HIGH-DOSE VERSUS LOW-DOSE VALPROIC ACID AS A PROPHYLACTIC MEDICATION

Citation
K. Taylor et J. Goldstein, HIGH-DOSE VERSUS LOW-DOSE VALPROIC ACID AS A PROPHYLACTIC MEDICATION, Headache, 36(8), 1996, pp. 514-515
Citations number
5
Categorie Soggetti
Clinical Neurology
Journal title
ISSN journal
00178748
Volume
36
Issue
8
Year of publication
1996
Pages
514 - 515
Database
ISI
SICI code
0017-8748(1996)36:8<514:HVLVAA>2.0.ZU;2-8
Abstract
Valproic acid has been shown to be effective in migraine prophylaxis. Its method of action is believed to be the inhibition of gamma-aminobu tyric acid transaminase. The therapeutic dose needed to prevent migrai ne headaches has been examined in several studies, yet the optimum dos e has not been found. In this case report, valproic acid was given to a 24-year-old woman with chronic headaches at 1000 mg per day. Her hea daches resolved for 2 months. She tapered herself off of the medicatio n, and her headaches returned. She was restarted at 500 mg per day of valproic acid and again, her headaches resolved. She preferred being o n the lower dose which she found as effective as the higher dose. Her case makes two interesting points. The first is that lower dosages of valproic acid may be as effective as higher ones in headache prophylax is. The second is that more studies looking at dose ranges are needed to correlate effectiveness with daily requirements.