Needle-Free migraine relief for kids? nasal spray cocktail tested in ER
NCT ID NCT06083571
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a nasal spray version of the migraine drug Ketorolac, combined with oral Prochlorperazine and Diphenhydramine, could relieve migraine pain in children as effectively as the standard IV treatment. The trial aimed to enroll children aged 4 and older with migraines in the emergency department. However, the study was terminated early after enrolling only 41 participants, so the results are not conclusive.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Ketorolac (nasal spray), Prochlorperazine (oral), Diphenhydramine (oral)
- What this could lead to
- If it worked, this could offer children with migraines a needle-free way to get fast pain relief in the emergency room.
- What could go wrong
- The trial was terminated early with only 41 participants, so results are limited. It is unclear if the nasal spray works as well as the standard IV treatment.
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
-
Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
-
41 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jan 2024
- Finished
-
Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
6 to 17 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * A headache that fulfills at least three of the six following criteria: i) moderate to severe episode of impaired daily activities; ii) focal localization of headache (focal meaning unilateral, bifrontal, bitemporal, or biparietal); iii) pulsatile description; iv) nausea or vomiting or abdominal pain; v) photophobia or phonophobia or avoidance of light and noise; and vi) symptoms increasing with activity or resolving by rest * Pain 4/10 on the validated Faces Pain Scale * Headache duration between 1 and 72 hours Exclusion Criteria: * Any contraindication to receiving ketorolac (e.g. known allergy, known peptic ulcer disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, hepatic impairment (patients with known aspartate aminotransferase (AST) \> 60 units/L "OR" alanine aminotransferase (ALT) \> 40 units/L "OR" total bilirubin \> 1.2 mg/dl) * Renal impairment (patients with known estimated glomerular filtration rate of \< 90 mL/min/1.73m2) * Known bleeding disorders * Receipt of an NSAID (e.g. ibuprofen, naproxen, naproxen/sumatriptan) within previous six hours * Receipt of oral prochlorperazine or metoclopramide or diphenhydramine within 12 hours prior to presentation * Presence of intranasal obstruction (e.g. mucous or blood) that cannot be readily cleared using suction or nose blowing * Inability to speak English * Patients with a concurrent diagnosis of traumatic brain injury * Unable to complete self-report measures of pain or questionnaires (e.g. developmental delay, neurologic impairment) * Critical illness * Frequent use of drugs for headache (defined as regular intake of analgesics for acute headaches on more than 10 days per month) * Patients refusing to take oral adjuncts or unable to tolerate oral medications will be excluded from the trial. * Patients currently on the following medications will also be excluded from the study as there are contraindications for use of Ketorolac with use of these medications: antiplatelets (i.e. salicylates, aspirin, clopidogrel, ticagrelor), Anticoagulants (i.e. warfarin, rivaroxaban, apixaban, dabigatran, enoxaparin, and heparin), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (losartan, Lisinopril), cyclosporine or tacrolimus, furosemide, bumetanide, spironolactone, hydrochlorothiazide, digoxin, lithium, methotrexate, probenecid, some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (including i.e. citalopram, escitalopram, sertraline), antipsychotics (i.e. Quetiapine, risperidone, aripiprazole, haloperidol), tranylcypromine, oxybates, oral potassium citrate, and Anticholinergics (i.e. amantadine).
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Washington University in St. Louis
St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States
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