A Prospective Cohort Study of Outpatient Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation of Chronic Headache Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of an intensive outpatient program designed to improve functioning and reduce psychological impairment in chronic headache patients. BACKGROUND: Chronic headaches, occurring 15 or more days per month, for three or more months, may arise from multiple International Classification of Headache Disorders diagnoses: Chronic Migraine, Chronic Tension Type Headache, New Daily Persistent Headache, Chronic Post Traumatic Headaches, and Medication Overuse Headache. Several interdisciplinary programs that treat patients with chronic headaches have reported decreases in headache frequency. This study sought to evaluate the effect of a 3 week interdisciplinary treatment program for patients with chronic headache disorders on headache severity, functional status, and psychological impairment. METHODS: Subjects were 379 patients admitted to an outpatient chronic headache treatment program. Assessments of headache severity, psychological status, and functional impairment were completed by 371 (97.8%) of these at the time of admission. At discharge, 340 subjects (89.7%) provided assessment data, and 152 (40.1%) provided data at 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: Subjects' mean ratings on a 0-10 scale for their headache pain in the prior week declined, and these improvements were maintained at follow-up. (Estimated marginal means on a 0-10 scale for Average pain: admission 6.1, discharge 3.5, follow-up 3.3; for Least pain: admission 3.2; discharge 1.5; follow-up 1.3; for Worst pain: admission 8.2; discharge 6.4; follow-up 5.7), and similar results were found for current pain (admission 4.7; discharge 2.8; follow-up 2.4): Measures of functional impairment also improved following treatment, and these gains were maintained at 12 month follow up (Estimated marginal mean Headache Impact Test-6 score: admission 66.1, discharge 55.4, follow-up 51.9; Estimated marginal mean Pain Disability Index score: admission 36.2, discharge 14.1, follow-up 11.6). As measured by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, anxiety and reactivity to stress decreased following treatment, and remained improved at follow-up (Estimated marginal mean score for Anxiety: admission 8.7, discharge 5.2, follow-up 4.4; Estimated marginal mean score for stress: admission 14.9, discharge 7.2, follow-up 7.6). Depression decreased with treatment, but while 1-year follow-up depression scores remained significantly lower than at admission, they were also significantly higher than at discharge (Estimated marginal means: admission 13.3, discharge 4.1, follow-up 6.6). CONCLUSIONS: The study supports the efficacy of the treatment model. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Prescribing Oxygen for Cluster Headache: A Guide for the Provider.

BACKGROUND: Oxygen is the standard of care for acute treatment of cluster headache. CMS, the US Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, has made the indefensible decision to not cover oxygen for cluster headache for patients with Medicaid and Medicare insurance, despite the evidence and professional guidelines. Commercial insurance generally covers oxygen for cluster headache. OBJECTIVE: This is a "how-to" guide for successfully prescribing oxygen in the US. SUMMARY: Prescription information is provided that can be incorporated as dot phrases, smart sets, or other standard templates for prescribing oxygen for cluster patients. In many states, oxygen is affordable and can be prescribed for Medicaid and Medicare patients who wish to pay cash. Welding or nonmedical grade industrial oxygen is almost the same cost as medical oxygen. However, it is less pure, lacks the same inspection of tanks, and is delivered without regulators to provide appropriate flow rates. Patients who pay cash should be strongly encouraged to buy medical oxygen.

Economics of Inhaled Oxygen Use as an Acute Therapy for Cluster Headache in the United States of America.

