Goals:

To know the use of migraine crisis symptomatic treatments in different countries of Europe and the differences observed depending on social and demographic variables.

Material and methods:

Cross-sectional observational study by anonymous web survey to 3,342 patients from Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Ireland, United Kingdom, Germany and other countries of the European Union. Study variables: age, gender, country, type of location, level of studies and rural or urban area. The symptomatic treatments that are collected are: simple analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, triptans, other treatments, several treatments, without treatment, ignorance of symptomatic treatment.

Results:

For simple analgesics, the largest consumers are between 41-60 years (p < 0.0001). Spain and Germany are the countries with the highest use (p < 0.0001). For the anti-inflammatories, the greatest use is between 21-60 years (p < 0.0001). Spain, Italy and Germany are the countries that make the most use of them (p < 0.0001) and higher consumption in patients with higher education (p < 0.003).

Triptans use shows a relationship with age and gender, greater use between 21-60 years (p < 0.0001) and in women (p < 0.0001). By countries, the highest consumption is in Germany, the rest of the European Union countries, Spain and the United Kingdom (p < 0.0001). Greater consumption in patients living in cities with more than 500 inhabitants (p < 0.010) and with medium or higher studies (p < 0.0001). In the group of middle and upper studies, we find, by contrast, the highest percentage of patients who do not know what a symptomatic treatment is (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions:

The result varies according each country greatly and they are modified depending on different social and demographic conditions, being the age, gender, rural or urban environment and cultural level the factors that most affect the use of each symptomatic medication for the migraine crisis.

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