Migraine in children and adolescents: a guide to drug treatment

Abstract

Migraine is a common disorder in children and adolescents, with a prevalence of 5 and 10%, respectively. Some patients may have recognisable factors that trigger or aggravate migraine attacks, such as flickering or bright lights, strong smells and noise, and where possible these should be avoided. It is also wise to maintain a lifestyle where children receive regular meals and get sufficient sleep. If used, acute pharmacological treatment should be given at the onset of an attack, followed by a rest or sleep. According to recent literature, paracetamol (acetaminophen) and ibuprofen can be recommended for the acute treatment of migraine attacks in children and adolescents, and sumatriptan nasal spray can be recommended for adolescents. The oral formulation of sumatriptan has not shown efficacy in paediatric patients, and the subcutaneous injection, although somewhat effective, is not an ideal formulation for this patient group. There are too few data on the efficacy of the other 'triptans' to recommend their use in children and adolescents. There are less data on the use of prophylactic drugs in paediatric patients. In systematic studies, only flunarizine, which is not available in many countries, and propranolol have been found to be effective. A pilot placebo-controlled study suggests that topiramate might also be effective. Several other agents are commonly used to prevent migraine attacks in children (e.g. amitriptyline, valproic acid [sodium valproate]) despite a lack of robust research into their efficacy.