100 Migraine Drugs, A to Z: indomethacin

Indomethacin (Indocin) is one of the strongest non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but unfortunately it is rarely used for the treatment of migraines. It has a higher chance of causing gastro-intestinal (GI) side effects than other NSAIDs, but some patients tolerate it very well, especially if it is used sporadically. The drug can be compounded into a rectal suppository, which reduces (but does not eliminate) GI side effects and provides faster onset of effect than an oral capsule. Even if nausea is not obviously present, migraine is often accompanied by gastric stasis, which means that absorption of oral drugs is slowed down. This is why pharmaceutical companies often try to formulate migraine drugs into nasal sprays, injections, patches and inhalers. Rectal route also bypasses the stomach, but suppositories are less popular in the US than they are in Europe. The dose of oral indomethacin is 25, 50 or 75 mg taken up to three times a day, while suppositories usually contain 50 mg.

Indomethacin has some unique properties that differentiate it from other NSAIDs and it is often the only NSAID that is highly effective for episodic and chronic paroxysmal hemicrania and hemicrania continua, rare conditions that are often mistaken for migraines. They are even described as indomethacin-sensitive headaches because no other drug provides such dramatic relief. Paroxysmal hemicrania also resembles cluster headache in that it is always one-sided and is often accompanied by nasal congestion and tearing on the side of the headache. Unlike cluster headaches, which last 30 minutes to 3 hours and occur once or a few times a day, the attacks of hemicrania last a few minutes but occur many times throughout the day. Hemicrania continua is also always one-sided and the pain is continuous without any pain-free periods. If indomethacin causes GI side effects, in some patients an anti-inflammatory herbal supplement, Boswellia can be as effective but without causing any side effects. Botox injections is another treatment that can provide relief of indomethacin-sensitive headaches.