Table 4 Dosage, side-effects and contraindications for prophylactic treatment

Propranolol

40-240 mg

Frequent: asthenia, poor tolerance to effort

Asthma, heart failure, atrio-ventricular block, bradycardia

Metoprolol

100-200 mg

Timolol (without MA)

10-20 mg

Atenolol (without MA)

100 mg

Rare: insomnia, nightmares, impotence, depression

NB: possibility of aggravation of migraines with aura

Nadolol (without MA)

80-240 mg

Nebivolol (without MA)

5 mg

Oxetorone

60-180 mg (1–3 tablets) as one dose in the evening

Frequent: somnolence

Rare: diarrhoea necessitating discontinuation of treatment

Amitriptyline

10-50 mg in the evening

Dry mouth, somnolence

Glaucoma, prostatic adenoma

Weight gain

Pizotifen

3 tablets per day at progressive doses

Sedation

Glaucoma, uredo-prostatic problems

Weight gain

Rare: digestive problems, dizziness, muscular pain, asthenia

Topiramate

50-100 mg

Paresthesia

Hypersensitivity to topiramate

Weight loss

Pregnancy

Cognitive effects (word-finding difficulties)

Rare: renal calculi, acute myopia associated with secondary angle closure glaucoma

Sodium valproate (without MA)

500-1000 mg

Nausea, weight gain, somnolence, trembling, alopecia, liver attack

Liver diseases

Pregnancy

Methysergide

2-6 mg (1–3 tablets) Necessary to stop treatment for 1 month every 6 months

Frequent: nausea, dizziness, insomnia

Hypertension, heart failure, arteriopathologies, gastric ulcer, liver and kidney failure, association with triptans

Rare: retroperitoneal fibrosis

Flunarizine

10 mg (1 tablet in the evening). Not for more than 6 consecutive months

Frequent: somnolence, weight gain

Depressive syndrome, extra-pyramidal syndrome

Rare: depression, extrapyramidal syndrome

Gabapentin (without MA)

1200-2400 mg

Nausea, vomiting, convulsions, somnolence, ataxia, dizziness

Hypersensitivity to gabapentin

Dihydroergotamine

10 mg

Nausea

Association with triptans

Indoramin

50 mg

Somnolence, nasal congestion, dry mouth, ejaculation problems

Hypersensitivity to one of the components of the drug product, Parkinson’s disease, severe heart, liver and kidney failure

Candesartan (without MA)

8-16 mg

Arterial hypotension, dizziness

Hypersensitivity, severe liver and kidney failure

2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy

Venlafaxin (without MA)

75-150 mg

Nausea, dizziness, hypersudation, somnolence, nervousness, dry mouth

Hypersensitivity to venlafaxine, association with non-selective MAOI, congenital galactosaemia, breast feeding