Trial of Etoricoxib (Arcoxia) Taken Prophylactically to Prevent Ramadan Headache

Summary

The investigators intend to study whether the use of the pain medication etoricoxib (Arcoxia) taken just before the Ramadan fast will prevent or lessen headache that some people get while fasting. The investigators hypothesize that etoricoxib will reduce the number of people getting headache, more than placebo. The investigators will do this by giving participants in the study either real medication or placebo (sugar pill) and comparing the results. The investigators will study this over two weeks. The first week one group will get the medicine and the other the placebo. The second the groups will switch. Neither the subjects nor the investigators will know who is in which group.

Timeline

Start

2010-07

Primary completion

2010-08

Completion

2010-08

Publications

• Background Drescher MJ, Elstein Y. Prophylactic COX 2 inhibitor: an end to the Yom Kippur headache. Headache. 2006 Nov-Dec;46(10):1487-91. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2006.00609.x.
• Background Drescher MJ, Alpert EA, Zalut T, Torgovicky R, Wimpfheimer Z. Prophylactic etoricoxib is effective in preventing Yom Kippur headache: a placebo-controlled double-blind and randomized trial of prophylaxis for ritual fasting headache. Headache. 2010 Sep;50(8):1328-34. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2009.01587.x. Epub 2009 Dec 21.
• Background Topacoglu H, Karcioglu O, Yuruktumen A, Kiran S, Cimrin AH, Ozucelik DN, Sarikaya S, Soysal S, Turpcu U, Bozkurt S. Impact of Ramadan on demographics and frequencies of disease-related visits in the emergency department. Int J Clin Pract. 2005 Aug;59(8):900-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2005.00460.x.
• Background Awada A, al Jumah M. The first-of-Ramadan headache. Headache. 1999 Jul-Aug;39(7):490-3. doi: 10.1046/j.1526-4610.1999.3907490.x.
• Background Shah PA, Nafee A. Clinical profile of headache and cranial neuralgias. J Assoc Physicians India. 1999 Nov;47(11):1072-5.
• Drescher MJ, Wimpfheimer Z, Abu Khalef S, Gammaitoni A, Shehadeh N, Torgovicky R. Prophylactic etoricoxib is effective in preventing "first of Ramadan" headache: a placebo-controlled double-blind and randomized trial of prophylactic etoricoxib for ritual fasting headache. Headache. 2012 Apr;52(4):573-81. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2011.01993.x. Epub 2011 Aug 16.

Drugs

Indications