Perimenstrual eletriptan prevents menstrual migraine: an open-label study.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To prospectively evaluate the efficacy of perimenstrual prophylaxis with eletriptan to reduce headaches in women identified with menstrual migraine (MM).

METHODS:

Female migraineurs self-reporting a substantial relationship between migraine and menses were evaluated with 3 consecutive months of daily headache recording diaries. A relationship between menses and migraine was evaluated using International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-II) criteria and a probability model called Probability MM. Women prospectively diagnosed with ICHD-II MM were treated for 3 consecutive months with perimenstrual eletriptan 20 mg 3 times daily starting 2 days prior to the expected onset of menstruation and continued for a total of 6 days. Headache activity was compared during the 3 months of recording prior to eletriptan therapy and 3 months with eletriptan perimenstrual prevention therapy.

RESULTS:

Three months of pretreatment prospective diaries were completed by 126 women. ICHD-II menstrually related migraine was diagnosed in 74%, with pure MM in 7%. Among those women diagnosed with ICHD-II MM, 61 completed at least 1 treatment month. Overall change in headache activity was a 46% decrease. The mean percentage of treated menses without migraine occurring during the 6 days of treatment was 71%. The percentage of subjects with 1, 2, and 3 migraine-free menstrual periods (no migraines occurring 2 days before menses through the first 3 days of menstruation) with eletriptan, respectively, were 14%, 19%, and 53%. Among those subjects who remained headache-free during the 6 days of eletriptan treatment, migraine occurred during the 3 days immediately after discontinuing eletriptan for 9%. Perimenstrual eletriptan was generally tolerated and no abnormalities were identified on the 6(th) day of treatment using either blood pressure recording or electrocardiogram.

CONCLUSIONS:

Among patients with prospectively identified MM, eletriptan 20 mg 3 times daily effectively reduced MM. A significant reduction in headache activity occurred for 53% of patients.

• Authors: Dawn A Marcus, Cheryl D Bernstein, Erin A Sullivan, Thomas E Rudy
• Journal: Headache (Headache) Vol. 50 Issue 4 Pg. 551-62 (Apr 2010) ISSN: 1526-4610 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20236337 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Pyrrolidines
• Serotonin Receptor Agonists
• Tryptamines
• eletriptan

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Adolescent
• Adult
• Comorbidity
• Drug Administration Schedule
• Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
• Female
• Humans
• Medical Records
• Menstruation Disturbances (drug therapy, epidemiology, physiopathology)
• Middle Aged
• Migraine Disorders (drug therapy, epidemiology, physiopathology)
• Pain Measurement
• Premenstrual Syndrome (drug therapy, epidemiology, physiopathology)
• Prospective Studies
• Pyrrolidines (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Recurrence
• Serotonin Receptor Agonists (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Severity of Illness Index
• Treatment Outcome
• Tryptamines (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Young Adult