Pregnancy and perinatal outcomes in migraineurs using sumatriptan: a prospective study

• Published in: Archives of gynecology and obstetrics 1999-11, Vol.263 (1-2), p.7-12
• Main Authors: O'Quinn, S, Ephross, S A, Williams, V, Davis, R L, Gutterman, D L, Fox, A W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abortion, Spontaneous - epidemiology; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Migraine; Migraine Disorders - drug therapy; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Prospective Studies; Sumatriptan - administration & dosage; Sumatriptan - adverse effects; Sumatriptan - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0932-0067; 1432-0711
• DOI: 10.1007/s004040050252

Sumatriptan is an acute treatment for migraine which is often used by women in their child-bearing years, and who become unexpectedly pregnant. Within the context of the post-marketing use of sumatriptan injection for the acute treatment of migraine, and in compliance with approved labeling, we wished to compare perinatal pregnancy outcomes in women who did and did not use the drug after conception. Open-label, prospective study conducted in 12,339 migraineurs (including 9,861 women) whose demography and consumption pattern of sumatriptan injections were typical, and were predicted to include 150 pregnancies. Outcome of pregnancy was the end-point. There were 168 of 173 pregnancies that were well-documented. Sumatriptan was only used prior to conception in 92 cases. There were 76 first trimester exposures to sumatriptan. There were no differences in pregnancy outcome between the two groups. Perinatal and pregnancy outcome did not differ between patients who had and had not used sumatriptan after conception, at the resolution of these sample sizes. This study design complements the ongoing pregnancy registry, which is now widened to patients exposed to all formulations of sumatriptan.