Frovatriptan for acute treatment of migraine associated with menstruation: results from an open-label postmarketing surveillance study.

Aims: To examine the effectiveness and tolerability of acute treatment with frovatriptan in women experiencing menstrual migraine (MM) vs. female migraineurs with non-MM.

Methods: This was an open-label postmarketing surveillance study (n = 7107) conducted in Germany to assess acute treatment with frovatriptan in one to three migraine attacks. This retrospective subanalysis evaluated acute frovatriptan treatment in women who experienced >or=1 MM attack vs. those women with non-MM attacks. Effectiveness and tolerability were graded using a 4-point scale (1 = very good, 2 = good, 3 = satisfactory, 4 = poor).

Results: Demographics were similar in MM (n = 1931) and non-MM patients (n = 2080), except that mean age (38.3 vs 45.3 years, respectively) and number of migraine attacks per month were less in the MM group than in the non-MM group (both p < 0.001). Although 98% of women reported that their previous migraines were moderate or severe, only one third in each treatment group previously used triptans. Prestudy medications were rated as good or very good for effectiveness by 20.3% and 19.2% of the MM and non-MM groups, respectively. In contrast, the effectiveness of frovatriptan was rated as very good or good by 92.7% and 90.9% of women in the MM and non-MM groups, respectively. Forty-three percent and 96% of all women rated their previous medication and frovatriptan, respectively, as having good or very good tolerability. Among women rating their previous medication as poor or satisfactory, most (94%) rated frovatriptan as very good or good.

Conclusions: Acute frovatriptan treatment improved patient ratings of treatment effectiveness and tolerability in women with migraine associated with menses.