montelukast and Headache

This was a prospective double blind comparative study on 40 patients. It compared the effects of the leukotriene receptor antagonist montelukast and beclomethasone nasal spray on the post-operative course of patients with sinonasal polyps. All patients underwent endoscopic sphenoethmoidectomy and were randomized post-operatively into two groups. Group I: 20 patients (9 females and 11 males) age 17 to 67 (32.4 +/- 9.5 years), receiving 10 mg montelukast orally daily and Group II: 20 patients (6 females and 14 males) age 17 years to 57 years (33.5 +/- 11.9 years), receiving 400 ug beclomethasone local sprays daily. All patients were followed up for 1 year and a symptom score was recorded throughout this period. There was a significant reduction in symptom scores in both groups throughout the study period. In the montelukast group improvement was more marked in itching, post-nasal discharge and headache. The control of sneezing and rhinorrhea was comparable in both groups with a marginal advantage of montelukast. Steroids had a more marked effect on smell disturbances and obstruction. There was no difference in the recurrence rate or in the need for rescue medications between both groups. Both drugs seem to have a complementary action and further studies are needed to determine which patients should receive which treatment.

Topics: Acetates; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anti-Asthmatic Agents; Beclomethasone; Chi-Square Distribution; Cyclopropanes; Double-Blind Method; Female; Glucocorticoids; Headache; Humans; Leukotriene Antagonists; Male; Middle Aged; Nasal Polyps; Olfaction Disorders; Postoperative Care; Postoperative Complications; Prospective Studies; Pruritus; Quinolines; Sneezing; Sulfides

To compare the long-term effects of an inhaled corticosteroid with those of a leukotriene modifier on measures of clinical efficacy, subject preference, and safety in patients with persistent asthma.. Between November 17, 1998, and May 26, 2000, we conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group study of patients aged 15 years or older with persistent asthma. The patients were symptomatic while taking short-acting beta2-agonists alone and were treated with fluticasone propionate (88 microg [2 puffs of 44 microg] twice daily) or montelukast (10 mg/d) for 24 weeks. Measures of pulmonary function, asthma symptoms, albuterol use, nighttime awakenings, physician assessments of efficacy, patient satisfaction, asthma-related quality of life, and safety were evaluated.. A total of 522 patients were randomized to receive fluticasone or montelukast, and 395 patients completed the study. At end point, treatment with fluticasone significantly improved pulmonary function, asthma symptom scores, the percentage of symptom-free days, rescue albuterol use, and the number of nighttime awakenings due to asthma when compared with montelukast (P< or = .002, each comparison). Significantly more patients were satisfied with fluticasone therapy (83%) compared with montelukast therapy (66%) (P<.001), and fluticasone therapy was rated as effective by a significantly greater portion of physicians (67%) than was montelukast therapy (54%) (P<.001). Treatment with fluticasone significantly improved asthma-related quality-of-life measures compared with montelukast (P< or =.01). The incidence of asthma exacerbations was similar in the fluticasone (19 patients, 7%) and montelukast (21 patients, 8%) treatment groups, although slightly more patients in the montelukast group were withdrawn from the study because of asthma exacerbations (6% vs 4%, respectively).. Long-term treatment with a low dose of inhaled fluticasone is more effective than oral montelukast as first-line maintenance therapy for the treatment of persistent asthma.

Topics: Acetates; Administration, Inhalation; Administration, Oral; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Androstadienes; Anti-Allergic Agents; Anti-Asthmatic Agents; Asthma; Bronchodilator Agents; Chronic Disease; Cyclopropanes; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Double-Blind Method; Female; Fluticasone; Headache; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nebulizers and Vaporizers; Patient Satisfaction; Quality of Life; Quinolines; Respiratory Tract Infections; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Sulfides; Treatment Outcome

Montelukast, a selective leukotriene receptor antagonist, is recommended in guidelines for the treatment of asthma in both children and adults. However, its effectiveness is debated, and recent studies have reported several adverse events such as neuropsychiatric disorders and allergic granulomatous angiitis. This study aims to obtain more insight into the safety profile of montelukast and to provide prescribing physicians with an overview of relevant adverse drug reactions in both children and adults. We retrospectively studied all adverse drug reactions on montelukast in children and adults reported to the Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Center Lareb and the WHO Global database, VigiBase

Topics: Acetates; Adolescent; Adult; Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; Aged; Child; Child, Preschool; Churg-Strauss Syndrome; Cyclopropanes; Databases, Factual; Depression; Dreams; Female; Headache; Humans; Infant; Male; Middle Aged; Netherlands; Pharmacovigilance; Quinolines; Retrospective Studies; Sulfides; Young Adult

Topics: Acetates; Anxiety; Asthma; Cyclopropanes; Headache; Humans; Leukotriene Antagonists; Quinolines; Sulfides; Vertigo