Prophylaxis of migraine: a comparison between naproxen sodium and pizotifen

Consensus of the Brazilian Headache Society (SBCe) for prophylactic treatment of episodic migraine: part II

BACKGROUND

Migraine affects 1 billion people worldwide and > 30 million Brazilians; besides, it is an underdiagnosed and undertreated disorder.

OBJECTIVE

The need to disseminate knowledge about the prophylactic treatment of migraine is known, so the Brazilian Headache Society (SBCe, in the Portuguese acronym) appointed a committee of authors with the objective of establishing a consensus with recommendations on the prophylactic treatment of episodic migraine based on articles from the world literature as well as from personal experience.

METHODS

Meetings were held entirely online, with the participation of 12 groups that reviewed and wrote about the pharmacological categories of drugs and, at the end, met to read and finish the document. The drug classes studied in part II of this Consensus were: antihypertensives, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, other drugs, and rational polytherapy.

RESULTS

From this list of drugs, only candesartan has been established as effective in controlling episodic migraine. Flunarizine, venlafaxine, duloxetine, and pizotifen were defined as likely to be effective, while lisinopril, enalapril, escitalopram, fluvoxamine, quetiapine, atorvastatin, simvastatin, cyproheptadine, and melatonin were possibly effective in prophylaxis of the disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite an effort by the scientific community to find really effective drugs in the treatment of migraine, given the large number of drugs tested for this purpose, we still have few therapeutic options.

Pizotifen for the treatment of migraine. A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Pizotifen is an oral drug developed many years ago for the prophylaxis of migraine. Trials on pizotifen are decades old, and there has never been a systematic review and meta-analyses of data from these clinical studies. Methods This is a systematic review and meta-analyses on pizotifen's efficacy and safety for prophylactic migraine treatment. We considered for inclusion only randomized clinical trials (RCTs). A comprehensive electronic search was performed without language, date or publication status restrictions in the formal electronic databases, clinical trial registration platforms and grey literature. Results There were eight RCTs of pizotifen compared either to placebo or to other drugs. Very low certainty of evidence showed that pizotifen seems to be superior to placebo regarding clinical symptoms improvement (Relative risk [RR] 6.00; 95% Confidence interval [CI] 1.63 to 22.03; p = 0.007), but not inferior to naproxen, flunarizine, valproate or clonidine. Weight gain was the most frequent adverse event of pizotifen but there was no difference with placebo (RR 1.92; 95% CI 0.30 to 12.38; 2 RCTs; 142 participants; I2 = 67%; p = 0.49). Conclusion The RCTs of pizotifen were decades old. It is a safe and potentially efficacious inexpensive drug that deserves a better designed, modern clinical trial before being dismissed as an option for migraine therapy. PROSPERO Register: CRD42020194347.

Pediatric Migraine: An Update

This article outlines key features of diagnosis and treatment of migraine in children and adolescents. It emphasizes techniques that can be used by clinicians to optimize history taking in this population, as well as recognition of episodic conditions that may be associated with migraine and present in childhood. Acute treatment strategies include use of over-the-counter analgesics and triptan medications that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in children and adolescents. Preventive treatment approach includes lifestyle modifications, behavioral strategies, and consideration of preventive medications with the lowest side effect profiles.

A Comparative Effectiveness Meta-Analysis of Drugs for the Prophylaxis of Migraine Headache

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effectiveness and side effects of migraine prophylactic medications.

DESIGN

We performed a network meta-analysis. Data were extracted independently in duplicate and quality was assessed using both the JADAD and Cochrane Risk of Bias instruments. Data were pooled and network meta-analysis performed using random effects models.

DATA SOURCES

PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Trial Registry, bibliography of retrieved articles through 18 May 2014.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

We included randomized controlled trials of adults with migraine headaches of at least 4 weeks in duration.

