Treatment effect of iron tablets on women in productive age with iron deficiency anemia and vascular headaches

Abstract

Objective: Migraine is classified into two groups of vascular and chronic headaches. Also, iron anemia is the most common type of anemia among women who are in the productive age in the world. This study was done to investigate the relationship between the vascular headaches and the iron deficiency anemia and to see the effect of iron deficiency tablets administration on the treatment of these headaches in women who are in the productive age.

Methodology: In this quasi-control clinical trial study, 50 women in the productive age – who had iron deficiency anemia and vascular headaches and were referred to the neurological clinic of Vali-e-Asr hospital, Arak, Iran were included. The patients were treated with ferrous sulfate tablets for three months. For verifying the treatment, the patients’ hemoglobin was monitored after one month, and in case of any significant increase in this value, the patients were excluded from the study. The number of headache attacks and the number of analgesic used before, through, and three month after the beginning of the administration of ferrous sulfate were noted for all the patients.

Results: The mean number of the headaches attacks one month before the treatment, during the treatment and three months after the treatment were 19.6±28, 14.2±11.2, and 13.3±16.1, respectively (p < 0.0001). In addition, the mean number of used analgesics before the treatment, during the treatment, and three months after the treatment were 30.1±14.1, 14.3±11.2, and 13.1±16.1, respectively (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion: It seems that using iron tablets can be useful in treatment of vascular headaches. Moreover, it has a beneficial effect on patients suffering from iron deficiency anemia with headaches.