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Early Treatment of a Migraine Attack
while Pain is Still Mild Increases
the Efficacy of Sumatriptan
Scholpp J, Schellenberg R, Moeckesch B, Banik N.
Posted: January 2005  
Cephalalgia 2004; 24:925-933

To investigate the hypothesis that early treatment of a migraine attack with sumatriptan, while pain is still mild, results in higher pain free rates in comparison to delayed treatment, when pain is at least moderate, we performed a prospective, controlled and open label study. Migraineurs with or without aura who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria recommended by the International Headache Society were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to either ‘early’ or ‘late’ treatment with sumatriptan 100 mg. tablets. In the early treatment group significantly more patients were pain free at all times measured during two hours after dosing than in the late treatment group. Furthermore, patients in the early treatment group became pain free significantly sooner after dosing than patients who delayed treatment. It is concluded that migraineurs, who are able to differentiate between a migraine attack and other forms of headache, benefit from early intervention with sumatriptan 100 mg. tablets.