The effect of vitamin E on the treatment of menstrual migraine.

BACKGROUND Many women with migraine experience a change in migraine frequency associated with the menstrual cycle. This study was undertaken to study the effect of vitamin E as a prophylactic agent on women with menstrual migraine. MATERIAL/METHOD During a placebo-controlled double-blinded trial, 72 women with menstrual migraine received placebo (identical in appearance to vitamin E) daily for five days, two days before to three days after menstruation for two cycles followed by a one-month wash-out and one vitamin E softgel (400 IU) daily for five days in the next two cycles. Each woman was evaluated monthly throughout the study and the daily headache severity, concomitant symptoms, and functional disability derived from questionnaires were compared between the vitamin E and the placebo treatment periods using four-point anchored scales. RESULTS There were statistically significant differences in the pain severity and functional disability scales between the placebo and the vitamin E treatments (p<0.001). Vitamin E effect was also superior to placebo regarding photophobia, phonophobia, and nausea (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Vitamin E is effective in relieving symptoms due to menstrual migraine.