When should headache treatment be escalated to inpatient IV lidocaine?
There are some data supporting the use of IV lidocaine as an abortive treatment for migraine, NDPH, and some trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, when do you recommend pursuing this treatment option?
Answer from: at Academic Institution
Overall, there is a lack of data (few studies) supporting the use of IV lidocaine. There are safety concerns, especially in the pediatric population. The other barrier is lack of expertise, most institutions need a sedation/anesthesia team for IV lidocaine administration even if it's done in outpati...
My personal experience with IV lidocaine for headache or migraine going back to the 1980s is that it does not work. It certainly should never be a reason for hospitalization; we administered it in an outpatient clinic.