The effects of cinnarizine versus sodium valproate in migraine prophylaxis

AIM: The aim of this randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study was to compare the efficacy and safety of low-dose cinnarizine and sodium valproate in migraine prophylaxis. METHODS: A total of 104 patients were treated during a 12-week treatment period. Cinnarizine dose of 25 mg and 200-mg sodium valproate were administered every 12 hours. During follow-up period, frequency, intensity and duration of migraine attacks, symptoms associated with headache, analgesics use, as well as drugs' side effects were studied. Participants completed Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) and Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) questionnaires before and after treatment. RESULTS: Frequency, intensity and duration of migraine headaches as well as MIDAS score and administration of symptomatic medications decreased significantly between repeated follow-up visits in both groups. Reduction of 4-week migraine frequencies in patients receiving cinnarizine and valproate was 36.4% and 55%, respectively, and the difference between two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that administration of 25-mg cinnarizine every 12 hours can significantly decrease headache duration (p ≤ 0.001) and headache frequency (p ≤ 0.001) in patients with migraine. These results suggest that cinnarizine may be an appropriate substitution for first-line migraine prophylaxis such as valproate.