When you suffer from migraines, it can be frustrating trying to find medications that work well for you. While science continues to make breakthroughs in the realm of migraine management, there are some treatments that have been largely ignored. Many times, safe and effective medications are forgotten in favour of new and promising ones. One of the most exciting treatments, though, has been around for decades. Naltrexone, originally used to treat alcoholics and opiate addicts, has been shown to be effective for a number of health problems, migraines being among them.

In the 1980s, neurologist Bernard Bihari began experimenting with Naltrexone. It is an opioid blocker (so it reduces any pleasure alcoholics get from drinking), but can also block beneficial opioids that the body naturally produces, such as endorphins. This can cause undesirable side effects, but Bihari decided to experiment with very small doses of the drug taken at bedtime. This only partially blocked the receptors, and encouraged the body to make more of its own opioids. When using this treatment on HIV and AIDS patients, the immune system greatly improved. In some cases, the viral counts dropped so drastically they could not even be detected. Naltrexone has since been used against cancers, Chron’s disease, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and autism. It is also very cheap to manufacture, and when taken at such low doses, it has very few side effects.

Naltrexone for migraine treatment has been successful. People who get migraines are known to have low levels of beta endorphins, which is just one of the natural opioid the drug can stimulate production of. In addition, the lists of medical conditions Naltrexone can be beneficial for continue to grow. Because it is an opioid blocker, it can not be taken with any opiate-based medications. Studies suggest that low doses of Naltrexone can be beneficial to the entire immune system, and results can be felt in as early as a day. So you won’t just be getting relief from the migraines, but you may feel in better general health. Some may need to take the drug for a longer period of time before experiencing the full effect, but advocates claim it is worth the wait.