What to Take for a Migraine: A Neurologist Ranks Every Option Dr Painkiller 2026-05-28 | đ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School : skool.com/darkroom Every migraine rescue medication, rated 0 to 10 on safety, efficacy, and real-world use â by a double-board-certified neurologist and pain specialist, Dr. Sader. In this video, I go through the full lineup of rescue medications for acute migraine attacks, including triptans, CGRP/gepants, ditans, NSAIDs, combination analgesics, anti-nausea meds, and the ones that probably shouldnât be in the rotation at all. Each one gets a number, and I explain why â what the evidence shows, what the side effect profile looks like, and how it actually performs in the clinic versus on paper.Whether youâre newly diagnosed, stuck in a cycle of meds that arenât working, or just tired of guessing in the pharmacy aisle, this is the rundown I wish every migraine patient had before their first appointment.If this helped, hit subscribe â I post new evidence-based breakdowns on migraine, headache, and pain management every week. Comment with the rescue med thatâs worked best (or worst) for you. I read everything.Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:27 The Ranking Criteria0:39 Tylenol / Acetaminophen1:07 Advil / Ibuprofen1:29 Aleve / Naproxen1:49 Excedrin Migraine2:29 Sumatriptan3:13 Maxalt / Rizatriptan3:33 Relpax / Eletriptan3:49 Frova / Frovatriptan4:02 Naratriptan4:13 Almotriptan4:22 Zomig / Zolmitriptan4:46 Ubrelvy / Ubrogepant5:07 Rimegepant / Nurtec5:25 Zav / Zavegepant5:38 DHE (DiHydroErgotamine)5:52 Reyvow / Lasmiditan 6:07 Symbravo 6:25 Fioricet6:48 Reglan / Metoclopramide7:19 Opioids7:45 Summary RankingsFor appointments, you can visit www.eliesadermd.com and submit the request form, or you can directly email or call, and someone from my team will be in touch. CT & NY: in-office and telemedicine appointments available. CA: telemedicine appointments available.Other states and countries: educational consultations available online.info@eliesadermd.com203-635-8780 (CT)646-307-1645 (NY)Let's Connect: IG: instagram.com/doctor.painkillerTikTok: tiktok.com/@doctor.painkillerWebsite: http://www.eliesadermd.comDisclaimer: The information in this video is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with your own doctor. #Migraine #MigraineRelief #HeadacheSpecialist #Neurologist #MigraineTreatment #Triptans #Gepants #MigraineMedication #ChronicMigraine #HeadacheRelief #MigraineEducation #EvidenceBasedMedicine
Why is migraine so disabling? My med student nailed it. Dr Painkiller 2026-09-24 | Why is migraine so disabling? My med student nailed it.Three years ago, Helena was my medical assistant. Today, sheâs a third-year medical student, back in my clinic for a rotationâand this answer made me one very proud mentor. I asked her why migraine is so disabling. No script. No rehearsal. What followed genuinely impressed me. If youâve ever struggled to explain why migraine takes so much out of you, this is a conversation worth sharing with someone you wish understood. Part 2: I break down four major reasons migraine can be so disabling.#migraine
Chocolate: migraine trigger or warning sign? Dr Painkiller 2026-09-24 | Chocolate: trigger or warning sign?You didn't get a migraine because you ate chocolate. You ate chocolate because you were getting a migraine. Craving sweets â especially chocolate â is a well-documented prodrome symptom, meaning the attack has already started hours before the pain. Then the headache hits, and chocolate takes the fall. In blinded studies where people with migraine ate chocolate or a placebo, chocolate didn't trigger attacks any more often. Is a true chocolate trigger possible in a small minority? Sure. But if you've been white-knuckling past the candy aisle for years, you may have been prosecuting the wrong suspect. Send this to someone who gave up chocolate for nothing.#migraine
If your hair has ever hurt during a migraine, youre not imagining it. Dr Painkiller 2026-09-23 | If your hair has ever hurt during a migraine, you're not imagining itHair hurting during a migraine is real and it has a name: allodynia. The nerves in the scalp get so sensitized during an attack that things that shouldn't hurt, like a ponytail, a pillow, or brushing your hair, suddenly do. Roughly two out of three people with migraine get it at some point. Send this to the person who takes their hair down the second an attack starts.#migraine
He called migraine just a headache so I fired him. Today he gets his second chance. Dr Painkiller 2026-09-21 | The road to redemption, part 1He called migraine "just a headache" so I fired him. Today he gets his second chance.My pre-med called migraine "just a headache" last time, so naturally he had to earn his badge back. Second chance, no mercy. Relax, he was never actually fired, he's very employed and doing great, this is what passes for team building at my practice. Send this to the person in your life who's one wrong answer away from humility. Migraine is a neurological disease, not "just a headache". Parts 3 and 4 are already filmed and he did NOT see them coming. Iâm rooting for him. #migraine
