Migraine headaches can be a lot to manage, but if you need treatment for them — especially if they’re chronic, meaning they happen often — you’ll also need to keep a close eye on your bank balance.
One study found the average migraine patient can lose more than $4,000 a year in work productivity, with another estimate suggesting that chronic migraine patients can pay between $8,500 to $9,500 a year for related health care costs. You may need to keep this in mind for planning purposes as you start treatment for chronic migraine. It will be easier to get relief from headaches if you don’t worry about money at the same time.
Your Diagnosis
Your regular doctor may be able to diagnose migraine. So your care and bills will start with a doctor’s office visit. While costs may vary around the country, the average cost for one visit is around $160 for an adult without insurance or a copay between $10 and $50 if you are insured. Your doctor may refer you to a specialist called a neurologist for diagnosis. Online, neurologist office visits are typically priced between $1,200 and $400 before insurance.
After asking about your symptoms, and medical history, and completing examinations, your doctor may order certain tests to rule out other conditions than migraine. These may include:
- Blood tests. One type of blood test sometimes used to help diagnose headaches is erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). This test is used to test for inflammation caused by infections, inflammatory states, and autoimmune disorders. Online, ESR tests are typically priced between $22 and $50. You may have a copay if you have private insurance, but Medicare covers 100% of blood tests your doctor orders.
- A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of your brain. A brain MRI can be priced anywhere from $500 to $8,000. As with other brain scans, your insurance should cover the cost, but you will be responsible for meeting a deductible and copay.
- A computerized tomography (CT) scan of your brain. Online, CT scans are priced anywhere from a few hundred dollars to as much as $5,000, depending on where you live.
- An electroencephalogram (EEG) to rule out seizures. Prices found online range from $1,000 to $3,000, depending on the state.
Medications You May Take
Over-the-counter medications like Excedrin Pain, Advil Migraine, and Motrin Migraine Pain can relieve episodic (more occasional) migraine. But when it comes to chronic migraine, your doctor probably will prescribe one or more medications that either ease symptoms or help you have less headaches.
Pain relievers often prescribed for migraine include:
- Triptans, which block pain pathways in your brain. Examples are naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt, Maxalt-MLT), sumatriptan (Imitrex, Tosymra), and zolmitriptan (Zomig ZMT, Zomig). These and other prescription medications should be covered by private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid. But a copay (typically 30%) will apply. And if you don’t have insurance, you’ll need to cover the entire cost. That’s why you may want to shop online for the best price at competing pharmacies. These prices can vary based on where you live and what discounts are available but generally range from:
- $23 to $65 for naratriptan
- $8 to $29 for rizatriptan
- $6 to $27 for sumatriptan
- $25 to $46 for zolmitriptan
- Meloxicam and rizatriptan (Symbravo) tablets. This drug uses a combination of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and triptan. Together, they lower the swelling and inflammation that cause migraine pain. The FDA approved Symbravo in January 2025 for treating migraine both with and without aura. A pack of nine tablets can cost upwards of $1,150. Depending on your insurance, some of the cost may be covered.
- Dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal) nasal spray or injection. Online prices range from $270 to $400 for nasal sprays. Injections can cost between $45 and $105 each.
- Lasmiditan (Reyvow) tablets. This medication costs $740.88 for eight tablets.
- CGRP antagonists for acute migraine. Examples are rimegepant (Nurtec ODT) and ubrogepant (Ubrelvy) tablets. Ubrelvy tablets cost $1,084.85 for a 30-day supply before any discounts, while Nuetec can cost between $900 and $1,100 for eight tablets. The CGRP atogepant (Qutipta) is approved for prevention of migraines and its cost is $1,147.21 for a 30-day supply.
- Anti-nausea drugs such as chlorpromazine (Largactil, Thorazine), metoclopramide (Reglan), or prochlorperazine (Compro). The price before insurance can range from:
- $24 to $124 for chlorpromazine
- $4 to $15 for metoclopramide
- $30 to $115 for prochlorperazine
Drugs your doctor may prescribe to help prevent migraine may have been designed for another purpose. These include:
- Blood pressure medications like:
- Atenolol (Tenormin). It is available online for between $4 and $19 for 30 tablets.
- Metoprolol tartrate (Lopressor). You can find it for between $9 and $28 for 60 tablets.
- Nadolol (Corgard). Thirty tablets cost between $13 and $39.
- Propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran XL). A standard 30-day supply costs between $17 and $24.
- Verapamil (Verelan). Ninety tablets cost between $9 and $30.
- Antidepressants, including:
- Amitriptyline (Elavil). You can find it online for $4.
- Nortriptyline (Pamelor). Also available for $4.
- Doxepin (Quitaxon, Sinequan). The price ranges from $7 to $30 for 30 tablets.
- Seizure drugs such as valproate (Convulex, Depakote) and topiramate (Qudexy XR, Topamax). Sixty topiramate tablets cost between $8 and $23, and valproate costs between $9 and $20.
- Injections of onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox). They’re available online for as little as $630 for 100 injections, but can also cost more.
- CGRP monoclonal antibodies. The FD has approved these medications specifically for migraine treatment and prevention:
- Eptinezumab-jjmr (Vyepti). The lowest price is $2,004 for a 100 mL vial.
- Erenumab-aooe (Aimovig). The price ranges from $750 to $812.
- Fremanezumab-vfrm (Ajovy). You can find it for around $689, but it can cost over $750.
- Galcanezumab-gnlm (Emgality). One 120-mg prefilled syringe costs $763.94.
Some Costs for Lifestyle Changes
Migraine treatment isn’t only about medication. Some recommended lifestyle adjustments, like self-taught relaxation techniques, consistent sleeping and eating habits, and drinking plenty of fluids, cost you nothing. Exercise may also help. If you want to join a gym, fees range from $10 a month to hundreds of dollars for boutique gyms. If you're a yoga fan, your gym may offer classes for free; if not, you could pay $15 to $30 per session at a local studio.
Turning to Alternative Medicine
Alternatives to traditional medicine may help with chronic migraine pain. One is acupuncture. Your doctor can refer you to a qualified local practitioner. Find out if your insurance plan covers acupuncture only for pain relief or also to help with migraine. A session usually costs between $75 to $100.
Cognitive behavioral therapy may also help you learn how to better manage your condition. Sessions with a therapist may cost $100 or more per hour. Make sure your insurance plan covers psychotherapy; you also can ask if the therapist offers fees on a sliding scale.
Taking supplements of riboflavin (Vitamin B2) sometimes helps reduce the frequency and severity of migraine headaches. These cost around $10 for a 100-count bottle of 100-milligram capsules. Unlike drugs, supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, so be sure to read the label carefully before you buy them.
Dealing With Lost Work Time
Chronic migraine has other ways of reaching into your wallet. Some people with migraine must miss work when the attacks get too painful. One study found that Americans with migraine miss nine more workdays per year than the average person.
Say you earn $80,000 per year and have already used up all your vacation, sick, and personal days for the year. Nine days without pay would reduce your pretax income by about $2,769. That’s a steep price tag for just about anyone.
