Pain-free efficacy after treatment with sumatriptan in the mild pain phase of menstrually associated migraine

Abstract

To estimate the efficacy of sumatriptan 50-mg and 100-mg tablets in menstrually associated migraine when treatment is administered during the mild pain phase. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-attack study was conducted. Menstrually associated migraine was defined as any migraine beginning on or between day −2 and day 4, with day 1 = first day of flow. Patients had at least a 1-year history of migraine as defined by International Headache Society criteria and reported regularly occurring menstrually associated migraines typically having a mild pain phase. Patients treated attacks within 1 hour of the onset of pain but only if the pain was mild at onset and while the pain was still mild. In the 349 women with menstrually associated migraine, sumatriptan was significantly more effective than placebo: 61% and 51% of patients who used sumatriptan 100 mg and 50 mg, respectively, were pain-free 2 hours after treatment compared with 29% of patients who used placebo (P < .001 for both comparisons). At 2 hours, 51% and 45% of patients who used sumatriptan 100 mg and 50 mg were free of pain and associated symptoms (photophobia, phonophobia, nausea, vomiting) compared with 25% of placebo patients (P < .001 for both comparisons). Adverse events were low for sumatriptan 100 and 50 mg, and both doses were generally well tolerated. Sumatriptan 50-mg and 100-mg tablets are generally well tolerated and effective in providing pain-free relief and relief of the associated symptoms of menstrually associated migraine when administered in the mild pain phase.