Randomised trial, 2005
Does sumatriptan work for migraines around the menstrual cycle?
Yes, sumatriptan 100 mg gave headache relief to 67% of women for migraines during their menstrual window compared to 33% on placebo. Sumatriptan was well tolerated.
What they did
115 women who reported menstrually related migraine were studied in 20 UK clinics. For 2 months they took sumatriptan 100 mg for all migraines, then for 2 months they took placebo. Researchers checked if headache relief occurred 4 hours after the first treated migraine.
What they found
For migraines during the menstrual window, 67% of women receiving sumatriptan reported headache relief at 4 hours compared to 33% receiving placebo (p=0.007). For migraines outside the menstrual window, 79% reported relief with sumatriptan compared to 31% with placebo (p<0.001). Only 11% of the 115 enrolled women met the strict definition of menstrually related migraine. Sumatriptan was well tolerated.
What it means for you
Sumatriptan is effective for migraines associated with the menstrual cycle. Importantly, most women in the study actually had migraines at various times throughout the month, not strictly around their period, which matters for understanding their true migraine pattern. The study was well-designed with clear findings.
115
women enrolled
67% vs 33%
sumatriptan vs placebo relief in menstrual window
11%
met strict definition of menstrually related migraine
About the study
- Original title
- Managing migraine headaches experienced by patients who self-report with menstrually related migraine: a prospective, placebo-controlled study with oral sumatriptan
- Authors
- Dowson AJ, Massiou H, Aurora SK
- Journal
- The journal of headache and pain
- Year
- 2005
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 115
- What was tested
- Oral sumatriptan 100 mg
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1007/s10194-005-0156-3
Topics
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