- With Mayo Clinic neurologist
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Dr. Jerry Swanson is a board-certified neurologist at Mayo Clinic and is a professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He has a special interest in headache disorders and medical education.
Dr. Swanson, a Lacon, Ill., native, was appointed to the Mayo Clinic staff in 1982 and works in the Department of Neurology with about 90 other physicians. He formerly chaired the Headache Division in the Neurology Department at Mayo Clinic and works with headache subspecialists around the world. He has published and lectured widely on headache disorders. He also serves as Assistant Dean for Assessment in Mayo Medical School.
"In a manner similar to the printing press, Internet technology enables the unprecedented ability to communicate with the global community about health information," Dr. Swanson says. "There is no doubt that the knowledgeable individual contributes greatly to his or her own health care, and now we can share information much more widely."
"There is much information already available about health care on the Internet. Unfortunately, much of it is not founded on sound principles. It is exciting to be a part of the MayoClinic.com team and contribute to the creation of a reliable and timely health resource."
Dr. Swanson is the neurology editor for "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and has reviewed articles for "Mayo Clinic Health Letter" and "Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource." He is also editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic on Headache" book, published in 2004. In 2008 the magazine "Women's Health" named him one of America's Top Doctors for Women.
Definition (1)
- Ocular migraine: What causes it?
Causes (3)
- Migraine headaches: Are they triggered by weather changes?
- Nighttime headaches: What causes them?
- Nighttime headaches: What causes them?
Treatments and drugs (3)
- Migraine treatment: Can antidepressants help?
- Migraine medications and antidepressants: A risky mix?
- Occipital nerve stimulation: Effective migraine treatment?
Prevention (1)
- Aerobic exercise: What's the best frequency for workouts?
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Question
Migraine treatment: Can antidepressants help?
My doctor prescribed sertraline (Zoloft) for my migraines. Is this an appropriate migraine treatment? I don't have depression.
Answer
from Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
There's no good evidence that sertraline (Zoloft), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), can prevent migraines.
Certain antidepressants can help prevent migraines. Most effective are tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline (Pamelor) and protriptyline (Vivactil). In fact, these medications are considered among first-line treatment agents and may reduce migraines by affecting the level of serotonin and other chemicals in your brain. Also, you don't have to have depression to benefit from these drugs.
However, newer antidepressants — such as Zoloft and other SSRIs — generally aren't effective for migraine prevention.
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