A double blind study of metoclopramide in the treatment of migraine attacks

One hundred and fifty patients with migraine attacks attending the Copenhagen acute migraine clinic were treated either with metoclopramide 10 mg i.m. metoclopramide 20 mg as suppository or placebo in a double blind trial. All patients simultaneously or 30 minutes later received paracetamol 1 g and diazepam 5 mg orally. The nausea was relieved in 71% of the patients by placebo and bed rest, but metoclopramide was significantly (p = 0.04) more effective and relieved nausea in 86% of the patients. Metoclopramide did not by itself reduce the pain, but enhanced the effect of the analgesic or sedative medication. This effect, however, just failed to be statistically significant (p = 0.06).