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Hypnic headache: response to lamotrigine in two cases
Younes Ouahmane1, Jamal Mounach, Amal Satte
1Department of Neurophysiology, Mohammed V Military Teaching Hospital, Morocco. younes.med@hotmail.fr
Cephalalgia : an International Journal of Headache
|May 25, 2012
Summary
Lamotrigine effectively treated hypnic headache (HH), a rare sleep-related headache disorder. This study highlights lamotrigine as a safe and available alternative for managing HH when other treatments fail.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Hypnic headache (HH) is a rare primary headache disorder exclusively occurring during sleep.
- Current drug therapies for HH often present side effects, necessitating alternative treatments.
- Antiepileptic drugs have shown promise in preventing hypnic headache attacks.
Observation:
- Two patients with a history of duodenal ulcers presented with frequent, nocturnal headaches resistant to conventional treatment.
- Diagnosis of hypnic headache was confirmed using the International Classification of Headache Disorders criteria.
- Lamotrigine was administered due to prior duodenal ulcer history and drug availability constraints.
Findings:
- Lamotrigine demonstrated a favorable outcome in treating hypnic headache in both patients over a one-year follow-up.
- This represents the first reported instance of lamotrigine's efficacy in managing hypnic headache.
- The treatment showed sustained positive results beyond the initial follow-up period.
Implications:
- Lamotrigine offers a safe and readily available alternative treatment option for hypnic headache.
- Further research into lamotrigine for hypnic headache management is warranted.
- This finding could improve therapeutic strategies for patients suffering from this debilitating sleep headache.
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