Rating migraine triggers 0â10 Dr Painkiller 2026-09-20 | Rating migraine triggers 0â10 with Helena, my former medical assistant who's now a third-year med student. Fair warning: your favorite trigger might not survive this.#migraine
Left vs right migraine: does the side of your migraine actually matter? Dr Painkiller 2026-09-18 | Left-sided migraine appears to be the more severe/disabling phenotype. Those with typically left-sided attacks had 3.6 fewer headache-free days and 2.4 more severe headache days per 4 weeks than those with right-sided attacks. Left-sided migraine is associated with worse quality of life, anxiety, bipolar disorder, whereas right-sided migraine was more associated with cognitive test deficits and certain autonomic/physiologic changes. Education, not medical advice â I'm a doctor, but I'm not your doctor. #migraine
Migraine and ADHD: the connection you might not expect. Dr Painkiller 2026-09-17 | Migraine rarely travels alone. Studies keep finding that people with ADHD are more likely to have migraine, and people with migraine are more likely to have ADHD â the overlap with autism is murkier but real enough to study. Nobody knows exactly why yet: shared genetics, shared brain wiring, maybe both. What we do know is that if you have one, it's worth paying attention to the other. Send this to the person you thought of at 0:04. Not medical advice â talk to your own doctor about your own brain.#migraine #adhd
Your âsinus headachesâ might be migraines Dr Painkiller 2026-09-16 | Your âsinus headachesâ might need a second opinion. I said â90%?!â with just enough disbelief to make my med student second-guess herself. I may have rigged the vibes. But the statistic is real: roughly 90% of self-diagnosed âsinus headachesâ turn out to be migraine. Thatâs headaches people think are sinus-relatedânot headaches from confirmed sinus infections. Migraine can come with congestion, watery eyes, and facial pressure, which makes the mix-up understandable.Send this to the person who always says, âItâs just my sinuses.â They deserve to know there may be another explanation.This is for education only, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor. #migraine
True or false: you can have migraine without headache. Dr Painkiller 2026-09-15 | Most people get this one wrong â including doctors. True or false: you can have migraine without headache. Migraine is a neurological disease, not a headache. Head pain is one symptom, and it's optional. Vestibular migraine can be pure dizziness. Migraine aura can happen with zero pain. Kids can get abdominal migraine â the attack lives in their gut. If someone told you "it can't be migraine, your head doesn't even hurt," send them this. It is important to rule out TIA/stroke before calling it silent migraine. Educational content only, not medical advice â talk to your own doctor about your symptoms.#migraine #doctor #neurology
A neurologist demonstrates migraine triggers the only appropriate way. #migraine Dr Painkiller 2026-09-14 | Send this to the person who says "but you had coffee yesterday and were fine." That's the whole point. Migraine triggers don't work alone, they stack. Your brain has a threshold, and every trigger fills the cup: the skipped meal, the bad sleep, the storm front, the glass of wine. Some days your cup is nearly empty and you get away with everything. Other days it's already full and one sip tips it over. It was never "just the wine." It was the wine on top of everything else. If someone in your life still doesn't get why your triggers seem "inconsistent," this 30 seconds explains it better than you've ever been allowed to in an argument.#migraine #doctor #neurology
A pre-med, a med student, and a neurologist define migraine. One of them briefly got fired. Dr Painkiller 2026-09-13 | A pre-med, a med student, and a neurologist define migraine. One of them briefly got fired.What is migraine? The answers show exactly why this disease keeps getting minimized â it's a disabling neurological condition, not "a bad headache," and one billion people live with it while med schools spend about two hours teaching it. No employees were harmed or fired in the making of this video. They're doing fine and remain gainfully employed.#migraine
I Reviewed 12 Viral Migraine Hacks So You Dont Have To Dr Painkiller 2026-09-12 | Neurologist and pain specialist reviews and rates the most viral migraine hacks on the internet. Some are backed by real evidence. Most are not. Here's what actually holds up when you read the studies.#migraine #neurologist #migrainereliefDisclaimer: The information in this video is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with your own doctor.