RESULTS

Placebo controlled trials included alpha blockers (n = 9), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (n = 3), angiotensin receptor blockers (n = 3), anticonvulsants (n = 32), beta-blockers (n = 39), calcium channel blockers (n = 12), flunarizine (n = 7), serotonin reuptake inhibitors (n = 6), serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (n = 1) serotonin agonists (n = 9) and tricyclic antidepressants (n = 11). In addition there were 53 trials comparing different drugs. Drugs with at least 3 trials that were more effective than placebo for episodic migraines included amitriptyline (SMD: -1.2, 95% CI: -1.7 to -0.82), -flunarizine (-1.1 headaches/month (ha/month), 95% CI: -1.6 to -0.67), fluoxetine (SMD: -0.57, 95% CI: -0.97 to -0.17), metoprolol (-0.94 ha/month, 95% CI: -1.4 to -0.46), pizotifen (-0.43 ha/month, 95% CI: -0.6 to -0.21), propranolol (-1.3 ha/month, 95% CI: -2.0 to -0.62), topiramate (-1.1 ha/month, 95% CI: -1.9 to -0.73) and valproate (-1.5 ha/month, 95% CI: -2.1 to -0.8). Several effective drugs with less than 3 trials included: 3 ace inhibitors (enalapril, lisinopril, captopril), two angiotensin receptor blockers (candesartan, telmisartan), two anticonvulsants (lamotrigine, levetiracetam), and several beta-blockers (atenolol, bisoprolol, timolol). Network meta-analysis found amitriptyline to be better than several other medications including candesartan, fluoxetine, propranolol, topiramate and valproate and no different than atenolol, flunarizine, clomipramine or metoprolol.

CONCLUSION

Several drugs good evidence supporting efficacy. There is weak evidence supporting amitriptyline's superiority over some drugs. Selection of prophylactic medication should be tailored according to patient preferences, characteristics and side effect profiles.

Medication overuse in children and adolescents

Medication overuse is not uncommon among children and adolescents with primary headache disorders. Medication overuse in adults is associated with increased headache frequency and reduced effectiveness of acute and preventive medications. These issues probably exist in children. While withdrawal of overused medications is generally recommended, it may not result in improved headache frequency in all patients. This review summarizes what is known about predicting the response to medication withdrawal. Strategies for managing children and adolescents with medication overuse are also offered.

Evidence-based medicine in migraine prevention

Migraine headache is a chronic, painful, disabling and potentially progressive, condition primarily occurring in early and middle adulthood. For many patients, daily activities are impaired by the sudden and unpredictable occurrence of migraine attacks. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the field of migraine treatment. For the acute treatment of migraine attacks, 5-hydroxytryptophan(1B/D) agonists (so called triptans), were the most innovative development, successfully aborting attacks in less than 1 h. The search for innovative drugs usable for migraine prevention, however, was less successful, mainly due to the lack of reliable and predictive animal models. Recently, neuromodulators such as valproic acid and topiramate, initially developed as anticonvulsants, have been shown in large clinical trials to be effective in the prevention of migraine. As for the acute treatment of migraine attacks more than 10 years ago, large clinical trial programs are now setting new standards for evidence-based medicine in migraine prevention. This review summarizes the current options in migraine prevention with special emphasis on clinical trial design and new developments such as topiramate.

Italian guidelines for primary headaches: 2012 revised version

The first edition of the Italian diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for primary headaches in adults was published in J Headache Pain 2(Suppl. 1):105–190 (2001). Ten years later, the guideline committee of the Italian Society for the Study of Headaches (SISC) decided it was time to update therapeutic guidelines. A literature search was carried out on Medline database, and all articles on primary headache treatments in English, German, French and Italian published from February 2001 to December 2011 were taken into account. Only randomized controlled trials (RCT) and meta-analyses were analysed for each drug. If RCT were lacking, open studies and case series were also examined. According to the previous edition, four levels of recommendation were defined on the basis of levels of evidence, scientific strength of evidence and clinical effectiveness. Recommendations for symptomatic and prophylactic treatment of migraine and cluster headache were therefore revised with respect to previous 2001 guidelines and a section was dedicated to non-pharmacological treatment. This article reports a summary of the revised version published in extenso in an Italian version.

Practical approaches to migraine management

Migraine is a recurrent clinical syndrome characterised by combinations of neurological, gastrointestinal and autonomic manifestations. The exact pathophysiological disturbances that occur with migraine have yet to be elucidated; however, cervico-trigemino-vascular dysfunctions appear to be the primary cause. Despite advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of migraine and new effective treatment options, migraine remains an under-diagnosed, under-treated and poorly treated health condition. Most patients will unsuccessfully attempt to treat their headaches with over-the-counter medications. Few well designed, placebo-controlled studies are available to guide physicians in medication selection. Recently published evidence-based guidelines advocate migraine-specific drugs, such as serotonin 5-HT(1B/1D) agonists (the 'triptans') and dihydroergotamine mesylate, for patients experiencing moderate to severe migraine attacks. Additional headache attack therapy options include other ergotamine derivatives, phenothiazines, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents and opioids. Preventative medication therapy is indicated for patients experiencing frequent and/or refractory attacks.

