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Primary Headaches
- Migraine (with/without aura)
- Tension-type (TTH)
- Cluster + TAC (trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias)
- Other primary (cough, exertion, sex, hypnic, primary stabbing)
Secondary Headaches
- Vascular (SAH, ischemic, dissection, GCA, RCVS)
- Infectious (meningitis, encephalitis, sinusitis)
- Neoplastic
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH)
- Low-pressure (post-LP, spontaneous intracranial hypotension)
- Medication overuse headache (MOH)
- Cervicogenic
- Trauma (post-concussive)
- Sinus, dental, TMJ
Red Flags (SNOOP10)
- Systemic (fever, weight loss, immunocompromised, cancer)
- Neurologic deficit, altered LOC, papilledema
- Onset sudden (thunderclap < 1 minute â SAH)
- Older > 50 (GCA)
- Pattern change, progressive
- Positional (low-pressure or high-pressure)
- Precipitated by Valsalva (mass)
- Papilledema (IIH, mass)
- Pregnancy/Postpartum (eclampsia, CVST, PRES)
- Posttraumatic
- Painful eye with autonomic (cluster, GCA, angle-closure)
- Painkillers overuse (MOH)
Diagnostic Criteria (ICHD-3)
Migraine without aura:
- ⥠5 attacks
- 4-72 hours
- ⥠2 of: unilateral, pulsating, moderate-severe, aggravated by activity
- ⥠1 of: nausea/vomiting, photophobia + phonophobia
- Not better explained
Migraine with aura:
- ⥠2 attacks
- ⥠1 aura symptom (visual, sensory, speech, motor, brainstem, retinal)
- ⥠3 of: spreading over ⥠5 min, ⥠2 successive symptoms, each 5-60 min, unilateral, positive, headache follows within 60 min
Aura Types
- Visual (most common): scintillating scotoma, fortification, hemianopia
- Sensory: tingling, numbness
- Speech: dysphasia
- Motor (hemiplegic migraine): rare
- Brainstem: vertigo, diplopia, dysarthria, ataxia
- Retinal: monocular
Phases
- Prodrome (hours-day before): fatigue, mood, food cravings
- Aura (5-60 min before)
- Headache (4-72 hr)
- Postdrome (hours-day after)
Triggers
- Stress, sleep changes, hormonal (menstrual)
- Foods (tyramine, MSG, alcohol, caffeine withdrawal, chocolate)
- Weather, sensory (bright light, odor, sound)
- Fasting, dehydration
Acute Treatment
Mild-moderate:
- NSAIDs (naproxen, ibuprofen, ASA, ketorolac)
- Acetaminophen
- Combination (ASA + acetaminophen + caffeine)
Moderate-severe:
- Triptans (5HT-1B/1D agonists): sumatriptan, zolmitriptan, rizatriptan, eletriptan, almotriptan, naratriptan, frovatriptan
- Different formulations (oral, SC, nasal)
- Contraindicated in CAD, uncontrolled HTN, stroke, hemiplegic/basilar migraine
- Gepants (CGRP receptor antagonists):
- Ubrogepant (Ubrelvy)
- Rimegepant (Nurtec ODT) â also for prevention
- Zavegepant (Zavzpret) â intranasal, FDA 2023
- Lasmiditan (Reyvow) â ditan (5HT-1F agonist); no vasoconstriction, can use in CV disease
Rescue/severe (ED):
- IV metoclopramide
- IV prochlorperazine
- IV ketorolac
- IV DHE (dihydroergotamine)
- IV magnesium
- IV valproate
Preventive Treatment
Indications:
- ⥠4 headache days/month, OR
- Severe attacks, OR
- Failure of acute treatment, OR
- Medication overuse risk
Traditional:
- Topiramate (50-200 mg/d)
- Propranolol, metoprolol (β-blockers)
- Amitriptyline, nortriptyline
- Venlafaxine
- Valproate
- Candesartan, lisinopril (less established)
- OnabotulinumtoxinA (chronic migraine, ⥠15 days/mo)
CGRP-Targeted Preventives (2018-2024):
- Anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies:
- Erenumab (Aimovig) â anti-CGRP receptor; SC monthly
- Fremanezumab (Ajovy) â anti-CGRP; SC monthly or quarterly
- Galcanezumab (Emgality) â anti-CGRP; SC monthly (also cluster)
- Eptinezumab (Vyepti) â anti-CGRP; IV quarterly
- Oral gepants for prevention:
- Atogepant (Qulipta) â daily oral
- Rimegepant (Nurtec) â every other day oral
Chronic Migraine
- ⥠15 headache days/month for > 3 months, of which ⥠8 have migraine features
- Often associated with medication overuse
- OnabotulinumtoxinA (PREEMPT trials)
- Anti-CGRP mAbs
- Topiramate
- Withdrawal of overused medication
