A Combination Treatment for Migraine

Combination treatments for migraine – for example, a pill that combines more than one medication – are actually relatively rare. Sure, there are some over the counter combinations with caffeine and/or more than one painkiller. But there have been some concerns about these causing more long term issues, especially when taken often.

Midrin used to be a common one, but it fell out of favour a few years ago due to concerns about how well it had been tested for safety and effectiveness (specifically, one ingredient – isometheptene mucate).

Treximet or Suvexx is another one that has been around for a while. It’s a combination of sumatriptan and naproxen sodium, thus combining a common migraine triptan medication with an NSAID.

This is why it was actually a big deal last year when Symbravo was approved in the USA last year. Once again, it combines a triptan with an NSAID – in this case, rizatriptan and meloxicam.

Why not just buy both separately? Well, that might work for you. Obviously there is the convenience of one pill. But aside from that, Symbravo uses what they call MoSEIC (Molecular Solubility Enhanced Inclusion Complex) to help the meloxicam absorb more quickly.

One way to measure this is to check amounts in the blood. Symbravo does seem to have a significantly faster absorption rate compared to a generic meloxicam.

The medication also seems to help not only with pain, but with light and noise sensitivity, and nausea.

Symbravo is, of course, an acute medication, taken to fight a specific migraine attack. It’s not a preventative.

If you’re still looking for a medication that will fight an occasional migraine, it would be worth talking to your doctor about this new option if you’re in the United States.

Those outside the US will probably have to wait a little longer for a similar product, but it might be worth investigating taking these two medications together, depending on your medical history.

For more on Symbravo, check out their official website here.