What do patients want from acute migraine treatment?
Clinical observations have shown that migraine is a progressive disorder, both within an acute attack, and within the disease itself. Rates of diagnosis for migraine have increased in the last decade, but more than half of migraineurs remain undiagnosed. Patient expectations of migraine therapies have also increased (patients require rapid and sustained pain relief with a treatment that has good tolerability), and can differ greatly from those of physicians. Management decisions should be made with these expectations in mind, to enhance patient outcomes and compliance with treatment. Improved understanding of acute migraine attack pathophysiology has led to the strategy of early treatment to modify both the progression of the current attack and, potentially, the progression of the disease itself in the individual. The triptans are effective acute migraine therapies. Each agent has its own distinct profile of efficacy and tolerability, enabling individualization of treatment.
Gallagher
Rm
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UMDNJ-SOM University Headache Center, Moorestown, New Jersey 08057, USA. gallagrm@umdnj.edu
D000208:Acute Disease; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014363:Tryptamines
D000700:Analgesics; D007211:Indoles; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D014363:Tryptamines; C409045:almotriptan