Test Your Acute Migraine Treatment Knowledge
Reviewed by: HU Medical Review Board | Last reviewed: May 2026 | Last updated: May 2026
Acute migraine treatment is increasingly nuanced – what once meant a single-agent triptan or NSAID has evolved into a layered set of decisions about response completeness, recurrence, and patient selection. This 5-question clinical challenge focuses on identifying patients whose current acute regimen may be insufficient and on the evidence and safety considerations for combination acute therapy.
Clinical Challenge
A 42-year-old patient with episodic migraine reports that her oral triptan provides adequate pain relief at 2 hours, but headache returns by evening on most treated attacks. She reports no tolerability issues. Which best describes the acute response gap?
Clinical Challenge
What is the primary mechanistic rationale for combining an NSAID with a triptan in acute migraine treatment?
Clinical Challenge
Which of the following clinical features most strongly supports consideration of acute treatment escalation in episodic migraine?
Clinical Challenge
A 62-year-old patient with episodic migraine, controlled hypertension, and a history of NSAID-associated gastric ulcer is being evaluated for combination NSAID + triptan acute therapy after partial response to triptan monotherapy. The NSAID component carries boxed warnings for cardiovascular thrombotic events and gastrointestinal bleeding. Which is the most appropriate next step?
Clinical Challenge
The 2024 American Headache Society Consensus Statement updates guidance for integrating newly approved migraine treatments into clinical practice. Which of the following classes of acute treatments are specifically covered as newly added to the acute treatment landscape in this statement?