2 Doctors Play Yes, No, or Depends: Migraine Edition. #migraine Dr Painkiller 2026-09-09 | I sat down with Dr. Peter McAllister, a board-certified neurologist and one of the countryâs leading headache specialists with decades of migraine experience, to weigh in on migraine triggers and treatments. Two neurologists, one honest answer.
Yes, thats a catheter. Yes, its in the nose. Yes, it can stop a migraine. Dr Painkiller 2026-09-09 | This is an SPG block â a sphenopalatine ganglion block. The SPG is a bundle of nerves that sits just behind your nasal cavity and plays a big role in migraine and cluster headache pain. By delivering numbing medication through a thin, soft catheter in the nose, we can quiet that nerve bundle down â sometimes breaking a migraine cycle in minutes. No needles through the skin, no sedation, and most patients say the weirdest part is the anticipation. It doesn't work for everyone, and how long relief lasts varies from person to person â but for the right patient, it can be a useful tool that too few people know exists. If you get migraine attacks and nothing's working, ask your doctor whether an SPG block makes sense for you. I'm a neurologist and pain specialist â follow for more on treatments your 7-minute appointment never had time to cover.#migraine #migrainerelief
How to fix the most common cause of vertigo (BPPV, caused by ear crystals). Dr Painkiller 2026-09-08 | Dix-Hallpike test + Epley maneuver for positional vertigo (BPPV). The most common cause of vertigo isnât a brain tumor, a stroke, or âstress.â Itâs BPPV â tiny calcium crystals in your inner ear that drift into the wrong canal. Every time you roll over, look up, or tilt your head, they slosh around and your brain thinks the room is spinning. The Dix-Hallpike test confirms it in about 30 seconds. The Epley maneuver treats it: around 8 in 10 people improve after a single session, no medication required. Important: this only works for BPPV. If your vertigo comes with double vision, slurred speech, weakness, numbness, or a severe new headache, thatâs not crystals, thatâs an ER visit. And if you have neck problems, donât attempt this at home; get it done by someone trained.As always, this is for educational purposes, not medical advice. I'm a doctor, but I'm not your doctor.
Migraine hacks round two, rated 0-10. Two neurologists, zero mercy. Dr Painkiller 2026-09-07 | Defend your favorite hack in the comments â and send this to whoever thinks lying in a dark room is dramatic. #migraine #migrainerelief
The âweekend migraineâ is real and it has a name. Dr Painkiller 2026-09-06 | The âletdown migraineâ is real. When the stress of the week suddenly drops, cortisol falls with it, and for a lot of people that drop is the trigger, not the stress itself. Add in sleeping late (shifted sleep schedule), a drink or two, skipped meals, and more sun and dehydration than usual, and a holiday weekend becomes a perfect storm. Follow for more migraine science from a neurologist and pain specialist.
the migraine test Dr Painkiller 2026-09-05 | How many migraine symptoms do you have? Take this migraine test and count your points. This isnât a diagnosis. Itâs a scoreboard. But If you scored fifteen or more and nobody has ever said the word migraine to you, say it to your doctor. Drop your score below, then send this to the friend who always cancels plans and see who scores higher.
