Drugs Less Effective in Preventing Migraine in Kids

Medication presently used to treat migraine in kids is not as effective as was previously thought, researchers say.

Migraine is a headache disorder that is accompanied by nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. According to the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) Study, a one-year prevalence of migraine among U.S. children aged between 12 and 19 is 6.3 percent.

According to Migraine.com, migraine is common even among infants, and boys are at a higher risk of developing the condition early (at seven years) compared to girls (10 years).

The findings are based on a review reported in the JAMA Pediatrics. The study was conducted by a team of researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. To find out the power of the migraine medications in kids, Dr. Jeffrey Jackson and colleagues looked at 21 previous studies.  Researchers analyzed the effectiveness of medication provided in the studies, including calcium channel blockers, anti-inflammatory drugs, antiepileptic medication and drug-free placebo, Health Day reported.

Researchers found placebos more successful in protecting the child from experiencing the headaches frequently and bringing down the number from six to less than three in a month. However, two drugs - trazodone and topiramate - were found to be more effective than the placebo.

"All the drugs in our analysis have been found effective in adults with migraine headaches, but few were beneficial among children," Reuters Health quoted the authors as writing. "This suggests there may be something different about pediatric migraines or that the response to treatment differs between children and adults."

Two drugs, almotriptan malate (Axert) and rizatriptan benzoate (Maxalt) can be used to treat headaches in children and teenagers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in another report published in the same journal. A team of researchers from FDA led by Dr. William Rodriguez also found placebos more effective than drugs in treating children's headaches.