Are migraine drugs ineffective?

A prophylactic triptan drug did not reduce the frequency or severity of migraine headaches in a 2012 study. The report compared two medical treatment methods in 490 patients with migraines. Patients who received varying doses of the triptan drug did not see any more benefits than a group of patients receiving usual care.

Patients were divided into an intervention or usual care group. In the intervention group, patients had special consultations with physicians who had underwent additional training on treating migraines. Patients were given the triptan drug if they had more than two migraines a month. The other half of patients were treated by physicians who had not undergone additional migraine training, and did not invite patients to a special consultation. The intervention group did show some signs of improvement, but researchers concluded that these changes were not clinically relevant.

While prophylactic triptan has produced mixed results for migraine sufferers, other non-drug treatments may produce more consistent results without the potential side effects that come with drugs. Learn more about natural treatment for migraine here.

Reference

Smelt AFH, Blom JW, Dekker F, et al. A proactive approach to migraine in primary care: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. CMAJ 2012 Mar 6; 184(4): E224–E231.