One study finds that some migraine medications, such as triptans, ergot derivatives, and anti-emetics, may be up to five times more effective than ibuprofen.
- Researchers compared several migraine treatment options using data from an app with nearly 300,000 migraine users.
- The study found that the top three classes of drugs more effective than ibuprofen were triptans, ergot derivatives and antiemetics.
- However, be careful, ergot derivatives are medications that are little used and prescribed because they have many side effects.
It is estimated that 15% of the world’s population suffers from migraine. And for one in four migraine sufferers, the attacks are so severe that they have repercussions on their professional and social life. Finding an effective treatment is not always easy for these patients. But a study of theAmerican Academy of Neurology bringing together data from nearly 300,000 people obtained via an app shows that certain migraine medications can be two to five times more effective than ibuprofen in treating attacks.
Migraine attacks: 3 types of particularly effective medications
To conduct this study published in Neurology on November 29, 2023, researchers used data from nearly 300,000 users of a mobile application specializing in monitoring migraine attacks. Among other things, participants indicated the frequency of attacks and the effectiveness of the medications they took to relieve symptoms. In total, more than 3 million migraine attacks were recorded over a period of 6 years, making it possible to analyze the effectiveness of 25 treatments across seven classes of medications.
The study results show that three classes of drugs fight migraines better than ibuprofen: triptans, ergot derivatives and antiemetics.
In detail, triptans were found to be five times more effective than ibuprofen and anti-emetics two and a half times more effective. Ergot derivatives were three times more effective. However, you have to be very careful with these. They are recommended only for the treatment of migraine attacks in the event that all other treatments fail, because they have many side effects. They also have contraindications and interactions with other anti-migraine medications or not. They should therefore not be taken without medical advice and monitoring.
Migraine: ibuprofen is not the only option
And if we study, the individual drugs, theeletriptan (triptan)THE zolmitriptan (triptan) and sumatriptan (triptan) are the most effective against migraine attacks. L’eletriptan was six times more effective than ibuprofen, zolmitriptan five and a half times more effective, and sumatriptan five times more effective. Their usefulness was also rated by users. They indicated satisfaction of 78%, 74% and 72% respectively compared to only 42% for ibuprofen.
The aspirin combination, acetaminophen and caffeine, often used to treat migraine, was shown to be 69% more effective than ibuprofen. “For people whose acute migraine medications aren’t working for them, we hope this study shows that there are many alternatives that work for migraine, and we encourage people to talk to their doctors about how to treat this painful and debilitating disease”explains study author Dr. Chia-Chun Chiang of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and member of the American Academy of Neurology in a communicated. He adds that the work confirms, for example, that “triptans should be considered earlier to treat migraine, rather than reserving their use for severe attacks“.