Migraine triggers arenât always on/off switches. Think of them more like a stack. Dr Painkiller 2026-09-03 | Migraine triggers arenât always on/off switches. Think of them more like a stack.Poor sleep. Stress. Hormonal changes. Skipping a meal. Weather. Alcohol. Dehydration. One of them alone may not be enough to trigger an attack â but pile enough together and you may cross your migraine threshold.Thatâs why something can seem to âtriggerâ you on Tuesday and be completely fine on Saturday.And itâs also why obsessively eliminating every possible trigger can backfire. The goal isnât necessarily to build your life around avoiding everything. Itâs to understand your patterns, reduce the load where you reasonably can, and make your brain harder to push across that threshold.Sometimes the âtriggerâ was just the last drop in an already-full bucket.Save this for the next time your migraine seems to make absolutely no sense.
The Optimal Amount of Coffee, Organ by Organ. Dr Painkiller 2026-09-02 | Coffee is either ruining your health or saving your life, depending on which headline you read. The reality is more interesting: the âsweet spotâ may differ depending on what outcome youâre looking at â heart, brain, liver, and more. How many cups are you drinking a day?#migraine #caffeine #brainhealth
2 Doctors Play Yes, No, or Depends: Migraine Edition. Dr Painkiller 2026-09-01 | This is a short excerpt covering occipital nerve blocks, migraine botox, and SPG blocks â the full conversation with Dr. McAllister on migraine treatments and what to do about them lives inside The Dark Room. Comment ROOM and Iâll send you the link.đ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School : skool.com/darkroom
Hormones may be one of the most important â and underappreciated â pieces of the migraine puzzle. Dr Painkiller 2026-08-28 | Migraine disproportionately affects women, and hormonal shifts across menstruation, pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause can have a major impact on migraine patterns. That doesnât mean every migraine is âhormonal,â but it does mean this conversation deserves a lot more attention than it gets.Fortunately, there are physicians pushing that conversation forward. Dr. Louise Newson, a menopause specialist, has been particularly active in educating women and clinicians about the enormous impact hormones can have on womenâs health â a subject she also explores in her latest book, The Power of Hormones.We still have a lot to learn at the intersection of hormones, menopause and migraine. But treating these as completely separate conversations makes less and less sense.I sat down with Dr. Peter McAllister, a board-certified neurologist and one of the countryâs leading headache specialists with decades of migraine experience, to weigh in on migraine triggers. Have you noticed your migraine change with hormonal shifts?
The Best Migraine Treatments in 2026 â Two Neurologists Explain Dr Painkiller 2026-08-28 | I sat down with Dr. Peter McAllister, a board-certified neurologist and one of the countryâs leading headache specialists with decades of migraine experience, to weigh in on migraine triggers and latest treatments including CGRP meds, Botox for migraine, ketamine for migraine, and the upcoming PACAP meds. đ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School : skool.com/darkroomDisclaimer: The information in this video is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with your own doctor.#migraine #migrainerelief #botox
Migraine hacks, rated 0-10 by two neurologists (we didnât always agree). Dr Painkiller 2026-08-27 | If you have migraine, youâve heard every single one of these. So we scored them, 0 to 10, no mercy. Which one did we get wrong? Forward this to whoever keeps prescribing you water â and drop the weirdest hack youâve ever been told below.#migraine #migrainerelief #lifehacks
Two neurologists, one hour, one migraine #migraine #migrainerelief Dr Painkiller 2026-08-26 | Topics include CGRP blockers, the new kid on the block PACAP, and one jump scare we refuse to apologize for.I sat down with Dr. Peter McAllister â board-certified neurologist and one of the countryâs leading headache specialists.This is the trailer â the full podcast with Dr. McAllister lives inside The Dark Room. Comment ROOM and Iâll send you the link.đ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School : skool.com/darkroom
Migraine is linked to 60+ other conditions: why anxiety, IBS, EDS and migraine often travel together Dr Painkiller 2026-08-26 | Sat down with Dr. Peter McAllister to talk about why. The short version: these are often bidirectional relationships, and shared genetics may explain part of it. Migraine has a lot of friends. None of them pay rent. If you want the full picture of how migraine actually works, including the conditions that run with it, thatâs what we break down inside the Dark Room. đ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School : skool.com/darkroom
