[Tolfenamic acid versus paracetamol in migraine attacks. A double-blind study in general practice]

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Neurology
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Acute migraine is a common neurological condition requiring effective pain management.
• Tolfenamic acid and paracetamol are commonly used analgesics for migraine relief.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy and patient-reported outcomes of tolfenamic acid versus paracetamol in patients with acute migraine.
• To evaluate parameters including headache intensity, need for additional medication, and overall treatment experience.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, controlled, multipractice study involving 149 patients with acute migraine.
• Patients received either 400 mg of tolfenamic acid or 1 g of paracetamol.
• Data collected included headache intensity, need for rescue medication, and side effects.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference was found between tolfenamic acid and paracetamol across the evaluated parameters (p < 0.05).
• Tolfenamic acid demonstrated numerical superiority in reducing headache intensity after three hours, decreasing the need for further medication, and improving overall assessment of the attack.
• Patient preference was also numerically higher for tolfenamic acid.

Conclusions:

• Both tolfenamic acid and paracetamol are effective in managing acute migraine, with no statistically significant difference in their primary efficacy endpoints.
• Tolfenamic acid may offer a slight numerical advantage in symptom relief and patient satisfaction for acute migraine treatment.