Atkins Diet for Difficult-to-Control Headaches in Teenagers

Johns Hopkins University

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 1

Conditions: Chronic Daily Headache

Treatments: Behavioral: Modified Atkins diet

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00181064

05-08-10-04

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is a 3-month pilot study of 10 adolescents with chronic daily headache. Teens will be placed on a modified Atkins diet and followed with 2 subsequent visits to assess for headache improvement.

Full description

Patients are placed on the diet and followed with various measures for 3 months. If the diet is helpful it is continued. Patients are still being enrolled as of 9/6/06.

Enrollment: 10 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 12 to 19 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Ages 12-19
• Minimum 15 headaches/month for at least 3 months
• Tried 2 preventative medications previously

Exclusion criteria

• Prior use of the Atkins diet for more than 1 week
• Pregnancy
• Significant heart or kidney disease
• Dangerously underweight
• Using acute pain medications more than 11 days in the past month
• Medications being changed

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)