Prevention

Medications used for prevention of tension-type headache include antidepressants, beta-blockers, and anticonvulsants. These medications are usually worth trying, but they are more likely to be effective if the person also has migraine or cluster headaches. Most doctors choose to start with the newer generation antidepressants, which have fewer side effects, and gradually increase the dose to reach a therapeutic effect. Antidepressants may have to be tried for 1-2 months to determine if they help.