'Aspirin effective for migraine headache'

A single dose of 900-1000 mg aspirin can substantially reduce migraine headache pain within two hours, for more than half of people who take it, according to new research.

It also reduces any associated nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light or sound (photophobia or phonophobia), the study found.

The Cochrane Review of data from 13 studies with 4,222 participant also found that formulations of aspirin 900 mg together with 10 mg of the anti-emetic (anti-nausea medication) metoclopramide are better than placebo at reducing symptoms of nausea and vomiting.

Migraine affects about 18% women and six per cent of men in western populations, mostly affecting people 30 to 50 years old. The most common symptom, whatever type of migraine someone has, is a severe headache, typically once or twice a month, lasting between four and 72 hours.

The researchers found that severe or moderate migraine headache pain can be reduced from moderate or severe to no pain in 25% of people (one-in-four) within two hours by taking a single dose of 900-1000 mg aspirin alone  with pain reduced to no worse than mild pain in 52% (one in two).

While aspirin alone reduced some of the associated symptoms of nausea, vomiting, photophobia and phonophobia, aspirin plus metoclopramide was particularly good a reducing nausea and vomiting, though it produced no greater frequency of pain relief.

Researchers also found that a combination of aspirin and metoclopramide had a similar effect to 50 mg of the headache treatment sumatriptan, but that a 100 mg dose of sumatriptan was slightly better at delivering a pain- free response within two hours of taking this medication.

In terms of adverse effects, short-term use of the different drugs produced mostly mild and transient adverse effects, it was found.

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[Posted: Wed 14/04/2010]