Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To establish whether there is any difference in the efficacy of a chlorpromazine regimen and a sumatriptan regimen for the management of the pain of acute severe migraine. SETTING: Two urban teaching hospital emergency departments. METHODS: Prospective, randomised, unblinded, crossover trial. All patients received intravenous metoclopramide 10 mg and 1000 ml of normal saline over 1 h; 20 were then randomised to receive intramuscular sumatriptan 6 mg and 23 to receive intravenous chlorpromazine, 12.5 mg increments to a maximum of 37.5 mg. Response to treatment was measured using visual analogue pain scales. RESULTS: No difference in efficacy between the sumatriptan regimen and the chlorpromazine regimen was found. Adverse effects were mild and equally distributed between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The chlorpromazine and sumatriptan regimens studied are both very effective for the relief of the headache of severe migraine.