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Published on: June 2, 2014
Propofol in the treatment of refractory migraine headaches
1a Department of Neurology, School of Medicine , University of California Davis , Sacramento , CA , USA.
Introduction:
Refractory/intractable migraine headaches are associated with chronic pain that does not respond to standard care of treatment. Propofol(2,6-diisopropylphenol) in sub-anesthetic doses has been reported to be beneficial in such patients. The present article describes the complete drug profile of propofol in the management of these super-refractory migraine headaches.
Areas Covered:
The article covers different preclinical and clinical studies available in the literature. Expert commentary: Propofol is useful as an off-label drug molecule in an emergency situation of refractory migraines where it has been found to reduce the pain intensity. The molecule with a narrow therapeutic index and high abuse potential is prescribed only when conventional drugs fail to deliver any relief. There are not adequate double-blind crossover studies that substantiate the effectiveness of propofol in the treatment of migraine headaches. Furthermore, long-term outcomes for the use of propofol in migraine headaches requires an extensive investigation.
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