Special Populations
Pregnancy
- Avoid: triptans (some safe), valproate, ergot
- Safe: acetaminophen, metoclopramide
- Preventive: avoid most; magnesium, riboflavin
Menstrual Migraine
- Frovatriptan or naratriptan around menses
- Magnesium
Tension-Type Headache (TTH)
Features
- Bilateral
- Pressing/tightening (not pulsating)
- Mild-moderate intensity
- Not aggravated by activity
- No nausea (or mild only)
- No photophobia + phonophobia (or only one)
- 30 min - 7 days
Classification
- Episodic infrequent (< 1 day/month)
- Episodic frequent (1-14 days/month)
- Chronic (⥠15 days/month)
Treatment
- Acute: NSAIDs, acetaminophen
- Preventive (chronic): amitriptyline
Cluster Headache
Features
- Severe unilateral pain, periorbital/temporal
- Brief (15-180 min)
- Cluster periods (weeks-months), then remission
- Circadian + circannual pattern (often nocturnal, seasonal)
- Restless/agitated (vs migraine â wants to lie still)
- Cranial autonomic features: ipsilateral lacrimation, conjunctival injection, ptosis, miosis, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, sweating, eyelid edema
- Trigger: alcohol during cluster period
Treatment
Acute:
- High-flow O2 (12-15 L/min via NRM for 15-20 min)
- SC sumatriptan (6 mg) â fast onset
- Nasal sumatriptan or zolmitriptan
- Lidocaine intranasal
Preventive (Bridge):
- Prednisone
- Greater occipital nerve block
Preventive (Maintenance):
- Verapamil (high doses 240-720 mg/d) â first-line
- Galcanezumab (FDA approved cluster 2019)
- Lithium
- Topiramate
- Civamide
Refractory Cluster
- Sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation
- Occipital nerve stimulation
- Deep brain stimulation (posterior hypothalamus)
Other TACs
Paroxysmal Hemicrania
- Shorter attacks (2-30 min)
- More frequent (> 5/day)
- Absolute response to indomethacin (diagnostic)
SUNCT/SUNA
- Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection + tearing (SUNCT) or autonomic (SUNA)
- Very brief (5-240 sec)
- Many per day
- Lamotrigine, topiramate
Hemicrania Continua
- Continuous unilateral
- Absolute response to indomethacin
Other Important Headaches
Idiopathic Intracranial HTN (IIH)
- âPseudotumor cerebriâ
- Young, obese women
- Daily headache, papilledema, vision loss, pulsatile tinnitus
- LP: â opening pressure (> 25 cm H2O) with normal CSF composition
- Imaging: empty sella, slit-like ventricles, optic nerve sheath enlargement
- Treatment: weight loss, acetazolamide, topiramate, LP, optic nerve sheath fenestration, VP shunt
Low Pressure Headache
- After LP, dural tear, or spontaneous CSF leak
- Postural (worse upright, better recumbent)
- Treatment: bed rest, hydration, caffeine, epidural blood patch
Medication Overuse Headache (MOH)
- Daily/near-daily headache + overuse of acute medications
- Triptans ⥠10 days/mo, simple analgesics ⥠15 days/mo, opioids/combinations ⥠10 days/mo
- Treatment: withdraw offending agent + bridge therapy + initiate preventive
Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA)
- Age > 50
- New headache, scalp tenderness, jaw claudication, polymyalgia rheumatica
- â ESR (> 50), CRP
- Temporal artery biopsy gold standard
- Urgent high-dose steroids (vision loss risk!)
- Tocilizumab for refractory/relapsing
Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Brief electric-shock pain in V2/V3
- Triggers (touch, eating, talking)
- Carbamazepine first-line
- Oxcarbazepine, gabapentin, lamotrigine
- Microvascular decompression (Janetta)
𩺠åºé鿥
- SNOOP10 red flags for secondary
- Migraine acute: NSAIDs/triptans/gepants/lasmiditan
- Migraine preventive: topiramate/β-blockers/TCAs/CGRP mAbs (erenumab/fremanezumab/galcanezumab/eptinezumab)/atogepant/rimegepant
- Cluster: high-flow O2 + SC sumatriptan; verapamil + galcanezumab prevention
- Hemicrania response to indomethacin = paroxysmal hemicrania or hemicrania continua
- GCA: â ESR/CRP + temporal artery biopsy + urgent steroids
- IIH: young obese woman + papilledema + â LP pressure + acetazolamide