Even patients who eschew prescriptions need to take their treatment of choice as if it were prescription, in controlled amounts and times, Baggaley says. "One at a time and make sure you don't get a side effect. I tell people to go low and slow, even with nonprescriptions."

Hormones are believed to play a strong role, perhaps explaining why more women than men get migraines. The National Headache Foundation says more than half of migraines are linked to menstrual cycles and estrogen levels. But again, variables abound. Hormone-linked migraines may occur before, during or immediately after menstruation, suggesting that for some women an increase in estrogen is a trigger and in others it's a deterrent. That's further borne out by the fact that some women see a decrease in migraines after menopause, while some see an increase. Many women who suffer migraines see no links to their cycles at all.

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E-mail: lois@desnews.com