A recent study was conducted to identify factors that predict adherence to triptans by migraine patients. Triptans have demonstrated efficacy for acute migraine, yet many migraine sufferers discontinue their use. The study group used consisted of sustained users (patients who had had at least one refill of triptans within the past year), and lapsed users (patients who had zero refills in the past year).
Results of the study showed that sustained users of triptans were significantly more satisfied with their medication, had more confidence in the medication’s ability to control headaches, and reported control of migraine with fewer doses of medication. Sustained users also switched triptans products significantly less often than lapsed users, and reported greater benefit from triptan intervention in restoring normal daily functions, including improved cognitive ability, compared with lapsed users’ ratings of their nontriptan medication. More lapsed users than sustained users reported adverse events associated with past triptan use.
This study shows that the patient’s satisfication and confidence in the efficacy of triptans are the strongest predictors of steady adherence to triptan use. The study suggests that lapsed users may not be receiving optimal treatment, and that they may benefit from additional education on proper use of triptans.