Open label study of intranasal sumatriptan (Imigran) for footballer's headache.
OBJECTIVE
To study the efficacy and practicality of treating headache in professional footballers with intranasal sumatriptan.


METHODS
An open label drug trial was performed in elite Australian footballers using intranasal sumatriptan (20 mg) treatment for acute headache. The main outcome measures were treatment response at 30 minutes, two hours, and 24 hours using two criteria: (a) initial severity moderate or severe to nil or mild; (b) stricter criteria of initial severity moderate to severe to subsequent nil headache.


RESULTS
Thirty eight attacks were analysed. The two hour response showed that 86% of attacks of migraine with aura and all of the attacks of migraine without aura responded to treatment with sumatriptan nasal spray. Complete relief of headache at two hours was reported by 71% of players with migraine with aura and 90% of those without aura. Recurrence rates were generally low, with 0% of migraine headaches and 25% non-migraine attacks recurring at 24 hours. Minor side effects were reported in 28 attacks.


CONCLUSIONS
This pilot open label trial suggests that sumatriptan nasal spray may be a valuable, effective, and convenient treatment of headache in professional sport. There are potential risks of this drug that need to be considered.
McCrory
P
P
Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. paulmccr@bigpond.net.au
Heywood
J
J
Ugoni
A
A
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020326:Migraine without Aura / Q000188:drug therapy; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012008:Recurrence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012916:Soccer; D018170:Sumatriptan / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D018170:Sumatriptan