title: Multiple attack study on the available triptans in Italy versus placebo.
abstract: The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of the five triptans that are commercially available in Italy (zolmitriptan 2.5 mg, rizatriptan 10 mg, sumatriptan 100 mg, almotriptan 12.5 mg and eletriptan 40 mg). The study was conducted in single-blind versus placebo and its duration was 18 months. At the Headache Centre of the 'Agostino Gemelli' Hospital in Rome we selected 42 patients, suffering from headache with and without aura (International Headache Society Committee on Headache Classification, 1988 Cephalalgia 8:1-96), whose headache frequency ranged between 1- and 4-monthly crises. For a total of 25 crises, for every five consecutive crises, a different triptan was taken. The end-points of the study were as follows: response at 2 h, 'pain free' at 2 h and 'sustained pain free' (at 24 h). The intra-patient consistency and the tolerability were also evaluated. Thirty patients completed the study and the statistical analysis was only applied to these patients. No substantial difference in terms of the efficacy of the triptans was noted; all triptans were well tolerated. These results suggest the possibility of testing different triptans in the same patient in order to identify the ideal drug for every patient.
authors.affiliation: Headache Center, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vollono
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capuano
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mei
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferraro
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pierguidi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Evangelista
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Trapani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D023303:Oxazolidinones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018170:Sumatriptan / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014230:Triazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014363:Tryptamines
chemical_list: D007211:Indoles; D023303:Oxazolidinones; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D014230:Triazoles; D014363:Tryptamines; C409045:almotriptan; C115647:eletriptan; C089750:zolmitriptan; C093622:rizatriptan; D018170:Sumatriptan