Author/Editor		Ensink, FBM; Saur, P; Hanekop, GG
Title		Review of clinical trial data on sumatriptan in comparison to standard therapies
Type		članek
Source		In: Pogačnik T, Žvan B, editors. Current views on headache. Proceedings of the joint meeting Italy - Slovenia; 1994 Febr 11-12. Ljubljana: University medical centre,
Publication year		1994
Volume		str. 22-32
Language		eng
Abstract		When compared with two of the mainstays acute treatments for migraine, sumatriptan has displayed therapeutic superiority in a number of key parameters. The most significant advantage over both aspirin/metoclopramide and ergotamine/caffeine has been observed for perhaps the most important symptom of all - headache - but the benefits extended to the other common symptoms of migraine, as well as reducing the need for rescue medication. Sumatriptan produced an effective headache response in 51 per cent more attacks than the aspirin/metoclopramide combination, and twice as many sumatriptan patients were pain-free 2 hours after treatment (33 per cent vs. 16 per cent). In addition, sumatriplan was as effective as aspirin/metoclopramide at reducing the incidence of nausea, vomiting, photophobia and/or phonophobia. As the percentage of patients free of vomiting 2 hours after treatment was similar in both groups, it has been suggested that sumatriptan may exert an anti-emetic effect in migraine patients equivalent to that of metoclopramide. These therapeutic advantages were reflected in the levels of patient acceptance, with 62 per cent more sumatriptan patients rating their medication as good or excellent, and more sumatriptan-treated patients stating that they would want to take it again. A marked contrast in efficacy was also demonstrated between sumatriptan and ergotamine/caffeine, with almost 40 per cent more attacks effectively treated by sumatriptan and with more than two and a half times as many sumatriptan patients completely pain-free 2 hours after treatment. The more extensive and faster relief of all symptoms of migraine attacks achieved by sumatriptan over ergotamine/caffeine was reflected by the finding that 59 per cent more patients rated their therapy with sumatriptan as good or excellent, and more sumatriptan-treated patients stated that they would want to take this medication again.
Descriptors		HEADACHE SUMATRIPTAN CLINICAL TRIALS ASPIRIN ERGOTAMINE