Effervescent Aspirin or Triptans for Migraine?

In this meta-analysis, aspirin performed as well as sumatriptan — but was the comparison realistic?

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin, and triptans are commonly used to treat acute migraine attacks. An effervescent formulation of aspirin has been tested in clinical trials. To compare the efficacy and safety of 1000 mg of effervescent aspirin with that of 50 mg of sumatriptan or placebo, these researchers (one of whom works for a manufacturer of effervescent aspirin) performed a meta-analysis of three randomized, placebo-controlled single-dose migraine trials involving a total of 991 patients.

Percentages of patients with pain relief at 2 hours, pain-free at 2 hours, and pain-free for up to 24 hours were approximately 52%, 27%, and 24% among those who took effervescent aspirin; 47%, 29%, and 22% among those wh…

Reviewing Author

Stephen D. Silberstein, MD