There's a new "hypothesis that migraines can be caused by tiny blood clots that form in the heart and travel to the brain, disrupting the blood flow and causing the typical symptoms of one-sided headache, nausea and photophobia."
It was advanced by Dr. John Chambers, a consultant cardiologist at Guy's Hospital in London, UK.
The idea is to make blood "platelets less sticky. Platelets are, after the red and white blood cells, the main constituent in blood that helps to make it clot when a blood vessel is damaged. However, if the platelets are too sticky, there is a risk of unnecessary clots forming in the blood vessels, breaking off and traveling to the lungs or the brain where they could trigger a potentially fatal stroke or embolism."
It can be achieved with clopidogrel, better known by the brand names Plavix, Clopilet and Iscover. Clopidogrel is a platelet aggregation inhibitor.
The effect of introducing an inhibitor of platelet aggregation into the blood-stream suggests that platelets may have a role in pathogenesis of migraine. It is speculated that it may be because of an effect on serotonin stores.
A larger trial on using clopidogrel as a migraine preventive is in the works.
There are, however, additional considerations for using clopidogrel in migraine treatment that need to be addressed.
Plavix, the brand name of clopidogrel, is the world's second largest-selling drug, with annual sales of $5.9 billion. If the migraine-prevention trials are a success, it could possibly be re-branded as a migraine drug with a different name and the companies making it will keep the patents on it for another 20 years. Along with the premium cost the brand-name meds enjoy over the generics.
Another problem arises when patients stop taking Plavix. A study printed in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports a two-fold increase in death and heart attack in the 90 days after patients completed their prescribed course of clopidogrel (Plavix).
That means any migraine patient taking Plavix as a preventive will have to take it for the rest of his/her natural life. Or risk a death from a heart attack.
So, on the plus side, one could end hers/his migraine sufferings for good. On the other side one will have to keep paying for a daily doze of Plavix forever. As always, it's a give and take.
reference:
Stopping Plavix Doubles Risk of Heart Attack or Death for 90 Days, With or Without Stents
NLH Q&A Service: What is the evidence for using clopidogrel for prophylaxis in classical migraine?
Clopidogrel reduces migraine with aura after transcatheter closure of persistent foramen ovale and atrial septal defects
Clopidogrel, Plavix: wikipedia.org
Platelets, thrombocytes: wikipedia.org
Drugs trial raises hope of migraine cure
related articles: Big Pharma Going Bankrupt?
Monday
Clopidogrel (Plavix) - Migraine Cure or a Death Trap?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
So glad to see that there is finally some acknowledgement in the U.S. of the relationship beween Plavix and relief from migraine!
My mother had suffered debilitating migraines several times a week, for over a decade, when she was placed on Plavix in 2004 for an unrelated condition. And her migraines disappeared. Whenever she was taken off Plavix for a few days for dental work or surgery, however, the headaches returned within a day.
After this had happened a couple of times, we asked her neurologist if there could be any relationship between Plavix and the disappearance of the migraines. He said no, as did all her other physicians--including those at Shands, the teaching hospital at University of Florida.
Good to know we weren't crazy these last four years, thinking that the Plavix she's taking to prevent stroke is also preventing migraine!
I am really glad to hear it. No migraines is fantastic!
There's precious few sources of information relating Plavix and migraines. This was first observed after closure of persistent foramen ovale operations, when patients were put on Plavix; the second time the connection was made by Dr.Chambers. No info whatsoever on the large trial he was planning on.
I put all the sources I found in the reference section, some of them might help to persuade the neurologists.
One thing does worry me - getting off the Plavix. There is data that indicates doubling the mortality rate in the first 90 days when patients stop taking it. This is something to watch for and something to worry about.
I am a female, live in Israel, 45 yrs old, non smoker, migraine with aura from age 12, with approx. 8 auras a month (though not always with headache ).
Have tried triptans,and ergotamine over the years with no success and two years ago I underwent a bubble echo in part to rule out PFO, but because of a bicuspid aorta as well. I have no evidence of a PFO.
Just over a month ago, I had an episode of amaurosis fugax (from which I recovered with no problems) and have since been taking half a tablet of 75mg plavix daily.
My auras have disappeared although I still get the odd headache, it’s not a migraine with aura.
I would be very interested to hear of any research that you may know of regarding this and whether you think that Plavix could be a new treatment for migraine with auras.
Hi. Here's the thing - not a whole lot of research has been done yet on Plavix per se. But, there's been a lot of noise made about linking migraines to vein blood clots - and that's what Plavix is really all about. I did an editorial here:
Migraines and Vein Blood Clots
And here's the original story from WebMD:
Migraines Linked to Vein Blood Clots
Hope it helps, at least a little.
I'm a middle-aged white male. I've had migraine headaches for 30 years and suffered a blood clot in my right lung 10 years ago.
2 years ago, I had a heart attack and my doctors put me on Plavix, among things. My migraine headaches went away immediately and I haven't been sick for 2 years.
I'm thinking there's a relationship there.
Larry Angell
Saint Anthony, Idaho, USA
Hi Larry, thanks for sharing this with us. It seems the evidence in favor of Plavix keeps mounting up. Might need to do another article about it soon.
Does anyone know what the result was in Campbell's larger study?
I had this idea (platelet-clumping) as a cause of migraine aura for close to 30 years! Nice that the medical community is finally starting to pay attention to what happens with real people. I won't write more because I realize this is an old (2008) thread that might be closed.
Post a Comment