[Subcutaneous histamine in migraine prophylaxis. Initial effects and long-term outcome]

Histamine may prove to be effective in migraine prophylaxis, as an specific treatment aimed to limit excessive inflammatory responses involved in the pathophysiology of migraine.

One hundred and ten migraine patients were selected. The variables analyzed were: a) frequency; b) intensity; c) duration, and d) number of analgesic tablets. Treatment consisted of a regimen of subcutaneous histamine (10 ng/ml of Evan's solution) twice a week, with an administration volume of 1 ng (0.1 ml) of histamine, which was consecutively increased until reaching 10 ng (1 ml); during twelve month. At the end of treatment, the patients remained under observation for 8 years. A Friedman repeated measures ANOVA on ranks test was used to evaluate the statistical significance of differences between basal values and values found.

The statistical analysis showed significant differences between basal values and values found for the 3, 6 and 12 months of treatment with histamine (p < 0.0001). The beginning of the 4th week there was a significant decrease in the magnitude of all variables studied (p < 0.0001). During the first and second year after treatment there were no headache attacks. In the third year migraine appeared again same to basal values.

The present study provides evidence of the safety and efficacy of histamine, applied subcutaneously at doses of 1 to 10 ng twice a week, bringing about a new therapeutic alternative and laying the clinical and pharmacological groundwork for the use of histaminergic H3-agonists in migraine prophylaxis.