Botox vs. CGRP blockers for migraine? #migraine #migrainerelief Dr Painkiller 2026-08-25 | It's the most common question in my comments, so I put it to Dr. Peter McAllister, a world-class neurologist whoâs been treating chronic migraine since before either option existed. The short version: the decision isnât a coin flip, and itâs usually not made the way patients assume. Thereâs a longer version of this conversation, plus the full Q&A with Dr. McAllister, inside The Dark Room. This is education, not medical advice â talk to your own doctor about what fits your case. đ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School : skool.com/darkroom
Itâs not that youâre doing migraine wrong. Itâs that no one updated your treatment plan. Dr Painkiller 2026-08-25 | I sat down with migraine legend Dr. Peter McAllister and we answered the question: what holds migraine patients back the most? Most of the patients we see are doing everything right. Theyâre tracking triggers, theyâre managing sleep, theyâve tried it all. What they havenât gotten is a healthcare system that kept up. If youâve had migraine for years and nobody has ever mentioned gepants, CGRP medications, Botox, or nerve blocks, you didnât fail your treatment. Your treatment plan failed to evolve. Youâve done your part. Make sure your treatment plan is doing its part. This is education, not medical advice â talk to your own doctor before making changes.#migraine #migrainerelief
Occipital nerve blocks for migraine: what & where are we actually injecting? Dr Painkiller 2026-08-24 | Occipital nerve blocks for migraine: what & where are we actually injecting?#migrainerelief #headacherelief
Two Neurologists Reveal Their Favorite Migraine Preventive Medications. #migraine #migrainerelief Dr Painkiller 2026-08-24 | Ask two neurologists for their favorite migraine preventive and apparently youâre not getting one answer.His answer: Vyepti. Mine: Nurtec for episodic, Qulipta for chronic.That doesnât mean these are automatically the âbestâ medications for everyone â migraine prevention is highly individualized, and the right choice depends on attack frequency, other medical conditions, prior treatments, side effects, insurance coverage, and a lot more. As always this is for educational purposes only, not medical advice- talk to your doctor. We went much deeper into the current migraine treatment landscape â including CGRP medications, Botox, older preventives, and whatâs changing â in our full conversation inside The Dark Room, which also includes my migraine courses, weekly live Q&As, expert conversations and the community.đ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School : skool.com/darkroom
Two Neurologists: What We Wish Everyone With Migraine Knew. #migraine Dr Painkiller 2026-08-23 | Migraine and a migraine attack are two different things, and confusing them is why some people don't take this disease seriously. A migraine brain is a migraine brain between attacks too. This is why âbut you donât have a headache right nowâ misses the point. #migraine
Is Weather Really a Migraine Trigger? Two Neurologists Weigh In. Dr Painkiller 2026-08-23 | I sat down with Dr. Peter McAllister, a board-certified neurologist and one of the countryâs leading headache specialists with decades of migraine experience, to weigh in on migraine triggers. Two neurologists, one honest answer. Dr. McAllister and I went much deeper on this â migraine triggers, symptoms, and treatments â in our full conversation inside The Dark Room.đ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School : skool.com/darkroom#migraineurs #chronicmigraine #migraine
hacks for migraine, rated Dr Painkiller 2026-08-22 | hacks for migraine, rated The Dark Room is where I put the stuff that actually worksđ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School : skool.com/darkroom#migraine #migrainerelief #rating #brainhealth
Migraine Medications Neurologists Prescribe Less Often Today. #migraine #migrainerelief Dr Painkiller 2026-08-22 | Two neurologists, one honest answer. This is general education, not medical advice. Dr. Peter McAllister and I went much deeper on this â what we use now, what we use less, and how we actually think through treatment decisions â in our full conversation inside The Dark Room.đ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School : skool.com/darkroom
Migraine Hacks Part 4 (Rated 0â10). Dr Painkiller 2026-08-21 | Because apparently Parts 1 through 3 did not exhaust the internetâs creativity.The Dark Room is where I put the stuff that actually works. đ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School : skool.com/darkroom#migraine #migrainerelief #rating #brainhealth
Two Neurologists discuss the most underrated and most overblamed migraine treatments. #migraine Dr Painkiller 2026-08-20 | I sat down with Dr. Peter McAllister, a board-certified neurologist and one of the countryâs leading headache specialists with decades of migraine experience, to weigh in on migraine treatments. Two neurologists, one honest answer. This is general education, not medical advice. #migraine #headache #brainhealth
The disc gets blamed for everything. Itâs usually not the disc. Dr Painkiller 2026-08-20 | Disc herniations show up on MRIs of people with zero pain. Meanwhile the facet joints, SI joint, and muscle do most of the damage and get none of the credit. If your back pain has been blamed on a disc and nothing has worked, this is probably why.Live Q&A with Dr. Jeff Yoo tomorrow at 7pm ET. Bring your questions.Comment âBACKâ and Iâll send you the link.
