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Eletriptan for the short-term prophylaxis of cluster headache
Karin Zebenholzer1, Christian Wöber, Marion Vigl
1Department of Neurology, University of Vienna (Austria) Medical School.
Headache
|April 28, 2004
Summary
Eletriptan 40 mg twice daily may help prevent cluster headache attacks. This study observed a significant reduction in headache frequency, suggesting its potential for short-term cluster headache prophylaxis.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- A single patient with cluster headache experienced a beneficial prophylactic effect from eletriptan 40 mg.
- Cluster headache is a debilitating neurological condition requiring effective treatment options.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of eletriptan in short-term prophylaxis for cluster headache.
- To determine if eletriptan can reduce the frequency of cluster headache attacks.
Main Methods:
- An open-label study involving 18 patients diagnosed with cluster headache.
- Patients received eletriptan 40 mg twice daily for 6 days, with attack frequency compared to a 6-day baseline period.
Main Results:
- The mean number of cluster headache attacks decreased from 10.9 at baseline to 6.3 during treatment (P=.01).
- A reduction exceeding 50% in attack frequency was observed in 6 out of 16 completers.
- The study included patients with a mean age of 40.5 years (SD, 9.9).
Conclusions:
- Eletriptan 40 mg twice daily shows potential utility in the short-term prophylaxis of cluster headache.
- This small-scale study indicates a possible role for eletriptan in managing cluster headache frequency.