Nonetheless, lithium carbonate has been demonstrated to provide significant benefit in the treatment of CCH. Its efficacy for treating CCH has been demonstrated in the investigation discussed in “First-Line Therapy” and in a study selleck of 8 additional CCH patients.34,38 In the latter study, all
8 patients had at least a 75% improvement within the first 2 weeks of therapy. However, only 1 of 3 who were followed long-term had continued improvement after 18 months of therapy. The evidence for the utility of lithium carbonate for the treatment of ECH is less clear, with generally small studies providing contradictory results.34,38,39 Lithium carbonate doses of 600 mg to 900 mg per day are typically needed to obtain target therapeutic serum lithium levels of 0.4 to 0.8 mEq/L. Lithium serum levels, renal function, and thyroid function should
be monitored during lithium therapy. Common AEs to lithium include diarrhea, tremor and polyuria. Symptoms and signs of toxicity include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, confusion, nystagmus, extrapyramidal signs, ataxia, and seizures. Topiramate, in doses ranging from 50 mg to 200 mg per day, is considered second-line therapy for CH prophylaxis. Although we have designated topiramate as second-line therapy, consistent with the Grade B recommendation in the European Federation of Neurological Societies guidelines, topiramate use for CH prophylaxis has been investigated in open-label studies only.40-42 Common AEs to topiramate include cognitive dysfunction, paresthesias, alteration in taste, weight loss, fatigue, Adenosine and dizziness. Patients with a history of nephrolithiasis ABT263 should not receive topiramate because of an increased risk of recurrent stones while taking this medication. Third-Line Therapy.— Other therapies that may be effective for maintenance cluster prophylaxis include methysergide, valproic acid, melatonin, gabapentin, baclofen, clonidine, and botulinum toxin. Although methysergide is likely effective for preventing CH, it is not available in the USA and long-term use is associated with fibrotic complications. Thus, we cannot recommend its use. Valproic
acid has been shown to provide benefit in open-label and retrospective studies only.43,44 A double-blind placebo-controlled study of sodium valproate did not support its efficacy; however, this may have been due to an exceedingly high response rate of 62% in the placebo group.45 Effective doses range from 500 mg to 2000 mg daily in divided doses. Common AEs include weight gain, fatigue, tremor, hair loss, and nausea. Monitoring with complete blood counts and liver function tests are necessary during valproic acid therapy. Limited evidence supports the use of melatonin for cluster prophylaxis. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 10 mg melatonin, 5 of 10 subjects randomized to melatonin had cluster remission within 5 days while none of the 10 subjects taking placebo went into remission.