Etoricoxib and celecoxib sensitive indomethacin-responsive headache disorders.

Indomethacin-responsive headaches encompass a group of disorders which include a subset of the trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias and other paroxysmal, often precipitated primary headaches. Many patients show a rapid therapeutic response to indomethacin, which is limited by intolerability. Etoricoxib and celecoxib, selective inhibitors of cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), spare gastroduodenal COX-1 activity and are less likely to cause gastrointestinal adverse effects than indomethacin. We report a case series of eight patients, seven who responded to etoricoxib and one patient who responded to celecoxib.