Nausea is a very common symptom that accompanies migraine attacks. Effective treatment of migraine with a drug like sumatriptan often stops the headache, nausea, and other associated symptoms. However, sometimes pain subsides, while nausea does not, or nausea is much more bothersome than the headache. Nausea can also be a side effect of the most effective injectable migraine drug, dihydroergotamine (DHE-45). We often administer this drug in our office after other injectable drugs (magnesium, sumatriptan, ketorolac, dexamethasone, etc) fail. If nausea is already present, we will always give an intravenous injection of a nausea drug such as ondansetron (Zofran) or metoclopramide (Reglan) before giving DHE. Sometimes these drugs are ineffective in preventing nausea and vomiting induced by DHE and we have to look for other options.
Phenothiazine family of drugs, including prochlorperazine (Compazine), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), and promethazine (Phenergan) are very old and effective anti-nausea drugs. However, they have a potential for a rare but devastating side effect, which consists of persistent involuntary movements of the face (grimacing and lip smacking) and body. The onset of this side effect can be delayed, which is why it is called tardive dyskinesia. It is not unusual for these drugs to cause an immediate severe and very unpleasant restlessness (akathisia), which patients sometimes describe as wanting to crawl out of one’s skin. Metoclopramide (Reglan) can also cause these side effects, but less often.
Ondansetron (Zofran) does not cause any such side effects and should be the preferred drug for nausea of migraine, although it is only approved for nausea caused by chemotherapy or radiation and for post-surgical nausea. Since it has become generic and inexpensive, it can be used for other causes of nausea, including migraines. It is available as an injection or as a tablet.
Aprepitant (Emend) is an anti-nausea drug that has a totally different mechanism of action than the medications described above, so it is possible that it can help when other drugs do not or when other drugs cause side effects.
A study just published in Neurology by Dr. Denise Chou and her colleagues describes the use of oral aprepitant in the treatment of DHE-induced nausea in hospitalized patients.
The authors reviewed hourly diary data and clinical notes of patients admitted to the hospital for the treatment of refractory migraine headaches (status migrainosus) with DHE infusions between 2011 and 2015.
They identified 74 such patients, of whom 24 had daily diaries. In 36 of 57 cases in which aprepitant was given, there was a 50% reduction in the number of other anti-nausea medications given to patients. Of 57 patients, 52 reported that the addition of aprepitant improved nausea. Among 21 of 24 patients with hourly diary data, nausea scores were reduced. In all 12 patients with vomiting aprepitant stopped it. Aprepitant was well tolerated and caused no side effects.
The authors concluded that aprepitant can be effective in the treatment of refractory DHE-induced nausea and vomiting. They also suggested that perhaps this drug could be used for nausea of migraine even when DHE is not given. The only problem, and it is a very big problem, is the cost. This drug is not going to be available in a generic form until 2018. A single capsule of Emend costs $105 with a coupon you can get on GoodRx.com. Without a coupon, it is $145. A single vial for injection costs $345, so we are not going to use this drug for nausea due to migraine or DHE for at least two years, when cheaper generic copies become available.
