Acetaminophen-Aspirin-Caffeine Combo better than Sumatripan for Migraine
- From: "rose" <rosedawn_scott@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 19 Oct 2005 09:17:14 -0700
i've never had migraines, either M.S.-associated or otherwise, but i
remember some recent talk about migraines on the ng, so i'm forwarding
this report along for those who do experience them.
RD
-------------------
Acetaminophen-Aspirin-Caffeine Combo Better Than Sumatriptan for Early
Migraine
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Oct 07 - The combination of acetaminophen,
aspirin, and caffeine (AAC) is superior to sumatriptan in the early
treatment of migraine.
"The study done by our group for Bristol Myers used Excedrin therapy at
the earliest sign of a migraine headache and follows years of clinical
observation that combination analgesics -- even coffee and aspirin --
can be therapeutically potent at the earliest sign of migraine," Dr.
Jerome Goldstein from San Francisco Headache Clinic told Reuters
Health.
Dr. Goldstein and colleagues compared the combination treatment with 50
mg sumatriptan in 171 subjects treated when the first symptoms of
migraine occurred. The findings are published in the September issue of
Headache.
Patients taking AAC experienced significantly greater pain intensity
reduction than did those taking sumatriptan beginning 2 hours after
dosing and continuing throughout the 4-hour treatment period, the
authors report.
The sum of the pain intensity reductions throughout the period was also
significantly greater in the AAC group than in the sumatriptan group,
the results indicate.
Patients in the sumatriptan group were more likely to have pain reduced
from moderate or severe to mild/none at 30 minutes postdose, the
researchers note, but the proportion of responders in the AAC group was
significantly greater than in the sumatriptan group from 2 hours
postdose on.
More patients in the AAC group experienced a sustained response, the
report indicates, and fewer patients in the AAC group required rescue
medication by 4 hours postdose.
Little or no functional disability was reported by 81% of the AAC
patients, compared with only 62% of the sumatriptan patients, the
investigators observe.
"The results of this study suggest that migraine sufferers can use AAC
to treat their migraine episodes at the first sign of an attack," the
authors conclude. "Prescription medications can be reserved for
headaches that are refractory to over-the-counter (OTC) therapy, since
most patients have tried an OTC drug before seeing their physician."
"A larger clinical trial must be accomplished," Dr. Goldstein
emphasized.
"The studies on Excedrin give appropriate emphasis to an all-inclusive
treatment of headache which should include mild analgesia, combination
analgesia, the triptans and ergots and other related abortive agents,
prophylaxis in appropriate cases, and rescue medications at home to
avoid a trip to the emergency room," Dr. Goldstein added. "Physical
methods to control headache such as biofeedback therapy, massage, yoga,
and exercises should be utilized."
Headache 2005;45:973-982.
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