Two Neurologists discuss the most underrated and most overblamed migraine triggers. Dr Painkiller 2026-08-19 | I sat down with Dr. Peter McAllister, a board-certified neurologist and one of the countryâs leading headache specialists with decades of migraine experience, to weigh in on migraine triggers. Two neurologists, one honest answer. This is general education, not medical advice. #migraine #headache #brainhealth
Please Donât Snort Chili Pepper for Your Headache đ¶ïž #mythbusting Dr Painkiller 2026-08-19 | This is probably the most unhinged migraine hack - unfortunately the science behind it is real. But the trend gets it wrong. Here's what the studies actually show. #migraine #headache #capsaicin
Two Neurologists Settle The Magnesium for Migraine Debate. Dr Painkiller 2026-08-19 | Magnesium is probably the most recommended supplement in migraine â by doctors, by TikTok, by your neighbor. But is the evidence actually there? I sat down with Dr. Peter McAllister, a board-certified neurologist and one of the countryâs leading headache specialists with decades of migraine experience, to weigh in on whether magnesium deserves the hype. Two neurologists, one honest answer. This is general education, not medical advice â talk to your own doctor before starting or stopping any supplement.#migraine #migrainerelief #magnesium
Hemiplegic Migraine: When Migraine Can Look Like a Stroke. Dr Painkiller 2026-08-18 | Taken from last Sunday's Dark Room Q&A. #migraine #neurology #stroke
Migraine is not your fault Dr Painkiller 2026-08-16 | Stop Apologizing for Your Migraine. Migraine is a neurological disease â not a character flaw. You inherited this nervous system. Fault is zero â responsibility is power. Law 10: Migraine is not your fault. Stop apologizing for a disease you did not choose.Send this to someone who needs to stop saying sorry. Thereâs a reason I called my migraine community The Dark Room. Itâs a place where you donât have to convince anyone that this disease is real. Itâs paid, and itâs worth it. đ€đ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School : skool.com/darkroom
Botox for migraine: how its done, which muscles / nerves were targeting. Dr Painkiller 2026-08-16 | Botox for migraine: how it's done, which muscles / nerves we're targeting. #migraine #migrainerelief
Migraine in the ER: What Actually Happens (and What Should) Dr Painkiller 2026-08-16 | Most migraine patients dread the ER â long waits, being treated like a drug seeker, and treatments that miss the mark. I sat down with emergency physician Dr. Jeff Yoo to break down what actually happens when a migraine lands you in the emergency department, and what good care should look like. We cover when to go, what to ask for, and what to expect. This is education, not medical advice â always follow your own treating physicianâs guidance.đ„ Join Medical Skool: skool.com/medicalskoolđ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School: skool.com/darkroom
Migraine triggers 0-10. Dr Painkiller 2026-08-15 | Migraine triggers 0-10. Long version lives inside the Dark Room. đ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School : skool.com/darkroom#migraine
Why Your Migraine Keeps Hitting at the Same Time Every Day. Dr Painkiller 2026-08-13 | About half of people with migraine show a consistent time-of-day pattern.If youâre tired of guessing your way through migraine:đ„ Join The Dark Room: Migraine School : skool.com/darkroom
