Over 2 months of treatment , SSRIs are no more efficacious than placebo in patients with migraine .
In patients with chronic TTH , SSRIs are less efficacious than tricyclic antidepressants .
In comparison with SSRIs , the burden of adverse events in patients receiving tricyclics was greater .
BACKGROUND Headache is a common medical problem .
In view of recent discoveries about the role of serotonin in pain mechanisms , selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) have been evaluated for the prevention of  migraine and tension-type headaches ( TTH ) .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of SSRIs for preventing migraine and TTH .
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for migraine prophylaxis.
The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of sertraline in migraine prophylaxis . Other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been studied for migraine prophylaxis , but this is the first report with sertraline .  Twenty-seven subjects were enrolled and baseline assessment of migraine frequency and severity were measured over a 4-week period . Subjects were then r and omized to receive placebo or sertraline in a double-blind fashion with headache frequency and severity measured over an 8-week period . Subjects completed a daily diary reporting the occurrence , severity , and degree of impairment associated with migraine . The headache index , a composite measure of migraine frequency and severity , scores did not significantly improve between assessment s at baseline ( 20.8 + /- 14.88 ) , 8 weeks ( 17.6 + /- 12.27 ) , and 12 weeks ( 16.7 + /- 6.38 ) in the treatment group ( n=6 ) ( P=0.956 ) . This finding is compared to other studies with the serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors , fluoxetine , fluvoxamine , and paroxetine . The authors believe that the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are not as effective as conventional migraine prophylaxis medications such as beta-blockers , tricyclic antidepressants , or divalproex sodium , but that in patients with comorbid depression who have failed conventional therapy selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be effective
Over 2 months of treatment , SSRIs are no more efficacious than placebo in patients with migraine .
In patients with chronic TTH , SSRIs are less efficacious than tricyclic antidepressants .
In comparison with SSRIs , the burden of adverse events in patients receiving tricyclics was greater .
BACKGROUND Headache is a common medical problem .
In view of recent discoveries about the role of serotonin in pain mechanisms , selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) have been evaluated for the prevention of  migraine and tension-type headaches ( TTH ) .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of SSRIs for preventing migraine and TTH .