Is Myofascial Pain of the Temporal Muscles Relieved by Oral Sumatriptan? A Cross-over Pilot Study

There is evidence that serotonin may be implicated in the pathophysiology of myofascial pain (MFP). Because of this, we used oral sumatriptan (Imitrex, Glaxo), a peripherally acting agonist of 5-HT1D receptors, in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled double crossover pilot study of 7 patients with episodic MFP of the temporalis muscles. The results showed that there was a significant reduction in pain intensity and increase in pain relief over time with both the active medication and the placebo, but no significant difference between treatments. All but 1 patient reported that they are not interested in retaking the same medication. These data suggest that oral sumatriptan may not be the drug of choice in the control of episodic MFP.