Histamine as a therapeutic alternative in migraine prophylaxis: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study

This study was undertaken to test the efficacy of the subcutaneous administration (twice a week) of consecutively increasing doses of histamine (0.1 to 1 ng) in the prophylaxis of migraine, compared to placebo, under a controlled, double-blind, clinical trial for 12 weeks. Sixty patients were selected, under criteria established by the International Headache Society (both sexes, 18 to 65 years of age, a migraine history of more than 1 year, one to six headache attacks per month), having no additional neurological or cardiovascular pathologies, and after a complete clinical and laboratory examination including computer-assisted tomography. Comparison between the groups treated with placebo (n = 30) and histamine (n = 30), on data collected for the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks of treatment, revealed that histamine exerted a significantly (P < .0001) greater reduction (compared to placebo) in the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine attacks, as well as on the use of rescue medication. No significant (P > .05) adverse experiences or side effects in either group developed to impede the blinding of the study or the planned order of events. We conclude that the subcutaneous administration of histamine (at very low doses) constitutes a novel and effective therapeutic approach in migraine prophylaxis, aimed at limiting excessive inflammatory responses involved in the pathophysiology of migraine through the activation of H3 receptors.