In summary, professionals are justified in using Amitriptyline as a first-line intervention among those who wish to prevent migraine attacks and/or address mixed migraine with tension-type headaches.If you’ve taken Amitriptyline for migraine prophylaxis, feel free to share your experience in the comments section below. At higher doses, side effects such as drowsiness, weight gain, etc. Beta-blockers relax blood vessels throughout the body, which is why they are used for the management of hypertension. Results indicated that Amitriptyline significantly reduced severity, frequency, and duration of migraine attacks.Comparatively, Propranolol only reduced severity of migraine attacks. (1993) investigated the efficacy of Propranolol (a beta blocker) and Amitriptyline (an antidepressant) for the prevention of migraine headaches. © 2005-2020 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. This study recruited 100 patients and assigned them to receive a placebo for a 4-week baseline period. The Role of Beta-Blockers for Migraine Prevention Medically reviewed by Deena Kuruvilla, MD Beta-blockers are typically prescribed for high blood pressure and heart conditions. Beta-blockers are taken on an everyday basis to reduce blood pressure, and they are also used daily when recommended for migraine prevention. Researchers concluded that a prominent mechanism by which Amitriptyline treats migraines is via reduction of cortical spreading depression (CSD). A total of 277 participants received either Amitriptyline (25-50 mg/day) or Divalproate (500-750 mg/day) – side effects were documented.Over 70% of all participants suffered from allodynia the following subtypes: static mechanical (90%), dynamic (89%), and thermal (17%). β-Blockers represent the oldest, widest used and best-documented prophylactic treatment for migraine. Amitriptyline also alleviated 53 cases of tension headaches and 56 with the adjunct administration of Dihydroergotamine. Among the 31 individuals that failed to derive at least 50% symptomatic reduction from Amitriptyline, almost zero response was observed.This suggests that non-responders to Amitriptyline may exhibit distinctive pathoetiological underpinnings from responders. Since CSD (Cortical Spreading Depression) is implicated among many individuals with migraines, reducing it may be the principal therapeutic mechanism of Amitriptyline.That said, it would be somewhat myopic to attribute the entire antimigraine mechanism of Amitriptyline to a single mechanism involving modulation of voltage-gated sodium channels. Following its administration, Amitriptyline reduced the number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (at sites of inflammation), as well as proinflammatory biomarkers IL-1B and TNF-alpha.While it is important to avoid extrapolating these results to humans, a similar mechanism could occur. (1987) assessed the efficacy of Amitriptyline versus Propranolol for migraine prophylaxis. Other miscellaneous benefits include: low cost, mood enhancement, unique mechanism of action, and effectiveness in treating other headaches.There may be some drawbacks associated with using Amitriptyline as a migraine prophylactic. Other mechanisms of Amitriptyline that may contribute to migraine relief and/or prevention include: anti-inflammatory effects, serotonin receptor antagonism, H1 receptor antagonism, and NMDA modulation. Reports documenting the antimigraine effects of Amitriptyline date back to the 1970s and most evidence suggests that it is a highly effective antimigraine medication.A meta-analysis published by Jackson et al. All matters regarding your health require medical supervision. Results showed an odds ratio (OR) of 2.4 (95% CI, 1.1 to 5.4) for the number of patients reporting a 50 percent improvement in migraine index, and a …