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Hypnic headache responsive to indomethacin: second Italian case
Maria Gabriella Buzzi1, Daniela Cologno, Rita Formisano
1IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
Functional Neurology
|June 22, 2005
Summary
This study details a hypnic headache (HH) case rapidly treated with indomethacin. The 70-year-old patient experienced complete pain relief and remained symptom-free for nine months post-treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Hypnic headache (HH) is a rare primary headache disorder characterized by strictly nocturnal attacks.
- Accurate diagnosis and effective treatment strategies for HH remain areas of ongoing research.
Observation:
- A 70-year-old female patient presented with a 7-year history of nightly headache attacks occurring between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m.
- The patient met the diagnostic criteria for hypnic headache according to the revised International Headache Society classification.
Findings:
- Treatment with indomethacin at a daily dose of 150 mg for 30 days, followed by a 15-day taper, resulted in complete resolution of headache attacks.
- The patient remained pain-free with no relapses for nine months after discontinuing indomethacin.
Implications:
- This case suggests indomethacin is a potentially effective treatment for hypnic headache.
- The positive response to indomethacin provides further evidence for a shared pathophysiological mechanism between HH and other indomethacin-responsive primary headaches.