Migraine Medication: What Works for Me
Educational use only. This article summarizes published research and reputable sources for general information. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment by a qualified healthcare professional. Always consult your doctor about your migraines and before changing anything about your care.
My triggers are pressure and temperature swings. For years I’d get blindsided by a migraine, and end up in a dark room under pillows for the day. But then I dialed in the right medications, and it was truly life-changing. I could knock out a migraine — or even avoid one completely, if I was able to medicate at the first sign of trouble. And for me, that is knowing when the weather might turn against me.
I wanted something that ran quietly in the background, respected my privacy, and simply tapped me on the shoulder when the atmosphere was about to do the thing that sets me off. Nothing did that quite the way I liked, so I built Migraine Weather.
What works for me
After testing a lot of things with my neurologist, here’s where I landed. I’m not a doctor, so take this as one person’s experience and not a recommendation.
- Zomig is my go-to. It’s a triptan, the long-standing class of acute migraine medications you take once an attack is starting. For me it’s reliable, as long as I take it before the migraine sets in. Zomig has some side effects for me — it makes me a little fuzzy and tired. Zomig usually kicks in within an hour, if I take it early enough.
- Ubrelvy (ubrogepant) is my backup. It’s a newer type of acute treatment that works through a different mechanism than triptans. If the Zomig doesn’t fully kick in, I have the Ubrelvy as a second option. Or, sometimes I’ll take Ubrelvy as a preventative — if Migraine Weather is alerting me to Red/High Risk, I’ll take a Ubrelvy an hour or two before the onset of weather changes. That will almost always prevent any migraines, and I have no side effects.
- Sudafed for the sinus side. A lot of my weather attacks come with sinus pressure, so a decongestant helps me manage that part, and can keep me out of trouble, too.
None of that happened overnight. I tried many medications that didn’t work before I found the ones that did.
How the forecast changed the way I medicate
Here’s the part that ties back to the app. A lot of acute migraine medication works best when you take it early, at the first hint, rather than once you’re deep in an attack. The problem is that the “first hint” is easy to miss or talk yourself out of.
When the app warns me that a sharp pressure or temperature swing is on the way, I get a window. I can take my medication early instead of waiting and hoping. For me that’s the difference between a manageable day and a lost one. The forecast doesn’t replace the medication, it helps me use it at the right moment.
To be clear, the right timing depends on your specific medication and your doctor’s guidance. The app is a heads-up, not a dosing instruction.
New medications keep coming
There are a lot of options now. Several classes of acute medication, several preventive approaches, and more arriving. That breadth is genuinely good news, because it means that even if the first thing doesn’t work for you, the odds are real that something will.
Talk to your neurologist or a headache specialist. Be honest about what’s working and what isn’t, and keep going until you find your combination. Track your attacks so you have real information to bring to those appointments, that’s what Migraine Weather records automatically, including the weather at the time of each one.
The TL;DR
There are a lot of effective migraine medications, and the right ones are genuinely individual. Personally I use Zomig (a triptan) as my go-to, with Ubrelvy (ubrogepant) as a backup, and Sudafed for the sinus side. I figured that out through trial and error with my doctor. The point isn’t to copy my list, it’s that there are enough options today that something has a good chance of working for you, so it’s worth seeing a neurologist to find it.
Take care,
Bryan Moffett, founder of Migraine Weather
Related reading
- Weather and Migraines, the science behind why pressure and temperature swings trigger attacks.
- Why Do I Get a Migraine Before It Rains?, the pre-storm pressure drop, explained.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a triptan and gepant?
Triptans (like Zomig/zolmitriptan) are the long-established class of acute migraine medications, taken once an attack starts. Gepants (like Ubrelvy/ubrogepant) are a newer class of acute treatment that works through a different pathway, which makes them a useful alternative when a triptan doesn't help enough or isn't a good fit. Your doctor can explain which suits your situation.
Can an early warning help medication work better?
For me, yes. Many acute migraine medications work best when taken early, so a heads-up that high-risk weather is coming gives me the chance to act at the first sign rather than once an attack is in full swing. That's the whole reason I built the app. Talk to your doctor about the right timing for your specific medication.
How do I find the right migraine medication?
There's no shortcut around working with a doctor, ideally a neurologist or headache specialist. Finding my own combination took time and several things that didn't work before the ones that did. The encouraging part is how many options exist now, across several drug classes, so persistence usually pays off.