Advances in pharmacological treatment of migraine

Migraine is a paroxysmal disorder with attacks of headache, nausea, vomiting, photo- and phonophobia and malaise. This review summarises new treatment options both for the therapy of the acute attack as well as for migraine prophylaxis. Analgesics like aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are effective in treating migraine attacks. Few controlled trials were performed for the use of ergotamine or dihydroergotamine. These trials indicate inferior efficacy compared with serotonin (5-HT(1B/D)) agonists (triptans). The triptans (almotriptan, eletriptan, frovatriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, sumatriptan and zolmitriptan), are highly effective. They improve headache as well as nausea, photo- and phonophobia. The different triptans show only minor differences in efficacy, headache recurrence and adverse effects. The knowledge of their different pharmacological profile allows a more specific treatment of the individual migraine characteristics. Migraine prophylaxis is recommended, when more than three attacks occur per month, if attacks do not respond to acute treatment or if side effects of acute treatment are severe. Substances with proven efficacy include the beta-blockers metoprolol and propranolol, the calcium channel blocker flunarizine, several 5-HT antagonists and amitriptyline. Recently anti-epileptic drugs (valproic acid, gabapentin, topiramate) were evaluated for the prophylaxis of migraine. The use of botulinum toxin is under investigation.

Therapeutic advances in migraine

Migraine is a common and debilitating disorder of uncertain pathogenesis. Recent research into the pathophysiology of migraine and serotonin receptors has revolutionized the approach to pharmacotherapy. New medications, such as sumatriptan, and new dosage forms of older medications, including dihydroergotamine, NSAIDs, and phenothiazines are available to treat acute attacks. New prophylactic approaches include the use of calcium-channel blockers, NSAIDs, fluoxetine, and valproate. The addition of several new agents for the acute and prophylactic therapy of migraine has improved the outlook for this disabling disorder.

Naproxen. A reappraisal of its pharmacology, and therapeutic use in rheumatic diseases and pain states

Naproxen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) advocated for use in painful and inflammatory rheumatic and certain nonrheumatic conditions. It may be administered orally or rectally using a convenient once or twice daily regimen. Dosage adjustments are not usually required in the elderly or those with mild renal or hepatic impairment although it is probably prudent to start treatment at a low dosage and titrate upwards in such groups of patients. Numerous clinical trials have confirmed that the analgesic and anti-inflammatory efficacy of naproxen is equivalent to that of the many newer and established NSAIDs with which it has been compared. The drug is effective in many rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and nonarticular rheumatism, in acute traumatic injury, and in the treatment of and prophylaxis against acute pain such as migraine, tension headache, postoperative pain, postpartum pain and pain associated with a variety of gynaecological procedures. Naproxen is also effective in treating the pain and associated symptoms of primary or secondary dysmenorrhoea, and decreases excessive blood loss in patients with menorrhagia. The adverse effect profile of naproxen is well established, particularly compared with that of many newer NSAIDs, and the drug is well tolerated. Thus, the efficacy and tolerability of naproxen have been clearly established over many years of clinical use, and it can therefore be considered as a first-line treatment for rheumatic diseases and various pain states.

[Drug treatment as migraine prophylaxis.]

If migraine attacks occur more frequently than 2 times a month, treatment of the acute attack with analgesics and ergotamine becomes problematic. An acute relief of migraine symptoms will be achieved only at the risk of developing a drug-induced chronic headache. Therefore, if migraine attacks occur frequently prophylactic treatment should be considered. A bewildering variety of drugs have been discussed for migraine prophylaxis in the past few decades. Only a few of them can be accepted to be effective on the basis of reliable clinical studies. Others have failed to show any superiority to placebo treatment when tested in controlled drug trials for a period long enough to rule out the placebo response, which may simulate effectiveness at the beginning of the trial. The efficacy of metoprolol and propranolol has been demonstrated beyond any doubt. It seems, however, that other beta-blocking drugs are less effective or even ineffective. In more than 20% of patients even prolonged treatment with metoprolol or propranolol does not provide sufficient relief. Flunarizine may be tried in these patients, as long as side effects do not occur or can be tolerated by the patient. Whether non-steroidal antirheumatics and dihydroergotamine can be considered as an effective and safe alternative in migraine prophylaxis is still not well established. There is, however, convincing evidence that neither clonidine, nor anti-histamines, nor barbiturates, nor antiepileptic drugs, nor anxiolytics are effective in the prophylactic treatment of migraine. Successful prophylactic treatment cannot be achieved by drug therapy alone. Any form of drug treatment should be complemented by providing the patient with detailed information about the nature of the disease and the properties of the prescribed drugs, as well as careful investigation of the patient's situation and habits and a careful search for precipitants, combined with an attempt to change the patient's habits and to avoid factors that trigger the attacks.