Migraine affects roughly 12% of adults globally, with women three times more often affected than men. Modern management uses two strategies in parallel: acute / abortive treatment of individual attacks, and prophylactic treatment to reduce frequency in patients with frequent attacks. The MedsBase Migraine Treatment catalogue carries the full range — see also our broader Anti-Migraine category for adjuncts. All products are supplied by WHO-GMP gecertificeerde fabrikanten.
Triptans — abortive first-line for moderate-severe attacks. Triptans (5-HT1B/1D agonists) abort migraine attacks by reversing the trigeminovascular cascade. Take at first sign of headache — efficacy decreases significantly if delayed. Sumatriptan (the original triptan, oral and nasal forms) is stocked as Sumitop en Suminat. Rizatriptan (faster onset, ODT formulation) as Rizact en Rizatop. Zolmitriptan (oral and nasal options) as Zolmist Nasal Spray (useful for vomiting patients) and Zolitas ODS. Naratriptan (slower onset, longer duration — useful for menstrual migraine prophylaxis) as Maxtan. Triptan combination with NSAID (sumatriptan + naproxen, sometimes with caffeine) as Headset. Limit to ≤ 10 triptan-doses per month to avoid medication-overuse headache. Contraindications: ischaemic heart disease, uncontrolled hypertension, history of stroke or TIA, hemiplegic migraine.
NSAIDs and adjuncts for mild-moderate attacks. Naproxen 500 mg (longer half-life than ibuprofen — useful for migraine attacks) is available as Naprosyn. NSAIDs alone may suffice for mild attacks; can be combined with triptan for inadequate triptan response. Selective COX-2 alternatives are catalogued in our Pijnstillende medicatie category.
Migraine prophylaxis — for frequent attacks (≥ 4 per month) or disabling attacks. Beta-blockers are the most-evidence-based prophylactic class: propranolol is the workhorse, available as Inderal and the long-acting Inderal LA for once-daily dosing. Anticonvulsants: topiramate (Topicon — also catalogued under epilepsy) and sodium valproate (Encorate Chrono — avoid in women of childbearing potential due to teratogenicity) are second-line. Calcium-channel-blocker flunarizine (a once-daily evening tablet, well-tolerated long-term but can cause weight gain and rarely depression) as Sibelium. Topiramate as Topicon. Sumatriptan-based and naratriptan short prophylaxis can be used for menstrual migraine.
Other. Leemigran is a combination ergotamine-caffeine product still used in selected patients where triptans are contraindicated or unavailable.
How to choose. Mild attack → NSAID (naproxen, ibuprofen) ± antiemetic. Moderate-severe attack → triptan; switch triptan or add NSAID if first triptan fails. Vomiting → nasal triptan (Zolmist), ODT triptan (Zolitas, Rizact ODT), or rectal NSAID. Frequent attacks → daily prophylaxis: propranolol if no asthma / heart block; topiramate if needs weight loss; flunarizine if BP-blocker contraindicated. Refractory or disabling attacks → consider CGRP-class biologic (not stocked here; specialist-only).
Important. Triptan + SSRI / SNRI combination has theoretical serotonin-syndrome risk — clinically rare but worth knowing. Avoid triptans in pregnancy (limited safety data; prefer paracetamol and lifestyle measures). Hemiplegic migraine and migraine with brainstem aura are absolute contraindications to triptans. Sudden-onset thunderclap headache, headache with neurological deficit, fever and neck stiffness, or new headache pattern after age 50 needs same-day medical evaluation rather than self-treatment.
All MedsBase Migraine Treatment products ship from WHO-GMP gecertificeerde fabrikanten with discreet packaging and are covered by our Reshipment Assurance Policy.
2026 buyer’s guide: See our shortlist Best Migraine Medications 2026 for ranked picks, comparison table, dosing notes and decision shortcut.