Eletriptan

Headache. 2004 Apr;44(4):361-4.

Eletriptan for the short-term prophylaxis of cluster headache.

Zebenholzer K, Wöber C, Vigl M, Wessely P.

Department of Neurology, University of Vienna (Austria) Medical School.

BACKGROUND: A beneficial prophylactic effect from eletriptan 40 mg given to a single patient with cluster headache was observed.

OBJECTIVE: To further evaluate the efficacy of eletriptan in the short-term prophylaxis of cluster headache. 

METHODS: We treated 18 patients; mean age, 40.5 years (standard deviation [SD], 9.9). The number of cluster headache attacks was recorded during a baseline period of 6 days, and during 6 days of treatment with eletriptan 40 mg twice daily. The primary outcome measure was the reduction in the number of attacks during the treatment period. 

RESULTS: In the 16 patients who completed the study (2 patients were lost to follow-up), the mean total number of attacks decreased from 10.9 (SD, 5.6) during baseline to 6.3 (SD, 3.7) during treatment with eletriptan (P=.01) The reduction in the number of attacks exceeded 50% in 6 patients.

CONCLUSION: This small open-label study suggests that eletriptan 40 mg twice daily may be useful for the short-term prophylaxis of cluster headache.

PMID: 15109360 

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