CONTROLLED TRIAL OF KETOROLAC IN TENSION-TYPE HEADACHE

Intramuscular ketorolac 60 mg, meperidine 50 mg plus promethazine 25 m g, and normal saline were compared in acute exacerbations of tension-t ype headache. Forty-one subjects (30 females and 11 males) were random ized into three groups and evaluated by the McGill Short-Form Pain Que stionnaire before treatment, and 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 hours after treatment. All three groups showed a significant treatment effect tha t persisted for the 6 hours of evaluation. Ketorolac treatment was sig nificantly better than placebo at 0.5 and 1 hour by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Pain Rating Index, and better than meperidine at 2 hou rs (by the VAS). Meperidine and placebo did not differ at any time poi nt. Ketorolac is effective in short-term treatment of tension-type hea dache.