Attacks are characterized by severe unilateral head pain lasting between four and 72 hours and are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and/or sound. “Unsupervised and overuse of OTC medications can increase the risk for treatment complications such as rebound headaches, when headaches return more aggressively and frequently,” said Fred Sheftell, M.D., Director, New England Center for Headache, and President, ACHE. “Because there are such a wide range of migrainespecific medications currently available for sufferers, women should talk with their healthcare provider to devise a strategy to best alleviate symptoms and achieve true treatmentsatisfaction.” The majority of respondents (65 percent) have been diagnosed by a physician as having migraine (with the remaining having selfdiagnosed), but 48 percent use over-the-counter (OTC) medication versus only 34 percent using prescription medications. Ninety-five percent of migraine sufferers surveyed experience dysfunction or lost productivity as a result of their headaches, though 79 percent report satisfaction with their current migraine medications. The survey also found: * Sixty-two percent of migraineurs deem fast pain relief within 15 to 30 minutes as the most important characteristic in selecting a migraine or severe headache medicine. * Almost one in three sufferers report that their headaches interfere with their daily life, and the majority (70 percent) experience interference at least occasionally. * Over an average three-month period, migraine sufferers miss approximately nine days of work or school, engaging in social or leisure activities, or performing household chores. During the same time period, sufferers’ productivity is cut at least in half for an average of eight days. The study was supported by an unrestricted educational grant from AstraZeneca. More information is available at www.achenet.org and www.astrazeneca-us.com.
