IBUPROFEN OR ACETAMINOPHEN FOR THE ACUTE TREATMENT OF MIGRAINE IN CHILDREN - A DOUBLE-BLIND, RANDOMIZED, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED, CROSSOVER STUDY

Efficacy of drugs for the acute treatment of migraine in children has not so far been studied in well controlled trials. We conducted a stud y to evaluate the efficacy of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Eighty-eigh t children, aged 4.0 to 15.8 years, with migraine participated in a do uble-blind crossover study. Three attacks per child were treated in ra ndom order with single oral doses of 15 mg/kg acetaminophen, 10 mg/kg ibuprofen, and placebo at home. The primary end point, reduction in se vere or moderate headache (grade greater than or equal to 3 on a scale of 1 to 5) by at least two grades after 2 hours, was reached twice as often with acetaminophen and three times as often with ibuprofen as w ith placebo. Ibuprofen was twice as likely as acetaminophen to abort m igraine within 2 hours. In the intent-to-treat analysis, children impr oved twice as often with ibuprofen and acetaminophen as with placebo. Both ibuprofen and acetaminophen are effective and economical treatmen ts for severe or moderate migraine attacks in children. Ibuprofen gave the best relief.