Asthma Drug May Prevent Migraines

Dr. Greene shares news on an asthma drug that may help with children who have migraines…

Singulaire (montelukast sodium), a commonly used asthma medicine approved to treat children over 2 years of age, is reported to prevent headaches in adults.

At the 2001 annual Congress of the International Headache Society, researchers presented a study using Singulaire to prevent headaches in children and adolescents. Everyone in the study had a greater than 50% reduction in their number of headaches while taking the medicine. Overall, the group went from an average of 15.8 headaches per month down to 3.5 monthly headaches! No side effects were reported.

Further research is needed, but these initial results are promising. Children’s migraines are often under-diagnosed and under treated. Preventing, on average, 12 significant headaches a month must have felt wonderful to these children.