Doses, duration of trials, therapeutic outcome and discontinuation of oral preventive treatments in short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) and short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with cranial autonomic symptoms (SUNA)
| Mean dose mg (range) | Mild Improvement (<50%) N (%) | Good Improvement (50–90%) N (%) | Excellent improvement (91–100%) N (%) | Non-responders N (%) | Treatment discontinuation N (%) | ||
| Lamotrigine (Total: 134) | SUNCT (n=74) | 285.2 (50–700) | 16 (21.6%) | 30 (40.5%) | 8 (10.8%) | 17 (23.0%) | 11 (14.9%) |
| m.d. | 12 (16.2%) | 3 (4.1%) | 6 (8.3%) | ||||
| SUNA (n=60) | 348.7 (150–600) | 10 (16.7%) | 22 (36.7%) | 11 (18.3%) | 14 (23.3%) | 11 (18.3%) | |
| m.d. | 4 (6.7%) | 3 (5.0%) | 5 (7.8%) | ||||
| Carbamazepine (Total: 87) | SUNCT (n=44) | 683.3 (100–1600) | 9 (20.5%) | 6 (13.6%) | 1 (2.3%) | 27 (61.4%) | 9 (20.5%) |
| m.d. | 10 (22.7%) | 1 (2.3%) | 1 (2.2%) | ||||
| SUNA (n=43) | 750.0 (200–2000) | 11 (26.8%) | 12 (29.3%) | 3 (7.3%) | 15 (36.6%) | 8 (20.0%) | |
| m.d. | 5 (11.6%) | 2 (4.7%) | 3 (7.0%) | ||||
| Gabapentin (Total: 80) | SUNCT (n=50) | 2065.0 (300–4500) | 11 (22.0%) | 4 (8.0%) | 1 (2.0%) | 34 (68.0%) | 4 (8.2%) |
| m.d. | 9 (18.0%) | 0 (0%) | 4 (8.0%) | ||||
| SUNA (n=30) | 1940.7 (200–4800) | 7 (23.3%) | 3 (10.0%) | 0 (0%) | 20 (66.7%) | 6 (19.4%) | |
| m.d. | 5 (16.7%) | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (6.7%) | ||||
| Topiramate (total: 79) | SUNCT (n=48) | 267.4 (50–800) | 10 (20.8%) | 15 (31.3%) | 1 (2.1%) | 22 (45.8%) | 17 (35.4%) |
| m.d. | 1 (2.1%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | ||||
| SUNA (n=31) | 285 (100–400) | 7 (22.6%) | 3 (9.7%) | 0 (0%) | 20 (64.5%) | 7 (22.6%) | |
| m.d. | 3 (9.7%) | 3 (9.7%) | 2 (6.5%) | ||||
| Pregabalin (Total: 66) | SUNCT (n=37) | 414.4 (25–600) | 7 (18.9%) | 4 (10.8%) | 0 (0%) | 25 (67.6%) | 6 (16.2%) |
| m.d. | 4 (10.8%) | 1 (2.7%) | 4 (10.8%) | ||||
| SUNA (n=29) | 355.4 (75–600) | 5 (17.2%) | 3 (10.3%) | 0 (0%) | 20 (69.0%) | 6 (20.7%) | |
| m.d. | 5 (17.2%) | 1 (3.6%) | 4 (13.8%) | ||||
| Oxcarbazepine (Total: 63) | SUNCT (n=29) | 1230 (600–3600) | 7 (24.1%) | 12 (41.4%) | 1 (3.4%) | 9 (31.0%) | 5 (17.2%) |
| m.d. | 1 (3.4%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | ||||
| SUNA (n=34) | 1591.7 (600–3600) | 9 (26.5%) | 13 (38.2%) | 3 (8.8%) | 9 (26.5%) | 10 (29.4%) | |
| m.d. | 3 (8.8%) | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (5.9%) | ||||
| Duloxetine (total: 37) | SUNCT (n=20) | 78.5 (30–120) | 3 (15.0%) | 7 (35.0%) | 2 (10.0%) | 8 (40.0%) | 5 (25.0%) |
| m.d. | 0 (0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 4 (20.0%) | ||||
| SUNA (n=17) | 90.0 (30–120) | 4 (23.5%) | 1 (5.9%) | 1 (5.9%) | 11 (64.7%) | 3 (17.6%) | |
| m.d. | 1 (5.9%) | 0 (0.0%) | 5 (29.4%) | ||||
| Mexiletine (total: 15) | SUNCT (n=8) | 800 (400–1200) | 3 (37.5%) | 3 (37.5%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (25%) | 2 (25%) |
| m.d. | 1 (12.5%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | ||||
| SUNA (n=7) | 916.7 (400–1200) | 1 (14.3%) | 2 (28.6%) | 0 (0%) | 4 (57.1%) | 4 (57.1%) | |
| m.d. | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | ||||
| Lacosamide (total: 9) | SUNCT (n=4) | 75.0 (100–400) | 0 (0%) | 1 (33.3%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (66.7%) | 2 (50.0%) |
| m.d. | 0 (0%) | 1 (25.0%) | 0 (0%) | ||||
| SUNA (n=5) | 120.0 (200-400) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (33.3%) | 2 (66.7%) | 0 (0%) | |
| m.d. | 1 (20.0%) | 2 (40.0%) | 2 (40.0%) | ||||
m.d.=missing data; N=number.
Mean doses comparison between medications tried in SUNCT and SUNA patients: lamotrigine: p=0.141, carbamazepine p=0.251, gabapentin p=0.368, topiramate p=0.370, pregabalin p=0.131, oxcarbazepine p=0.193, duloxetine p=0.065, mexiletine p=0.258, lacosamide p=0.311.