Saussurea lappa: Possible Relief for Migraine Patients

Migraine headaches have become a very common disorder. Individual loss of productivity due to migraines has social and economic effects for society, and the actual treatment of migraines has not only medical, but serious economic and social implications as well. Since ancient times, care givers have used Saussurea lappa root for medicinal purposes because it contains different therapeutic advantages as a treatment for headaches. This study conducted a clinical trial to evaluate the relieving effects of Saussurea lappa on migraine patients. Blood samples were analyzed for determination of liver, kidney functions, and hematology parameters before and after treatment. Serotonin and its precursor tryptophan, magnesium, and calcium concentrations were also analyzed before and after treatment, because they play a role in migraine pathogenesis. The trial included 42 subjects divided into three groups: Group I (22 patients) received treatments of Saussurea lappa (1 g/500 ml/day); Group II (10 individuals), controls, received the same treatment with the same dose of Saussurea lappa; and Group III (10 patients), received antimigraine drugs (Amitriptyline 20 mg/day and Ibuprofen 400 mg/day). Results showed no significant changes in the concentrations of liver, kidney functions, or hematology parameters before or after treatment, except for calcium. High calcium levels are generally associated with headaches. The results showed that calcium concentration decreased in patients after treatment with Saussurea lappa, indicating that this root could have an effect in relieving headaches by lowering calcium levels. Since magnesium and serotonin, and its precursor tryptophan, markedly decrease during migraines, this study measured both. The results revealed increased magnesium and serotonin levels in the control group after two weeks of treatment and slightly decreased levels in patients after treatment with Saussurea lappa. This could be due to the fact that the duration of the treatment was not long enough to show real significance. This study found Saussurea lappa a safe and effective alternative therapeutic agent. Key words: Saussurea lappa, migraine, serotonin.