Abortive and prophylactic treatments: Factors that guide selection
In considering probable menstrual migraine, take a detailed history, review headache diaries if available to determine association of headaches with menses, and perform a thorough neurologic examination. If a diagnosis of menstrual migraine is established, discuss the benefits of different treatment options, both abortive and prophylactic.
For the patient with MRM, take into account frequency of symptoms, predictability of menstruation, medication costs, and comorbidities. Both triptans and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be effective treatments for MRM.11 Abortive therapy may be appropriate if a patient prefers to take medication intermittently, if her menses are unpredictable, or if she does not get migraine headaches with every menses. Mefenamic acid, sumatriptan, and rizatriptan have category B recommendations for abortive treatment for menstrual migraines (TABLE 211-16). (For the patient who has regular MRM but unpredictable menses, ovulation predictor kits can be used to help predict the onset of menses, although this would involve additional cost.)
For the patient who has predictable menses and regularly occurring menstrual migraine, some data show that a short-term prophylactic regimen with triptans started 2 to 3 days before the onset of menses and continued for 5 to 7 days total can reduce the incidence of menstrual migraine (TABLE 211-16). At least one high-quality randomized controlled trial (RCT) showed a significant reduction in the incidence of MRM when women were treated prophylactically with frovatriptan, a long-acting triptan with a half-life of approximately 26 hours. Participants received frovatriptan 2.5 mg once a day or twice a day or placebo in the perimenstrual period (day -2 to +3). The incidence of MRM was 52%, 41%, and 67%, respectively (P<.0001).11,17
Another RCT of fair quality examined the effect of naratriptan (half-life 6-8 hours) on the median number of menstrual migraines over 4 menstrual cycles. Women who received 1 mg of naratriptan BID for 2 to 3 days before menses had 2 MRM episodes over the 4 cycles compared with 4 MRM episodes in women who received placebo over the same time period (P<.05).11,18 A third RCT, also of fair quality, compared 2 different regimens of zolmitriptan (half-life 3 hours) with placebo and found that women who received 2.5 mg of zolmitriptan either BID or TID 2 to 3 days prior to menses had a reduction both in frequency of menstrual migraines and in the mean number of breakthrough headaches per menstrual cycle, as well as a reduction in the need for rescue medications.12,19 Triptans are contraindicated in women with a history of cardiac disease or uncontrolled hypertension. Also, triptans can be expensive, precluding their use for some patients.
Evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against the use of NSAIDs as prophylaxis for MRM.11 NSAIDs may be contraindicated in women with a history of peptic ulcer disease or gastrointestinal bleeding. That said, if NSAIDs are not contraindicated, a trial may be reasonable given their low cost.
Data are sparse on the use of vitamins and supplements in treating and preventing PMM or MRM. In one very small double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 1991 (N=24, with efficacy data for 20), participants received a 2-week course of oral magnesium premenstrually. There was a statistically significant reduction in the number of days with headache per month (from 4.7±3.1 days to 2.4±2.2 days; P<.01) and in the total pain index (P<.03).20 A number of studies have demonstrated a correlation between hypomagnesemia and migraine headaches.5,21 The exact mechanism for this relationship is unclear.
Some recent evidence-based reviews have examined the efficacy of nutraceuticals such as magnesium, feverfew, butterbur, coenzyme Q10, and riboflavin on typical migraine, but it is not clear if these results are translatable to the treatment and prophylaxis of menstrual migraine.11,22 A multicenter, single-blind, RCT is underway to examine the efficacy of acupuncture as prophylaxis for MRM.23