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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Sep 11.
Published in final edited form as: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Nov 10;(11):CD008040. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008040.pub2

Appendix 4. Summary of efficacy outcomes: headache relief, pain-free, and use of rescue medication.

Study ID Treatment HR 1 h HR 2 h PF 2 h 24 h SHR 24 h SPF Use of rescue medication
Dexter 1985

  1. Paracetamol + metoclopramide 500/5 mg, n = 22 (18 analysed for efficacy)

  2. Placebo, n = 27 (24 analysed for efficacy)

 No data No data No data No data No data Over 24 h:

  1. 9/18

  2. 18/24


Up to 3 doses of study medication taken
Dowson 2000

  1. Paracetamol + domperidone 1000/20 mg + placebo

  2. Sumatriptan 50 mg + placebo


161 participants took medication, 120 completed both attacks and analysed for efficacy		 No data

  1. 44/120

  2. 40/120

 No data No data No data No data
Freitag 2008

  1. Paracetamol 1000 mg, n = 43

  2. Rizatriptan 10 mg, n = 43

  3. Rizatriptan + paracetamol 10/1000 mg, n = 48

  4. Placebo, n = 39

 No data

  1. 30/43

  2. 33/43

  3. 43/48

  4. 18/39

  1. 11/43

  2. 17/43

  3. 26/48

  4. 6/39

  1. 18/43

  2. 23/43

  3. 30/48

  4. 6/39

  1. 7/43

  2. 10/43

  3. 15/48

  4. 3/39

 No usable data
GL/MIG/001/92

  1. Paracetamol + metoclopramide 1000/10 mg, n = 302

  2. Sumatriptan 100 mg, n = 305

 No data Moderate/severe
baseline pain
Attack 1:

  1. 103/227

  2. 118/242


After 2nd dose:

  1. 71/138,

  2. 75/143


Attack 2:

  1. 89/219,

  2. 114/207


Attack 3:

  1. 65/193,

  2. 92/188

 No data No 24 h data
48 h, any baseline pain:
Attack 1:

  1. 78/286

  2. 118/288

Attack 2:

  1. 82/260,

  2. 118/258


Attack 3:

  1. 56/228,

  2. 72/221

 No data Over 24 h, any baseline pain:
Attack 1:

  1. 91/286

  2. 79/288


Attack 2:

  1. 93/260

  2. 53/250


Attack 3:

  1. 88/228

  2. 59/221
GL/MIG/001A/92

  1. Paracetamol + metoclopramide 1000/10 mg, n = 373

  2. Sumatriptan 100 mg, n = 348

 No data Moderate/severe
baseline pain
Attack 1:

  1. 122/294

  2. 115/272


Attack 2:

  1. 105/263,

  2. 90/236


Attack 3:

  1. 73/231,

  2. 79/174

 No data No 24 h data
48 h, any baseline pain:
Attack 1:

  1. 87/351

  2. 105/318


Attack 2:

  1. 73/312,

  2. 94/276


Attack 3:

  1. 77/264,

  2. 69/211

 No data Over 24 h, any baseline pain:
Attack 1:

  1. 154/351

  2. 119/318


Attack 2:

  1. 135/312

  2. 114/276


Attack 3:

  1. 137/264

  2. 79/211
Hoernecke 1993

  1. Paracetamol 1000 mg

  2. Dihydroergotamine 2 mg

  3. Paracetamol + dihydroergotamine 1000/2 mg

  4. Placebo


288 participants completed all four treatments		 No data

  1. 109/288

  2. 82/288

  3. 130/288

  4. 56/288

 Pain free or score of 1 (scale 0-9):

  1. 89/288

  2. 72/288

  3. 113/288

  4. 65/288

 No data No data Over 2 h:

  1. 81/288

  2. 92/288

  3. 74/288

  4. 112/288
Lipton 2000

  1. Paracetamol 1000 mg, n = 147

  2. Placebo, n = 142

  1. 62/147

  2. 33/142

  1. 85/147

  2. 55/142

  1. 33/147

  2. 16/142

 No data No data Over 6 h:

  1. 21/147

  2. 46/142
MacGregor 1993

  1. Paracetamol + domperidone 1000/20 mg

  2. Paracetamol + domperidone 1000/30 mg

  3. Paracetamol 1000 mg + placebo


46participants treated at least 1 attack, 44 treated all 3 attacks		 No data No data No data No data No data Over 24 h:

  1. 18/44

  2. 15/46

  3. 21/44


Up to 4 doses of study medication taken
Norrelund 1989

  1. Paracetamol 1000 mg

  2. Tolfenamic acid 400 mg


116 participants treated both attacks		 No data No data No data No data No data No significant difference but paracetamol numerically better than placebo
Prior 2010

  1. Paracetamol 1000 mg, n = 177

  2. Placebo, n = 169

  1. 65/177

  2. 29/169

  1. 92/177

  2. 54/169

  1. 24/177

  2. 14/169

 No data
at 6 h:
(1) 98/17, (2)56/169		 No data
at 6 h:
(1) 62/17, (2) 35/169		 Over 6 h:

  1. 58/177

  2. 83/169