BACKGROUND: Cluster headache (CH) is a primary headache disorder associated with low levels of diagnosis and high unmet medical need. The pain attacks, associated anxiety, and fear in anticipation of the attacks are extremely debilitating to a patient with CH. For acute therapy, treatment guidelines recommend inhalation of high flow oxygen during the period of an attack. However, the use of oxygen for treatment of CH remains largely underutilized. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study, which covered each of the US states, were to map the current market landscape of medical grade oxygen for use in CH and to develop a cost simulator based on a patient's needs and geography. METHODS: Desk research was undertaken to obtain price lists and product catalogs from wholesale and retail suppliers of medical grade oxygen across all US states. Base case scenarios for chronic and episodic forms of CH were assumed. A cost simulator was used to calculate the cost of oxygen use using inputs including the state in USA, tank size and price, exacerbations per year, duration of exacerbation, attacks per day, flow rate and duration of flow. Information was also collected to determine if healthcare insurers covered the costs of home oxygen use for CH. RESULTS: Out of the 42 US states where pricing information of medical grade oxygen was available from suppliers, in 38 states the annual cost of high-flow oxygen for a patient with episodic CH was estimated to be <$1000. In 39 states, the annual cost of high-flow oxygen for a patient with chronic CH was estimated to be <$5000. Most of the home oxygen suppliers were familiar with CH and stocked the special non-rebreather masks and regulators necessary for this condition. It was found that many of the private commercial healthcare insurance providers reimbursed the cost of oxygen use for CH. However, the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) maintains there is insufficient evidence for coverage and continues to deny coverage for US Medicare and Medicaid patients. CONCLUSIONS: Results from our study showed that the current costs for oxygen use as an acute therapy in CH are not prohibitively expensive for patients and healthcare insurance providers. Apart from CMS, many insurers do reimburse the cost of oxygen use for CH. Our study suggests that further research is needed to determine if a lack of physician awareness about treatments and ways to prescribe are barriers for patients to access the high-flow oxygen treatment.

Headache toolbox: menstrual migraine.

Keeping a diary of your headaches, recording when they occur in relation to the menstrual cycle, as well as their severity and response to usual treatment, will help in determining the presence or absence of menstrual migraine, present in about 60% of women with migraine. Options vary depending on a woman's overall health and response to treatment. They include stepped-up acute treatment, mini-prevention with NSAIDs, magnesium, triptans or estrogen, or daily prevention with continuous contraception.

Nasal sprays for the treatment of migraine.

If you vomit with migraines, get full-blown migraines upon awakening, or want rapid relief without injections, consider a nasal spray. Options include triptans (zolmitriptan [Zomig] or sumatriptan [Imitrex]), DHE (Migranal), or an NSAID (Sprix).

QT prolongation, Torsade de Pointes, myocardial ischemia from coronary vasospasm, and headache medications. Part 2: review of headache medications, drug-drug interactions, QTc prolongation, and other arrhythmias.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine)(1B/1D) agonists can vasoconstrict coronary and cerebral arteries. Chest, jaw, and arm discomfort, so-called "triptan sensations," are often felt to be noncardiac. In Part 1 of this review, the relationship of triptans, coronary artery narrowing, and spasm was discussed, along with a case of a 53-year-old woman without cardiac risk factors who developed polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and cardiac ischemia with acquired corrected QT (QTc) interval prolongation following oral sumatriptan. In Part 2 of this review, headache medications, drug-drug interactions, QTc prolongation, and cardiac arrhythmias are appraised and discussed. Triptans, cardiac arrhythmias, and ischemia by prescribing information are summarized. The reader is provided tables on QTc prolongation by medication. The problem of QTc prolongation with a variety of headache medications at conventional doses, including triptans, serotonin reuptake inhibitors (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), other antidepressants, antihistamines, and antinauseants should lead to proactively obtaining electrocardiograms and more vigilant surveillance of headache patients. This may be the place to start in protecting patients from these cardiac adverse events.

