Table 3.
Reasons for Discontinuation of Acute Prescription Medication for Migraine
| Reason, n (%)† | All Discontinued Users (n = 1719) |
|---|---|
| Lack of efficacy | 484 (28.2) |
| The medication did not provide enough pain relief | 298 (17.3) |
| I could not count on the medication working on every headache attack | 203 (11.8) |
| My headache pain went away but came back later | 148 (8.6) |
| The medication worked OK for a while but then stopped working | 95 (5.5) |
| Safety/tolerability concerns | 428 (24.9) |
| I had side effects when I took the medication | 232 (13.5) |
| I worried about side effects | 235 (13.7) |
| I was concerned about interactions with other medication I take | 74 (4.3) |
| I was concerned about interactions with food or alcohol | 36 (2.1) |
| Switched from prescription medication | 782 (45.5) |
| I switched to over‐the‐counter pain medication | 579 (33.7) |
| I switched to using natural remedies | 70 (4.1) |
| I just didn’t want to take prescription medication | 322 (18.7) |
| Financial concerns | 333 (19.4) |
| No health insurance | 189 (11.0) |
| Out‐of‐pocket cost too high/insurance would not cover enough of cost | 217 (12.6) |
| Other reasons | |
| Started using preventive medication | 43 (2.5) |
| My headaches got better | 367 (21.3) |
| My doctor told me to stop taking it | 58 (3.4) |
†
Percentages do not sum to 100% because respondents were able to endorse multiple reasons for discontinuation.