Use of Prescribed and Non-Prescribed Treatments for Cluster Headache in a Swedish Cohort
Gabriella Smedfors, Felicia Jennysdotter Olofsgård, Anna Steinberg, Elisabet Waldenlind, Caroline Ran, Andrea Carmine Belin
Brain Sciences March 31, 2024 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14040348 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 314 |
| Population | Swedish cluster headache patients |
| Interventions | Verapamil psilocybin |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Abortive Illicit substances Preventive Medication side effects Pain management Psilocybin therapy Clinical research Headache treatment |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Many Swedish cluster headache patients are undertreated, with less than half satisfied with abortive treatments, and psilocybin was reported effective as an abortive and preventive treatment in small numbers. |
Abstract
Background: Cluster headache (CH) is a debilitating condition, but current therapies leave CH patients in pain. The extent of this problem in Sweden is unknown.
Methods: An anonymized questionnaire was sent to 479 Swedish CH patients to investigate patterns and perceived effects of treatments.
Results: Three hundred fourteen answers were analyzed. The population was representative regarding age of onset and sex. Less than half (46%) were satisfied with their abortive treatments, 19% terminated functioning abortive treatments due to side effects. Additionally, 17% of chronic CH patients had not tried the first-line preventive drug verapamil. A small subset had tried illicit substances to treat their CH (0–8% depending on substance). Notably, psilocybin was reported effective as an abortive treatment by 100% (n = 8), and with some level of effect as a preventive treatment by 92% (n = 12). For verapamil, some level of preventive effect was reported among 68% (n = 85).
Conclusions: Our descriptive data illustrate that many Swedish CH patients are undertreated, lack functional therapies, and experience side effects. Further studies are warranted to search for new treatment strategies as well as a revision of current treatment guidelines with the aim of reducing patient disease burden to the greatest extent possible.