Improved Efficacy of Pregabalin by Restoring Plasma Vitamin D Levels in Migraine: a Case Report

Psychopharmacol Bull. 2019 Jun 20;49(2):41-45.

Abstract

Migraine appears to be the most common neurological syndrome in primary care. Pain in migraine is mediated by the release of inflammatory mediators at the level of nerves and blood vessels. The antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of vitamin D in the central nervous system suggest that deficiency of this vitamin can be involved in migraine. Moreover, low serum levels of vitamin D correlates with a higher incidence of chronic pain, including migraine and in co-administered with anti-migraine treatment reduces the frequency of migraine attacks. We report a 46-year old woman affected by migraine, anxiety and mild depressive mood (MSQ score: 24; BDI score: 34; VAS score: 8) that partially improved with pregabalin treatment (VAS: 5). Laboratory findings documented low serum levels of vitamin D (25-hydroxy-vitamin D: 12 ng/mL; normal range: 20-100 ng/mL; 1-25 di-hydroxy-vitamin D: 19 ng/mL, normal range: 25-66 ng/mL). The treatment with 10,000 UI vitamin D during pregabalin therapy induced an improvement of clinical symptoms (pain, anxiety and depression) and of the quality of life. This case report suggest that in chronic migraine patient with anxiety and mild mood depression in treatment with pregabalin a supplementation of vitamin D improvement the clinical symptoms of migraine and a modulation of inhibitoy synaptic neurotransmission may explain this effect in our migraine patient.

Keywords: inhibitory synaptic neurotransmission; migraine; pregabalin; vitamin D restoring; vitamin D serum levels.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics / administration & dosage*
  • Anxiety / drug therapy
  • Depression / drug therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Migraine Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Migraine Disorders / physiopathology
  • Migraine Disorders / psychology
  • Pregabalin / administration & dosage*
  • Quality of Life
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vitamin D / administration & dosage*
  • Vitamin D / blood
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / complications
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / drug therapy

Substances

  • Analgesics
  • Vitamin D
  • Pregabalin