Side effects of ergotamine.

Abstract

Ergotamine has been used for many years in the treatment of migraine, although there is little formal clinical evidence that it is significantly more efficacious than placebo. A number of side effects associated with ergotamine have been reported in the literature, including myocardial infarction, ischaemia of limb extremities, and fibrotic changes. Long-term use has led to reported cases of ergotamine-induced headache, vascular reactivity, and subclinical ergotism. When the safety profile of this drug is considered, coupled with its debatable efficacy from a clinical review previously published, the resulting poor risk:benefit ratio brings into question the continued use of ergotamine as a migraine treatment and calls for better controlled trials of its efficacy, or lack of, in the acute treatment of migraine.

• Authors: W J Meyler
• Journal: Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache (Cephalalgia) Vol. 16 Issue 1 Pg. 5-10 (Feb 1996) ISSN: 0333-1024 [Print] England
• PMID: 8825693 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Ergotamine

Topics

• Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Ergotamine (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Ergotism (etiology)
• Extremities (blood supply)
• Headache (chemically induced)
• Humans
• Ischemia (chemically induced)
• Migraine Disorders (drug therapy)
• Myocardial Infarction (chemically induced)
• Treatment Outcome