Can a mineral ease severe headaches faster than standard painkillers?
NCT ID NCT07779486
First seen Aug 21, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026
Summary
This trial asks whether an intravenous dose of magnesium sulfate can relieve acute non-traumatic headaches—such as migraines, tension-type, or cluster headaches—more effectively than the standard painkiller paracetamol. Adults arriving at the emergency department with moderate to severe headache will be randomly assigned to receive either low-dose magnesium, high-dose magnesium, or paracetamol. The main goal is to compare pain reduction at 60 minutes and the proportion of people achieving at least 50% pain relief, while also tracking the need for rescue medication and side effects.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Intravenous magnesium sulfate (2 g or 4 g) compared with intravenous paracetamol (1 g)
- What this could lead to
- If effective, IV magnesium could offer a new, fast-acting option for treating acute headaches in the emergency department, potentially reducing the need for rescue medication.
- What could go wrong
- This is a single trial, and results may not apply to all headache types. Magnesium may cause side effects like flushing or low blood pressure, and its benefit over standard care is not yet proven.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 300 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2026
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥18 years * Presentation to the emergency department with acute non-traumatic headache of less than 72 hours duration * Diagnosis consistent with a primary headache disorder, including: * Migraine * Tension-type headache * Cluster headache (according to ICHD-3 criteria) * Moderate to severe pain intensity (VAS ≥5/10) * Ability to understand the study procedures and provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Suspected or confirmed secondary headache (e.g., intracranial hemorrhage, infection, mass lesion) * Recent head trauma * Known hypersensitivity or contraindication to magnesium sulfate or paracetamol * Use of analgesic medication within the previous 6 hours * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Severe renal insufficiency or conditions contraindicating magnesium administration * Hemodynamic instability or clinically significant cardiac conduction disorders Prior participation in this study
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba Monastir
RECRUITINGMonastir, 5000, Tunisia
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