Flunarizine vs. Propranolol in the Prophylaxis of Migraine: Two Double-Blind Comparative Studies in More than 400 Patients

Abstract

In the course of a 16 weeks' interval treatment of migraine in connection with two multicenter double-blind studies, flunarizine was compared with propranolol in patients suffering predominantly from “classical migraine”. Eighty-seven patients from 12 outpatient departments were admitted to the first study, while 434 patients from 99 medical practices participated in the second study. After each month of treatment, the patients were clinically evaluated, and the number, duration, and severity of attacks were documented. Concerning the frequency and intensity of attacks, additional analgesics consumption and overall evaluation, both drugs proved to be highly effective in the practice as well as in the hospital study. The percentage and severity of side-effects were comparable in the two treatment groups. Summarizing, it may be stated that the studies proved the efficacy of flunarizine to be rather similar to that of propranolol in the prophylactic treatment of migraine.