title: Gelstat Migraine (sublingually administered feverfew and ginger compound) for acute treatment of migraine when administered during the mild pain phase.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment of migraine headaches is often delayed due to assessing the potential severity of an evolving headache or anticipating unwanted consequences from prescription medication. Studies have demonstrated improved pain-free response when prescription treatments are taken during the mild headache phase of a migraine. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of an OTC product, GelStat Migraine, when taken in the early, mild pain phase of migraine.
  
  
  METHODS
  An open-label study enrolling 30 subjects, male and female, with a one-year history of migraine meeting IHS diagnostic criteria with or without aura, 2-8 migraines per month and < or = 15 headache days per month. Inclusion required having migraines that consistently started at mild and worsened to moderate or severe, if untreated, in at least 75% of attacks. Subjects also had to be able to distinguish migraine from non-migraine headaches and reliably identify migraine early in the course of an attack. One headache was treated in the mild pain phase with GelStat Migraine, a combination of feverfew and ginger.
  
  
  RESULTS
  29 evaluable subjects completed the study, all treating at mild pain. Two hours after treatment, 48% were pain-free with 34% reporting a headache of only mild severity. 29% reported a recurrence within 24 hours. Side effects were minimal and not serious. 59% of subjects were satisfied with Gelstat Migraine therapy and 41% preferred GelStat Migraine or felt it was equal to their pre-study medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GelStat Migraine is effective as a first line abortive treatment for migraine when initiated early during the mild headache phase.
authors.affiliation: Clinvest, Inc., Springfield and Headache Care Center, Springfield, Missouri, USA. rcady@primarycarenet.org
authors.forename: Roger K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Cady
authors.forename: Curtis P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Beach
authors.forename: Carolyn C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hart
mesh_terms: D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D020939:Zingiber officinale; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D020903:Tanacetum parthenium
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs