Migraine responsive to warfarin: an update on anticoagulant possible role in migraine prophylaxis

• Published in: Neurological sciences Vol. 33; no. 6; pp. 1447 - 1449
• Main Authors: Maggioni, F., Bruno, M., Mainardi, F., Lisotto, C., Zanchin, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Milan Springer Milan 01-12-2012; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Anticoagulants; Anticoagulants - administration & dosage; Case Report; Coagulation; Data processing; Drugs; Embolism; Female; Headache; Humans; Lung; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Migraine; Migraine Disorders - complications; Migraine Disorders - diagnosis; Migraine Disorders - drug therapy; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Neurosurgery; Prophylaxis; Psychiatry; Pulmonary Embolism - complications; Pulmonary Embolism - diagnosis; Pulmonary Embolism - drug therapy; Remission; Warfarin; Warfarin - administration & dosage; Migraine without aura; Warfarin; Migraine with aura; Prophylactic treatment; Oral anticoagulants
• ISSN: 1590-1874; 1590-3478
• DOI: 10.1007/s10072-011-0926-4

We report the case of a patient suffering from migraine with and without aura who had a complete remission of both during warfarin treatment for pulmonary embolism; the attacks reappeared promptly during two treatment withdrawals. We highlight warfarin as prophylactic drug in migraine prophylaxis and discuss about new, safer and more specific anticoagulants that could be used in migraine treatment. Their use could also clarify literature’s conflicting data about anticoagulants’ efficacy in migraine prophylaxis and clear if their efficacy in migraine treatment could be related aspecifically to anticoagulation’s effect or to a particular mechanism in the coagulation cascade.