Desvenlafaxine for Preventive Treatment of Frequent Migraines

Inclusion criteria

• Eligible participants must be males or females aged 18 years or older
• Headache meets the diagnostic criteria for episodic migraine according to ICHD-3; with at least a one-year history of migraines and onset before age 50. During the three months prior to the screening visit (one month defined as four weeks), participants must have experienced≥4 and <15 episodes of moderate to severe headaches per month, and had at least ≥6 migraine days within a 4-week run-in period.
• Obtain the patient's informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Have a history of allergy to Desvenlafaxine, or have used Desvenlafaxine within 4 weeks prior to the start of the treatment period
• Are currently taking or require concomitant administration of contraindicated medications as stated in the package insert, such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).
• Comorbid with other types of headaches, such as trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, more than one episode of tension-type headache per month, or secondary headaches (e.g., those caused by intracranial infections, craniocerebral trauma, cerebrovascular diseases)
• Severe psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia; poorly controlled epilepsy, cognitive impairments, and other chronic pain conditions; serious concomitant medical illnesses that pose significant health risks, including uncontrolled hypertension, cardiac disease, hepatic dysfunction, renal insufficiency, infections; any medical condition or prior surgery likely to affect the absorption, metabolism, or excretion of the study medication
• Use of venlafaxine analogues, such as serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs); unstable use of other types of preventive medications for migraine, including calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonists, topiramate, etc. (≥3 months)
• Meet the diagnostic criteria for chronic migraine and medication overuse (MO); alcohol dependence or substance use
• Inability to comprehend the study protocol due to factors including but not limited to low educational attainment, impaired verbal/language function, visual or auditory deficits; failure to accurately complete research documentation (e.g., headache diaries) or incapacity to engage with assessment instruments
• Female subjects who are trying to conceive, pregnant or breastfeeding, and those not using contraception