Effectiveness of migraine prophylaxis with rational polytherapy and patient satisfaction using the Likert scale: a real-world study

Background: Chronic migraine is a debilitating neurological condition that affects more women than men and impacts their most productive years of life. Preventive treatment in real world remains a challenge, as the response to treatment is often poor. Objectives: Our objective was to demonstrate the effectiveness of prophylactic treatment for chronic migraine using a rational combination of “traditional” drugs and to highlight the degree of patient satisfaction. Methods: This was an observational, retrospective, uncontrolled, and descriptive study. A non-random convenience sample of 100 consecutive women diagnosed with chronic migraine and treated with rational polytherapy. Results: One hundred women diagnosed with chronic migraine, with a mean age of 41±11.9 years and ages ranging from 19 to 68 years, were treated with rational polytherapy. At least two prior prophylactic treatments were prescribed to 68% of patients. The mean frequency of headache at baseline was 23.7±4.3 days per month. After 4 months of treatment, there was a reduction in the number of headache days per month to 5.3±5.1 (p<0.001). There was a reduction in the number of headache days >50% in 97% of patients. A high degree of satisfaction with the treatment was observed in 69% of patients. Conclusions: The rational combination of traditional medications for the prophylaxis of chronic migraine has proven effective, causing a reduction in the number of headache days per month and generating satisfaction among treated patients. Real life practice in tertiary care with patient centered medicine may result in more outcomes that are robust for chronic migraine patients.