SUMATRIPTAN RELIEVES MIGRAINELIKE HEADACHES ASSOCIATED WITH CARBON-MONOXIDE EXPOSURE

We report a 58-year-old woman with longstanding migraine who developed a pattern of weekend headaches which occurred only while staying at h er Connecticut vacation home. The headaches promptly responded to suma triptan. Investigation revealed it high carbon monoxide level in her h ome due to a defective furnace. Replacing the furnace eliminated the h eadaches. This case highlights the importance of searching for seconda ry causes of headache even in patients responsive to sumatripten. It a lso suggests that carbon monoxide may trigger headaches mediated by tr igeminovascular inflammation.