Migraine strikes study: factors in patients’ decision to treat early

To describe factors associated with early treatment of migraine, and to examine reasons patients do not treat early, this cross-sectional observational study email-recruited migraineurs ≥18-years-old who were currently prescribed acute migraine medication. Within 24 h of migraine resolution, eligible patients completed an online migraine strikes questionnaire which addressed pain severity, associated symptoms, and other variables including reasons for not treating early. Results reported were descriptive. Among 1,044 evaluable patients, early treatment was significantly associated with several factors such as leisure activity at onset (OR 1.32, P = 0.010), photophobia (OR 1.39, P = 0.013), diagnosis of migraine with aura (OR 1.36, P = 0.004), and other factors. Among 840 patients who reported wanting to treat earlier desire to reserve medication for a severe migraine was the most common reason given for not doing so (51.2%). Overcoming these factors may facilitate earlier migraine treatment. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10194-008-0091-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.