Successful Treatment of Airplane Headache with Rizatriptan: Case Report

Abstract

Optimal management of airplane headache (AH) is still unresolved. A female, 53 years, complained of severe short-lasting jabbing pain attacks over the forehead and in the eyebrows, mainly on the left side, that occur during take-off and landing. Neurological, opthalmological, and otolaryngological examinations and brain MRI were normal. It was diagnosed as AH. The patient was recommended to take 10 mg rizatriptan 30 min before the flight. It resulted in a complete absence of headache during the take-off and significant decrease of pain intensity during the plane descending. Based on the flight duration (about 2.5 h) and rizatriptan pharmacokinetics, the patient was recommended to take a second dose of rizatriptan 10 mg 1 h before flight ending. The patient reported a complete absence of pain attacks during the next flights. The effectiveness of AH pain attack prevention is based on the pharmacokinetic properties of the drug, time of pain onset during flight, and the flight duration.