A major new study has found that a group of drugs called triptans is the most effective treatment for adults who suffer from acute migraines.
More than 89.000 people took part in the study led by the University of Oxford. The effectiveness of 17 different oral medications commonly used to treat migraines was compared, with results recently published in The British Medical Journal.
The lead author of the study said that four triptans - eletriptan, rizatriptan, sumatriptan and zolmitriptan - proved to be the most effective, he writes with the BBC, and transfers Jutarnji list.
Something new
Triptans are a group of drugs that are often given as an alternative when pain relievers do not provide relief. They work by mimicking the actions of the brain chemical serotonin, relaxing overactive nerves that cause neuralgic pain.
Comparing the drugs, the researchers found that eletriptan was the most effective for pain relief after two hours, followed by rizatriptan, sumatriptan and zolmitriptan. The most effective for pain relief up to 24 hours were eletriptan and ibuprofen.
Newer drugs, such as lasmiditan, rimegepant and ubrogepant, were also included in the study, but were not as effective as triptans.
"We found that all licensed drugs are better than placebo, but some are better than other active drugs for the acute treatment of migraine, which is something new," said lead study author Andrea Cipriani, professor of psychiatry at the University of Oxford.
He says triptans are currently "grossly underutilized" and should be considered the preferred treatment. "Our findings pave the way for a precision medicine approach in clinical practice and should be used to inform future guidelines on the management of acute migraines to ensure patients receive the best possible care," he added.
The Migraine Trust, a UK charity which aims to empower, inform and support migraine sufferers by educating healthcare professionals and actively funding and expanding research, estimates that around 10 million people in the UK alone live with the neurological condition.
Disadvantages
Migraine symptoms include intense headaches, sensitivity to light, visual disturbances, nausea and vomiting.
"Although triptans can be very effective for some people with migraine, many do not respond to them," warns Robert Music, chief executive of the Migraine Trust. "Others have intolerable side effects or should not take them, including those with cardiovascular disease. Frequent use of triptans can also lead to overuse headaches, exacerbating the problem," he added.
The study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Oxford Health Biomedical Research Center and the Lundbeck Foundation.
Bonus video:
