Tension-type headache: experience of treatment with the muscle relaxant eperisone (Stezium)

Treatment of patients with tension-type headache (TTH) is currently aimed at relieving headache episodes with analgesics and reducing the number of headache days with antidepressants. A promising area of research is the use of muscle relaxants in patients with tension-type headache (TTH) associated with muscle tension. Objective. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of eperisone (Stezium) for the treatment of tension-type headache (TTH) in a real-world clinical setting. Material and methods. The study included 30 patients (18 men and 12 women, average age 39.8±13.9 years). Frequent ETH was diagnosed in 6 patients (20%), and chronic TTH was diagnosed in 24 patients (80%). Results. During an 8-week course of treatment with eperisone (Stezium, film-coated extended-release tablets, Valenta Pharm JSC, Russia, at a dose of 75 mg orally 2 times a day), patients with TTH experienced a statistically significant reduction in the number of days with pain. Thus, before treatment, the average number of days with tension-type headache in the group was 25.0±7.7, while after treatment, the number was 11.7±11.6 days (p<0.001). Pain intensity decreased from 3.8±1.1 to 2.5±1.5 Visual Analogue Scale points (p<0.001). The level of muscle tension statistically significantly decreased in the pericranial muscles. The response rate to eperisone therapy was 63.3% (n=19). Conclusion. Assessment of temporal and masseter muscle tension using palpatory algometry can be used as a predictor of eperisone efficacy in patients with tension-type headache. Eperisone (Stezium) can be recommended for the comprehensive treatment of patients with tension-type headache with muscle tension.