Headache
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Efficacy and tolerability of coadministration of rizatriptan and acetaminophen vs rizatriptan or acetaminophen alone for acute migraine treatment.
To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of coadministration of rizatriptan and acetaminophen in the acute treatment of migraine. ⋯ Rizatriptan coadministered with acetaminophen achieved 2 of the 3 primary hypotheses, proving superior to both acetaminophen and placebo for 2-h pain relief, but failing to achieve superiority to rizatriptan alone. RA was as well tolerated as each of the individual agents.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Botulinum toxin type A as migraine preventive treatment in patients previously failing oral prophylactic treatment due to compliance issues.
To examine the efficacy and safety of and satisfaction with botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA; BOTOX: Allergan, Inc., Irvine, CA) for prophylactic treatment of migraine headache in patients previously failing prophylaxis because of issues pertaining to compliance. Background.- Numerous factors (eg, adverse effects, tolerability, cost, frequency of dosage, hesitancy to take daily medication, failure to complete treatment) negatively influence compliance with the preventive pharmacology for migraine prophylaxis. BoNTA may offer benefit in improving compliance because of its long duration of action, injectable route of administration, and its tolerability (adverse event [AE]) profile. ⋯ BoNTA-treated subjects showed improvements from baseline in measures of headache frequency, and improvements from baseline and in comparison with placebo treatment in headache impact and treatment satisfaction at multiple time points in this study. However, BoNTA-treated subjects did not differ from placebo-treated subjects in measures of headache frequency and severity. BoNTA may be a useful treatment option for headache patients demonstrating poor compliance, adherence, or AE profile with oral prophylactic regimens.
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Certain migraines are labeled as refractory, but the entity lacks a well-accepted operational definition. This article summarizes the results of a survey sent to American Headache Society members to evaluate interest in a definition for RM and what were considered necessary criteria. Review of the literature, collaborative discussions and results of the survey contributed to the proposed definition for RM. ⋯ Patients must also fail adequate trials of abortive medicines, including both a triptan and dihydroergotamine (DHE) intranasal or injectable formulation and either nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or combination analgesic, unless contraindicated. An adequate trial is defined as a period of time during which an appropriate dose of medication is administered, typically at least 2 months at optimal or maximum-tolerated dose, unless terminated early due to adverse effects. The definition also employs modifiers for the presence or absence of medication overuse, and with or without significant disability.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Examining the utility of in-clinic "rescue" therapy for acute migraine.
Management options currently are limited for patients with acute migraine whose symptoms prove refractory to self-administered therapy. ⋯ Providing the alternative of in-clinic "rescue" for acute migraine refractory to self-administered therapy offers an attractive alternative for patients and appears to substantially lower use of an ED for headache treatment and the cost associated with that use.
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There are a number of reasons to attempt to define and classify refractory headache disorders. Particularly important are the potential benefits in the areas of research, treatment, and medical cost reimbursement. There are challenges in attempting to classify refractory forms of headaches, including the lack of biological or other objective markers and a lack of consensus among practitioners as to what qualifies as refractoriness, or even if a separate category for refractory migraine and other refractory headaches needs to be established. ⋯ It seems reasonable to consider adding this defined syndrome to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, second edition (ICHD-II). In this article, options for adding refractory headache syndromes to the ICHD are discussed with pros and cons for each. Two "best" options for adding the disorder "refractory migraine" to the ICHD are presented along with an illustrative case example.