Acetaminophen-aspirin-caffeine better than Sumatriptan in early migraine?

via Reuters Health and Headache 2005;45:973-982:

National Headache Foundation guidelines for abortive treatment of migraine aren’t right?

This study states that the combination of acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine (AAC) is superior to sumatriptan in migraine’s early treatment.

Goldstein et al, compared the combination treatment with 50mg sumatriptan in 171 subjects treated when the first symptoms ofmigraine occurred. Patients taking AAC experienced significantly greater pain intensityreduction than did those taking sumatriptan beginning 2 hours afterdosing and continuing throughout the 4-hour treatment period.

More patients in the AAC group experienced a sustained response and fewer patients in the AAC group required rescuemedication by 4 hours postdose.

This results suggests that migraine sufferers can use AACto treat their migraine episodes at the first sign of an attack.

In my very own personal experience i’ll rather preffer to use Sumatriptan. What do you think?

Regards,

Jon Mikel Iñarritu, M.D.


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7 thoughts on “Acetaminophen-aspirin-caffeine better than Sumatriptan in early migraine?”

  1. I have been suffering from oocassional migraine for last 2 yrs.I have tried by all means to avoid use of drug uptill know and have resorted to alternatives like yoga and ayurvedic but sometimes I need to have quick relief like in exam days ..Wha tshud be the drug I resort to in such case,…

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  3. This neurologist uses aspirin 650 mg and a strong cup of coffee as soon as he feels his aura coming on. Works nearly every time. I’ve never tried sumatriptan and I doubt I ever will.

    I think individual variation matters a lot, though. Most of my patients seem to do pretty well with triptans.

  4. I think a lot of people in that study didn’t have migranes. I’ve only had 4 2 that I tried to treat w/ my own formulation of AAC (ibuprofen, caffeine, tylenol) and 2 w/ sumatriptan, 1 oral, 1 SQ. No contest, the h/a just went away with sumatriptan. With the caffeine, I couldn’t even just crawl into a ball and whine myself to sleep — too antsy.

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  7. I don´t suffer from migrain, but lately I have had terrible headaches…I think that the cause is the electric insecticide that i use because of the mosquitoes….I take Alidol and is like magic, because aspirin and caffeine don´t help me

    I have never tryed Sumartriptan

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