Update on future headache treatments.

Headache disorders are common and heterogenous neurologic entities. The complexities of management are further encumbered by the relatively few effective choices for acute and preventive therapies available to the headache specialist to treat these diverse disorders. As advances have been made in uncovering headache pathophysiology, new therapies have surfaced and others are forthcoming.

Intravenous dihydroergotamine for inpatient management of refractory primary headaches.

Objective: To determine dosing and side effects of dihydroergotamine as they affect outcomes in primary headache disorders.

Methods: We audited our use of dihydroergotamine for inpatient management of disabling primary headache, focusing on the commonly treated problems.

Results: Of patients interviewed, 114 had chronic migraine, 38 had cluster headache, and 11 had new daily persistent headache (NDPH).