Bath‐related headache controlled by zolmitriptan. Issue 5 (9th June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tanaka, Ryota; Ando, Maya; Shimura, Hideki; Yamashiro, Kazuo; Hattori, Nobutaka
• Is Part Of: Neurology and clinical neuroscience. Volume 3:Issue 5(2015)
• Page Start: 200
• Page End: 202
• Publication Date: 2015-06-09
• Subjects: Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Periodicals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1111/ncn3.12008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2049-4173

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="ncn312008-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Bath‐related headache is a rare headache syndrome that is usually provoked by contact with water, such as during bathing and showering, and mostly affects postmenopausal, middle‐aged or elderly Asian women. The patient was a 59‐year‐old Japanese woman who had experienced repeated intense thunderclap headaches immediately after taking a shower. The trigger episodes for the headache were not only taking a shower, but also tooth brushing and wiping the body with a hot towel. Several medications, including NSAIDs or Ca‐channel blocker, were not effective for the headache; however, pretreatment with zolmitriptan before showering completely attenuated the attack of bath‐related headache. Previous literature showed that bath‐related headache is generally resistant to NSAIDs; and other treatments, such as nimodipine (a Ca²⁺ channel antagonist), also showed limited effects. As the present case showed the strong effects of triptans for the prevention of bath‐related headache, we discuss its pathophysiology and review the literature.</p> </abstract>