Venlafaxine Extended Release (XR) for the Prophylaxis of Migraine and Tension‐type Headache: A Retrospective Study in a Clinical Setting

Abstract

This trial indicates that extended-release venlafaxine has potential in headache prophylaxis based on its efficacy and safety profile. We recommend a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to further assess the role of extended-release venlafaxine in headache prevention.

Regional origin and decrease of pain in patients with depressive symptoms under treatment with venlafaxine

“…In addition to rehabilitative and psychotherapeutic means, antidepressants may alleviate pain in depressed patients [19]. Venlafaxine is one of the most prescribed newer antidepressants and improves various types of pain [1,2,11,16,22,25,27,31]. Specifically, we recently showed that venlafaxine decreased pain in a population of depressed primary care patients, some of whom participated also in the present study [7].…”

Headache of Analgesic Abuse as a Cause of New Pain Pathways Development

“…Once the pain has become chronic, at least two molecular events have been identified as responsible (totally or partially) for pain upregulation: low serotonin levels and high nitric oxide, both of them upregulating pain pathways in at least two major headache groups: migraine and chronic tension-type cephalalgia [23]. Based on the above, positive strides can be made toward the development of new drugs intended not only to treat pain but also to prevent it [24] since the existence of both a common neurologic pain pathway as well as shared molecular features among major primary headache groups provides that possibility; moreover, it could be possible to treat different primary headache types with a single drug working on key, shared points of the pain pathway [25]; however, more extensive research as well as a deeper understanding of different pain pathway integration is needed to achieve such goals; primary headache treatments still focus on two main targets: pain control and crisis prevention.…”

Die medikamentöse Prophylaxe der Migräne

“…Die American Academy of Neurology hingegen stuft Amitriptylin und Fluoxetin [2,17,72] als Medikamente der 1. Wahl und andere trizyklische Antidepressiva (Doxepin, Nortriptylin, Imipramin),sowie andere selektive Serotoninwiederaufnahmehemmer (Fluvoxamin [6], Mirtazepin [12], Paroxetin [10,32], Sertralin, Venlafaxin [1,50]), als Medikamente der 3. Wahl ein.…”