title: Oral sumatriptan in the acute treatment of migraine and migraine recurrence in general practice.
abstract: We investigated the efficacy, safety and tolerability compared with placebo of a second dose of oral sumatriptan 100 mg in 1349 general practice patients who had already treated a moderate or severe migraine headache with 100 mg sumatriptan 4 h earlier. Headache was relieved by the first sumatriptan dose in about 70% of patients, but the second dose did not produce significantly more relief than placebo, either in non-responders or in the group as a whole, nor did it reduce other symptoms (photophobia, nausea, vomiting, etc.) at 8 h, or influence the incidence of headache recurrence. The drug was well-tolerated, and a further single dose was effective in treating recurrence after initial relief. A single 100 mg dose of sumatriptan is an effective acute treatment for migraine. A second dose should be reserved for treating headache recurrence.
authors.affiliation: The Surgery, Edinburgh.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Aitchison
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: McLaren
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D018170:Sumatriptan / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D018170:Sumatriptan