title: Prophylactic sodium valproate therapy in patients with drug-resistant migraine.
abstract: We assessed the efficacy of sodium valproate as a prophylactic agent in migraine headache. A prospective randomized study was conducted in adult patients who previously derived no significant benefit from most conventional prophylactic therapy for migraine. Twenty-seven patients with a diagnosis of migraine with aura or migraine without aura from a headache clinic received low dose sodium valproate for 3 months. Response to therapy was defined as 50% or greater reduction in the frequency of headache. Plasma drug level monitoring helped to identify four noncompliers who were excluded from the study. Seventeen (71%) patients observed improvement within 4-6 weeks of medication and remained well for 12 weeks. They were further followed up for 12-24 months. Two patients for side effects and 1 for nondrug-related problems were withdrawn from follow-up study. Twelve patients (60%) maintained their response for 12 months or longer. Clinical improvement (percentage reduction in the frequency of migraine attacks) correlated inversely with the plasma drug levels at 13-24 months and daily dose of valproate, among the responders, suggestive of a possible therapeutic window. In other words, patients who do not respond to low dose valproate are unlikely to benefit from further increase in dosage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. karabi.ghose@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ghose
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Niven
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011292:Premedication; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014635:Valproic Acid