[Headaches of tension and psychogenic headaches: assessment of the treatment with venlafaxine].
The modern classifications of headaches include primary headaches, e.g., migraines and headaches of tension (HAT), and secondary psychogenic headaches of tension (PHT). Forty-one patients with chronic variants of HAT and PHT were studied. In the first step, 12 patients with HAT and 11 patients with PHT were compared by clinical and psychometric scores on the following scales (the VAS, the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the MMPI). In the second step, 11 patients with HAT and 7 with PHT were treated with venlafaxine XR (velaxin) in dose 75 mg/d during 2 months. It has been shown that PHT differs from HAT by pain intensity and relationship with functional-neurologic symptoms as well as by personality deviations measured with MMPI and correlations between the pain intensity and MMPI peaks. The 2 month treatment with velaxin has improved significantly the state of patients. The significant decrease of pain severity, amount of analgesics and pain-associated symptoms as well as the normalization of functions of antinociceptive systems (the increase in nociceptive flexor reflex threshold) were noted in both groups. It has been concluded that venlafaxine is an effective drug in the treatment of both HAT and PHT.
G M
GM
Diukova
G G
GG
Toropina
M O
MO
Kovalchuk
R V
RV
Semenov
A  Iu
A
Troshneva
D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003511:Cyclohexanols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D018781:Tension-Type Headache / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride
D000700:Analgesics; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D003511:Cyclohexanols; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride