A satisfaction survey of current medicines used for migraine therapy in China: is Chinese patent medicine effective compared with Western medicine for the acute treatment of migraine?

Objective: To investigate the patient satisfaction with medications commonly used for migraine therapy in patients seen in headache clinic in China with emphasis on the evaluation of Chinese patent medicine (CPM) in relieving acute migraine attack.

Methods: Patients admitted at headache clinics in the neurological departments of four hospitals during April to October 2011 were enrolled in the investigation. The questionnaire was designed based on the validation of a diagnostic questionnaire for a population-based survey in China in 2009.

Results: Among 219 eligible patients, 58% had used CPM at the acute attack of migraine while the guideline-recommended treatments were seldom used. However, patients using CPMs were less satisfied than those using Western Medicines (WMs) in either single medication groups or mixed medication groups (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Fifty-eight percent of the eligible respondents in Guangdong and Guangxi Province had used CPM at the acute attack of migraine, but based on our data, the effect of CPM on treating migraine attack was poor with low satisfaction compared with WMs. However, many factors may bias or explain our findings. This suggests the need for accelerated research in understanding patient choice, treatment availability, and use of medications.