Rizatriptan more effective than other triptans for migraine
pain
Rizatriptan is more effective at relieving migraine
pain than other oral triptans, say researchers.
Dr James Adelman, Headache Wellness Centre, Greensboro,
North Carolina, and colleagues conducted a retrospective analysis of five
randomised trials that compared the efficacy of four triptans (rizatriptan,
sumatriptan, naratriptan and zolmitriptan).
They found that the percentage of patients taking
rizatriptan (Maxalt) who were pain-free two hours after dosing ranged
from 38 to 45 per cent compared with 21 to 36 per cent for patients taking
comparator triptans. In addition, they found that 30 to 33 per cent of
rizatriptan patients were symptom-free compared with 11 to 28 per cent
of patients taking other triptans at this time point.
The researchers say that all of the triptans studied
were generally well-tolerated. The most common types of drug-related adverse
events were dizziness, asthenia and fatigue, somnolence, nausea, and dry
mouth. The study, which was funded by Merck Sharp & Dohme, manufacturer
of rizatriptan, is published in Neurology (2001;57:1377).
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