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Migraine is a food-allergic disease
Lancet (London, England)
|September 29, 1984
Summary
Severe migraine patients found relief with sodium cromoglycate, suggesting food allergies trigger their symptoms. This study confirms a hypersensitivity mechanism in drug-refractory migraine cases.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Immunology
- Neurology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Migraine is a debilitating neurological condition.
- Severe migraine cases often prove refractory to conventional drug therapies.
- Food-induced hypersensitivity reactions are implicated in some migraine pathologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific food triggers for severe migraine.
- To investigate the efficacy of sodium cromoglycate in preventing food-provoked migraine.
- To explore the role of hypersensitivity mechanisms and immune complex formation in migraine.
Main Methods:
- Identification of food provocants in 9 patients with severe, drug-refractory migraine.
- Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial administering sodium cromoglycate or placebo orally.
- Monitoring for migraine symptoms and the presence of immune complexes.
Main Results:
- Sodium cromoglycate demonstrated a significant protective effect against food-provoked migraine.
- The drug prevented the hypersensitivity mechanism underlying migraine symptoms.
- Immune complex formation was not observed in patients protected by sodium cromoglycate.
Conclusions:
- Food-allergic reactions are a confirmed cause of migraine in this patient cohort.
- Sodium cromoglycate is effective in preventing migraine triggered by food hypersensitivity.
- This highlights the potential of targeting hypersensitivity pathways for migraine treatment.
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