QT prolongation, Torsade de Pointes, myocardial ischemia from coronary vasospasm, and headache medications. Part 1: review of serotonergic cardiac adverse events with a triptan case.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine)(1B/1D) agonists are vasoconstrictors that can affect coronary and cerebral arteries. Retrosternal chest, arm, and jaw pain following triptan use is generally attributed to "triptan sensations" and dismissed as noncardiac. However, triptans narrow normal coronary arteries and occasionally trigger vasospasm. They are contraindicated in atherosclerotic vascular disease. Part 1 of this review examines the relationship of medications used in migraine with the likelihood of causing vasospasm or vasoconstriction, and the triggering of cardiac arrhythmias. We report an illustrative case of polymorphic ventricular tachyarrhythmia, electrocardiogram changes consistent with cardiac ischemia, and acquired corrected QT interval lengthening following oral sumatriptan in a 53-year-old migraineur without risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD). Extensive evaluation revealed insignificant single coronary vessel atherosclerosis and coronary artery vasospasm on ergonovine challenge. The report highlights the hidden risk that may underlie a "triptan sensation" and the possible association of the vasospastic features of Raynaud's phenomenon, migraine headaches, and coronary vasospasm. Part 1 discusses the risks for Torsade de Pointes, vasospasm, and ischemia, with a review and discussion of case reports of triptan-associated cardiovascular events in migraineurs with and without CAD risk factors or documented CAD; of the epidemiology and studies of triptans, vasospasm, and cardiovascular morbidity; and of the relationship of variant angina, migraine, and vasospastic disease. In the second part of this review, headache medications and their propensity for corrected QT prolongation will be summarized.

Rescue therapy for acute migraine, part 1: triptans, dihydroergotamine, and magnesium.

OBJECTIVE: To review and analyze published reports on the acute treatment of migraine headache with triptans, dihydroergotamine (DHE), and magnesium in emergency department, urgent care, and headache clinic settings. METHODS: MEDLINE was searched using the terms "migraine" and "emergency," and "therapy" or "treatment." Reports from emergency department and urgent care settings that involved all routes of medication delivery were included. Reports from headache clinic settings were included only if medications were delivered by a parenteral route. RESULTS: Acute rescue treatment studies involving the triptans were available for injectable and nasal sumatriptan, as well as rizatriptan. Effectiveness varied widely, even when the pain-free and pain-relief statistics were evaluated separately. As these medications are known to work best early in the migraine, part of this variability may be attributed to the timing of triptan administration. Multiple studies compared triptans with anti-emetics, dopamine antagonists, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The overall percentage of patients with pain relief after taking sumatriptan was roughly equivalent to that recorded with droperidol and prochlorperazine. Sumatriptan was equivalent to DHE when only paired comparisons were performed. While the data extracted suggest that magnesium may be effective in treating all symptoms in patients experiencing migraine with aura across all migraine patients, its effectiveness seems to be limited to treating only photophobia and phonophobia. CONCLUSIONS: Although there are relatively few studies involving health-care provider-administered triptans or DHE for acute rescue, they appear to be equivalent to the dopamine antagonists for migraine pain relief. The relatively rare inclusion of a placebo arm and the frequent use of combination medications in active treatment arms complicate the comparison of single agents with each other.

Rescue therapy for acute migraine, part 2: neuroleptics, antihistamines, and others.

OBJECTIVES: This second portion of a 3-part series examines the relative effectiveness of headache treatment with neuroleptics, antihistamines, serotonin antagonists, valproate, and other drugs (octreotide, lidocaine, nitrous oxide, propofol, and bupivacaine) in the setting of an emergency department, urgent care center, or headache clinic. METHODS: MEDLINE was searched using the terms "migraine" AND "emergency" AND "therapy" OR "treatment." Reports were from emergency department and urgent care settings and involved all routes of medication delivery. Reports from headache clinics were only included if medications were delivered by a parenteral route. RESULTS: Prochlorperazine, promethazine, and metoclopramide, when used alone, were superior to placebo. Droperidol and prochlorperazine were superior or equal in efficacy to all other treatments, although they also have more side effects (especially akathisia). Metoclopramide was equivalent to prochlorperazine and, when combined with diphenhydramine, was superior in efficacy to triptans and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Meperidine was inferior to chlorpromazine and equivalent to the other neuroleptics. The overall percentage of patients with pain relief after taking droperidol and prochlorperazine was equivalent to sumatriptan. CONCLUSIONS: Prochlorperazine and metoclopramide are the most frequently studied of the anti-migraine medications in the emergent setting, and the effectiveness of each is superior to placebo. Prochlorperazine is superior or equivalent to all other classes of medications in producing migraine pain relief. Dopamine antagonists, in general, appear to be equivalent for migraine pain relief to the migraine-"specific" medications sumatriptan and dihydroergotamine, although there are fewer studies involving the last two. Lack of comparisons to placebo and the frequent use of combination medications in treatment arms complicate the comparison of single agents to one other.

