Warfarin Therapy Improved Migraine Headaches with Aura: A Case Report

Warfarin therapy is indicated for patients generally requiring anticoagulation therapy. Warfarin's common indications include myocardial infarction (MI), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and stroke. Warfarin is favorable for many clinicians because it allows for direct monitoring. Furthermore, it comes in many doses which offer options for providers to ensure optimal anticoagulation for patients through monitoring of the International Normalized Ratio (INR). Warfarin acts as a vitamin K antagonist, preventing the synthesis of certain coagulation factors. Another benefit of warfarin is that it can be reversed using vitamin K. Literature reports have demonstrated warfarin's benefit in some adult patients for migraine headaches. Although these findings are scarce and incidental, we report a case of a 52-year-old male for whom warfarin was instrumental in maintaining the abortive benefit of migraine headaches and associated visual disturbances. The case report illustrates the possible added benefit of continuing warfarin therapy for patients with migraine headaches regardless of the primary indication for the warfarin therapy.

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