Drug utilizationand Quality of Life in patients of Migraine at a Tertiary Care Hospital in India

Background: Migraine is a common neurological disorder associated with a significant disease burden. It is characterized by unilateral/bilateral severe pulsating headache. Insufficient data are available regarding the utilization pattern of available drugs for the prevention and management of migraine. Migraines can be severe enough to limit sufferers’ causing significant lost productivity and decrements in health-related quality of life. Objectives: To study drug utilization pattern in patient of migraine in the outpatient department of neurology at a tertiary care teaching hospital. To assess the impact of migraine on Quality of life [QOL] of patients suffering from migraine. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted for 12 weeks. All patients either gender and age were included attending the neurology Outpatient Department and diagnosed to have migraine. Demographic profile of the patient and drug data was collected. Tools of QOL in migraine are included: Migraine disability assessment (MIDAS) score, Headache Disability Index (HDI) score and Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) score. Results: Total 65 patients were included; 53 (81.5%) females and 12 (18.5 %) males. Most of the patients were of 21-50 years of age. Precipitating factors were travel (30.77%) followed by mental tension (18.46%) and irregular food intake/ hunger (15.38%). Common symptoms were photophobia (53.8%) and phonophobia (50.7%). Drugs prescribed propranolol 43 (66.1%), amitriptyline (21.5%), naproxen (6.1%) and paracetamol (6.1%). MIDAS score; most patients 36 (55.3%) presented with mild disability. 52 (80%) patients answered that they feel severe migraine pain. Conclusions: We observed that migraine is more common in females patients. Most common drugs used alone were propranolol, amitriptyline, naproxen and paracetamol. Most patients felt severe headache which has affected their day-to-day life disabling that it impacted their ability to do even daily routine work.