Dexketoprofen: Why You Might Start Hearing More About It.

Dexketoprofen for migraine treatment. You may have already heard of ketoprofen, a similar NSAID. Dexketoprofen is known as an “isomer” of ketoprofen, but that’s another story.

There are, of course, quite a few NSAIDs used for migraine treatment, probably the most common being ibuprofen (often sold under the brand name of Advil). Other common ones are naproxen and ketorolac.

These types of “painkillers” are used over the counter or by prescription. They’re usually taken as an “abortive” after a migraine attack has started. They’re also used when a patient is in the emergency room with migraine. Intravenous ketorolac or ibuprofen may be used in emergency room, sometimes mixed with metoclopramide for nausea.

So with so many NSAIDs out there, why bother with dexketoprofen (sometimes sold as Keral)? Well, some studies seem to indicate that dexketoprofen may work a lot faster than some other common NSAIDs.

For example, this study showed that IV dexketoprofen was working within half an hour, while ibuprofen was working well after an hour. A new study is being done in Turkey to compare the dexketoprofen/metoclopramide mix with the more common ibuprofen/metoclopramide mix.

So you may be hearing more about dexketoprofen for the treatment of migraine. We’re always looking for treatments that work faster, for obvious reasons.

For more research on dexketoprofen, check out: Systematic review of dexketoprofen in acute and chronic pain