A new study has shown that Acetylsalicylic acid ( Aspirin ), given intravenously ( IV ), may be a safe and effective option for people hospitalized for severe headache or migraine, undergoing medication withdrawal.

The research is published in the Neurology.

For the study, researchers reviewed the medical records of 168 people between the ages of 18 and 75, hospitalized for headache and given Acetylsalicylic acid through an IV. Of those, 117 were women. All but three people had chronic daily headache, a condition defined as having a headache 15 days or more per month for three months. Most had a diagnosis of migraine.

Participants received doses of one gram of Acetylsalicylic acid, with an average of five doses. Overall, about six percent of people experienced side effects, none of which were considered severe. Side effects included nausea, pain from IV insertion and vomiting.

Before, during and after treatment, 86 participants wrote hourly in diaries about their pain. Pain was rated on a 10-point scale, with scores of 1-3 for mild headache, 4-7 for moderate headache, and 8-10 for severe headache. Participants’ comments, along with nurses’ notes, were also used to rate the effectiveness of IV Acetylsalicylic acid.

The study found that more than 25 percent of the time, people experienced a 3-point or greater reduction in pain scores, downgrading the headache from severe to moderate, moderate to mild or from mild to no headache. About 40 percent of the time, participants reported a moderate effect.

Potential side effects of Acetylsalicylic acid include: heartburn, nausea, vomiting, bleeding, worsening of asthma, kidney impairment and rash.

Source: American Academy of Neurology, 2010

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