Effectiveness of Petasites hybridus preparations in the prophylaxis of migraine:: A systematic review

The objective of this review was to evaluate the strength of evidence of effectiveness for Petasites hybridus in the prophylaxis of migraine. Several databases and other sources were searched to identify randomised-controlled trials investigating P. hybridus preparations. Two trials totalling 293 patients (60 and 233 patients) were included in this review. Both trials investigated the proprietary Petasites root extract Petadolex (R). The trials were described in narrative way, taking into consideration methodological quality scores. Pooling of data was not carried out due to the heterogeneity of the results. The extract at higher dose (150mg) showed a greater decreased frequency of migraine attacks and a greater number of responders (improvement > 50%) after treatment over 3-4 months than the extract at lower dose (100mg) and placebo. Moderate evidence of effectiveness is, thus, available for a higher than the recommended dose of the proprietary Petasites root extract Petadolex (R) in the prophylaxis of migraine. Further rigorous studies are required to confirm effectiveness and safety in long-term use before treatment with Petasites root extract can be recommended as an alternative option in the treatment schedule for the prophylaxis of migraine. (c) 2006 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.