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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Flunarizine ?
        
(Message started by: Brenda on Jan 18^th, 2008, 11:00pm)

Title: Flunarizine ?
Post by Brenda on Jan 18^th, 2008, 11:00pm

Hello from the rainy Sunshine Coast of BC.

Has anyone ever been prescribed Flunarizine and did it work for you?

I have been taking the medication for 10 / 11 days now.
One [1] capsule each evening and it appeared to be giving me a bit of relief.

It also lowers blood pressure and i've had a bit of a difficult time adjusting to that and a few other side effects.

But, last evening my migraine intensified....it did not completely bloom....it is riding on the edge and again this evening.

Anyone else know of the medication?

Blessings
Brenda

Title: Re: Flunarizine ?
Post by Bob_Johnson on Jan 19^th, 2008, 12:13pm

I found three interesting citations suggesting it has been used mostly with migraine. The one sentence in caps suggests why it hasn't appeared in literature for CH.
===============
Wien Med Wochenschr. 1993;143(19-20):514-8.
[Calcium channel blockers in therapy of neurologic diseases]

[Article in German]

Wessely P, Wöber-Bingöl C.

Universitätsklinik für Neurologie, Wien.

The clinical use of calcium antagonists (Ca-antagonists) in neurological diseases focuses on 2 main therapeutic fields: (a) For the therapy of migraine flunarizine is the first choice therapy and nimodipine is a second line treatment. WITH VERAPAMIL CLUSTER HEADACHE CAN BE TREATED SUCCESSFULLY, FLUNARIZINE SHOWS LESS IMPRESSIVE CLINICAL EFFICACY. The therapy with flunarizine may be restricted due to the incidence of extrapyramidal disturbances and depressions as known side effects. (b) The therapy of clinical conditions after subarachnoidal bleeding with nimodipine is well established. In the therapy of acute cerebral ischemia the therapeutic efficacy of nimodipine administered orally is not therapeutically proved until now; the intravenous administration of nimodipine offers the risk of acute hypotensive reactions. At present the usefulness of the administration of ca-antagonists in the so-called cerebrovascular insufficiency or dementia and various others cerebral disorders with vertigo could not be demonstrated.

Publication Types:
English Abstract
Review

PMID: 8135034 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]