Treatment of menstrual migraine; multidisciplinary or mono-disciplinary approach

• Published in: Journal of headache and pain Vol. 18; no. 1; p. 45
• Main Authors: Witteveen, Hester, van den Berg, Peter, Vermeulen, Guus
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Milan Springer Milan 01.12.2017; Springer Nature B.V; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Analgesics - therapeutic use; Contraceptives, Oral, Combined - therapeutic use; Drug therapy; Endocrine therapy; Female; Hormonal treatment; Humans; Internal Medicine; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Menstrual Cycle; Menstrual migraine; Menstrual related migraine; Menstruation; Migraine; Migraine Disorders - drug therapy; Multidisciplinary approach; Neurology; Pain Medicine; Research Article; Retrospective Studies; Multidisciplinary approach; Menstrual migraine; Menstrual related migraine; Hormonal treatment
• ISSN: 1129-2369; 1129-2377
• DOI: 10.1186/s10194-017-0752-z

Background The aim of this study was to compare a multidisciplinary approach of menstrual (related) migraine, combining the neurological and gynaecological consultation, to a mono-disciplinary approach involving neurological treatment. There is a clear relationship between the menstruation cycle and the occurrence of migraine (menstrual migraine). Nowadays the treatment of menstrual (related) migraine is performed by a neurologist. A treatment with attention to hormonal treatment seems more convenient. Methods This retrospective study was performed in a cohort using data of 88 women with menstrual (related) migraine who visited the menstrual migraine clinic between 2012 and 2014 (intervention group). The results were compared to a historical control group, which consisted of women with menstrual (related) migraine who were treated before 2012 and received a mono-disciplinary approach. Results In the intervention group the Headache Impact (HIT) score significantly improved (65 to 59 points). The mean headache days per month declined significantly (from 6 to 3.83 days) and these women needed less use of pain medication. In the control group the decline in HIT score was less striking (65 to 63.5 points) and the mean headache days per month increased (6 to 6,5 days). It appeared that 20 out of 27 patients in the control group required a gynaecological consultation in course of time. Conclusion A multidisicplinary treatment of women with menstrual (related) migraine gives better results compared to a mono-disciplinary approach. These results should be interpreted with caution as we performed a retrospective study with a relative small control group.