Several oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (
NSAID) are effective to treat
migraine attacks. Despite its efficacy to treat
migraine and other
pain, there are a few commercial
NSAIDs available for intravenous (i.v.) administration.
Lysine clonixinate (LC) is a
NSAID derived from
nicotinic acid that has been proven effective in various algic syndromes such as
renal colic, nerve compression, muscular
pain and
odontalgias. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the i.v. LC in the treatment of severe attacks of
migraine. We studied prospectively 19 patients, 17 women and 2 men, ages from 18 to 57 years, with the diagnosis of
migraine according to the International
Headache Society criteria. The patients were oriented to proceed to the clinic once the
headache has started, and were placed under an i.v. infusion of LC and saline in a superficial vein of the forearm, once the intensity reached severe. Evaluating the
headache intensity after 30, 60 and 90 minutes, as well as the presence of side effects, we observed that all of the 19 patients were
headache free after 90 minutes. Some patients presented mild adverse effects and the vital signs were not significantly affected. We then concluded that the i.v. infusion of the
NSAID LC (2-3-chloro-o-toluidin)piridin-3-lysine carboxilate), a derived from the
nicotinic acid with a chemical structure that resembles the
flufenamic acid, was efficient abolishing a severe
migraine attack after 90 minutes in 19 patients. Controlled studies with a double-blind and randomized design, and treating a greater number of patients and attacks are necessary to confirm these initial observations.