Migraine That Won't Quit: Urgent Care and the Migraine IV
When a migraine isn't responding to your usual treatment: what urgent care can do, how the Migraine Rescue + Hydration IV works, and when to go to the ER.
If a migraine isn't letting up with the treatment that usually works for you, urgent care is a reasonable next step for migraine relief: a clinician can check that nothing more serious is going on and give treatment in the clinic, including medication for pain and nausea and IV fluids when needed. AfterOurs also offers a scheduled Migraine Rescue + Hydration IV for adults. Here's how the two differ, and the warning signs that mean the ER instead.
Call 911 or go to the ER if… it's the worst headache of your life or it hit full force within a minute, like a thunderclap; the headache comes with a stiff neck, fever, confusion, fainting or a seizure; it started after a head injury; you have weakness, numbness, a drooping face, slurred speech or vision loss; or you're pregnant or recently gave birth and have a severe headache, especially with vision changes or swelling.
What makes a migraine different from a regular headache?
A migraine is more than a bad headache. It's often a throbbing pain on one side of the head that gets worse with movement, and it commonly comes with nausea or vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. Some people get an aura first: flashing lights, zigzag lines or a blind spot that builds over several minutes. An attack can last from a few hours to a few days, and common triggers include poor sleep, skipped meals, dehydration, stress, hormone changes, alcohol and weather changes.
What to try at home first
- Take your usual migraine medicine early, as directed by your doctor or the label. Most migraine treatments work best at the start of an attack.
- Rest in a dark, quiet room, with a cool cloth on your forehead or the back of your neck.
- Sip water or an electrolyte drink, and eat something light if you can.
- Avoid taking pain relievers on many days in a row; overuse can lead to rebound headaches.
When should a migraine be seen at urgent care?
If none of the ER warning signs apply, consider a same-day visit when:
- Your usual treatment hasn't worked and the migraine is still going after a day or more
- You're vomiting and can't keep your medicine or fluids down
- The headache feels different from your usual migraines, or the pattern has changed
- You don't have a migraine diagnosis but are getting severe, recurring headaches
At a visit for headaches and migraines, a clinician does a neurological exam to check for the rare causes that need emergency care. They can then discuss treatment, which may include migraine rescue medication and anti-nausea treatment in the clinic, IV fluids if you're dehydrated from vomiting, and a plan for preventing the next attack. This is a regular urgent care visit: walk in, or book a sick visit online.
What is the Migraine Rescue + Hydration IV?
Migraine Rescue + Hydration is one of the nutrient IVs AfterOurs offers to adults. It's a scheduled infusion of a nutrient formula with hydration, booked ahead online and paid when you book. How it works:
- Choose the Migraine Rescue + Hydration IV, a clinic and a time when you book.
- At the clinic, a provider reviews your health history before the infusion. Ask them what's in the formula and whether it's a good fit for you.
- The IV is placed and monitored while the infusion runs, roughly 45 to 60 minutes in a treatment chair.
The IV isn't a substitute for a medical evaluation. If your headache is new, different from your usual migraines, or comes with any of the warning signs above, start with an urgent care visit or the ER rather than a scheduled infusion.
What does it cost?
Migraine Rescue + Hydration IV: full self-pay is $409, all-inclusive, with no insurance billed. If you choose "Use my insurance" when booking, the nutrient add-on is $79, and the medical hydration underneath it is billed to your plan only if it qualifies, based on your provider's assessment and your plan's eligibility. Your copay, deductible or coinsurance may still apply, and if your provider determines the hydration can't be billed to insurance, you may owe the self-pay difference.
Urgent care visit for a migraine: self-pay in-clinic visits are $175 for a standard visit, $250 with one moderate service, and $330 for a procedure or two moderate services; the tier depends on the care you actually receive. We contract with all major commercial and government plans, including Colorado Medicaid and Medicare. We can't guarantee a particular commercial plan has us in network, and if you turn out to be out of network or your benefits are denied, we bill you at the self-pay rates. Full details are on our cost and insurance page.
Where to find us
Four clinics across metro Denver, all ages welcome, se habla español:
- Hampden (Southeast Denver): 8 AM–11 PM daily
- Littleton: 8 AM–11 PM daily
- Thornton: 8 AM–11 PM daily
- Highlands: Mon–Fri 5–11 PM, Sat–Sun 8 AM–11 PM
Walk in, or book online.
Medically reviewed by Peter Martinuzzi, MD
This article is general health information, not medical advice for your situation. If you are worried, come in or book a telehealth visit — and if it is an emergency, call 911.