METHYSERGIDE (SANSERT) IN THE PREVENTION OF MIGRAINE: A CLINICAL TRIAL

Methysergide was used as a regular medication to prevent migraine in a series of 87 patients with frequently recurring severe attacks of three types, common, classical and cluster migraine, in a study conducted during a 30-month period. Results were classified as excellent, good, fair and nil. The total reporting excellent and good results was 50.6%. In a few patients the drug appeared to lose effectiveness in long-term treatment. Other investigators have described more favourable results, notably Friedman, who reported improvement in common migraine in 79% of patients and in cluster migraine in 90% of patients. Side effects were noted in 34.2% of patients and led to discontinuing the trial in 10.4%; these promptly subsided when the drug was withdrawn. Methysergide appears to be a useful additional agent for prevention of severe, frequently recurring migraine of common and cluster type. In this small series it had little effect on headaches of combined tension and vascular type.