Marked improvement of headaches and vasomotor symptoms with sympathomimetic amines in a woman with sympathetic hyperalgesia-edema syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if relief from various pain conditions with sympathomimetic amines may be a direct effect on pain fibers or related to improvement of edema.

METHODS

A woman with severe migraine headaches resistant to standard therapy was treated with dextroamphetamine sulfate.

RESULTS

The headaches markedly improved shortly after treatment as did her vasomotor symptoms. However, in this case the inability to lose weight despite dieting related to edema did not improve.

CONCLUSIONS

The improvement of pain and vasomotor symptoms in this disorder of the sympathetic nervous system does not seem to necessarily be related to edema causing pain. Sympathomimetic amines may have a direct effect on sympathetic nervous system fibers. Thus, a more appropriate term for this condition instead of idiopathic orthostatic cyclic edema would be sympathetic hyperalgesia-edema syndrome.