Rescue therapy for acute migraine, part 3: opioids, NSAIDs, steroids, and post-discharge medications.

OBJECTIVE: The final section of this 3-part review analyzes published reports involving the acute treatment of migraine with opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and steroids in the emergency department (ED), urgent care, and headache clinic settings, as well as post-discharge medications. In the Conclusion, there is a general discussion of all the therapies presented in the 3 sections. METHOD: Using the terms ("migraine" AND "emergency") AND ("therapy" OR "treatment"), the author searched MEDLINE for reports from ED and urgent care settings that involved all routes of medication delivery. Reports from headache clinic settings were included only if medications were delivered by a parenteral route. RESULTS: Seventy-five reports were identified that compared the efficacy and safety of multiple acute migraine medications for rescue. Of the medications reviewed in Part 3, opioids, NSAIDs, and steroids all demonstrated some effectiveness. When used alone, nalbuphine and metamizole were superior to placebo. NSAIDs were inferior to the combination of metoclopramide and diphenhydramine. Meperidine was arguably equivalent when compared with ketorolac and dihydroergotamine (DHE) but was inferior to chlorpromazine and equivalent to the other dopamine antagonists. Steroids afford some protection against headache recurrence after the patient leaves the treatment center. CONCLUSIONS: All 3 opioids most frequently studied - meperidine, tramadol, and nalbuphine - were superior to placebo in relieving migraine pain, although meperidine combined with promethazine was not. Opioid side effects included dizziness, sedation, and nausea. With ketorolac being the most frequently studied drug in the class, NSAIDs were generally well tolerated, and they may provide benefit even when given late in the migraine attack. The rate of headache recurrence within 24-72 hours after discharge from the ED can be greater than 50%. Corticosteroids can be useful in reducing headache recurrence after discharge. As discussed in Parts 1, 2, and 3, there are effective medications for provider-administered "rescue" in all the classes discussed. Prochlorperazine and metoclopramide are the most frequently studied of the anti-migraine medications in the emergent setting, and their effectiveness is superior to placebo. Prochlorperazine is superior or equivalent to all other classes of medications in migraine pain relief. Although there are fewer studies involving sumatriptan and DHE, relatively "migraine-specific" medications, they appear to be equivalent to the dopamine antagonists for migraine pain relief. Lack of comparisons with placebo and the frequent use of combinations of medications in treatment arms complicate the comparison of single agents to one another. When used alone, prochlorperazine, promethazine, metoclopramide, nalbuphine, and metamizole were superior to placebo. Droperidol and prochlorperazine were superior or equal in efficacy to all other treatments, although they also are more likely to produce side effects that are difficult for a patient to tolerate (especially akathisia). Metoclopramide was equivalent to prochlorperazine, and, when combined with diphenhydramine, was superior in efficacy to triptans and NSAIDs. Meperidine was arguably equivalent when compared with ketorolac and DHE but was inferior to chlorpromazine and equivalent to the other neuroleptics. Sumatriptan was inferior or equivalent to the neuroleptics and equivalent to DHE when only paired comparisons were considered. The overall percentage of patients with pain relief after taking sumatriptan was equivalent to that observed with droperidol or prochlorperazine.