Medication-Overuse Headache

Abstract

Scientific Background: Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is one of the most common causes of chronic daily headache and a clinically important entity. Frequent analgesic drug intake, especially in migraine patients, may induce the risk of MOH. Objectives: To present clinical findings of our patients with MOH Material and Methods: We studied 35 patients who were diagnosed as MOH approximately over a year at a neurology out-patient clinic. Age, sex and primary headache of the patients, and, duration and type of medication that they used, and their response to the therapy of MOH were assessed. Results: Patients consisted of 32 female and 3 male. The mean age was 40.1 (range:17-75). Primary headache of the patients were 27 migraines, 4 tension headaches and 4 migraine plus tension headaches. Avarage duration of primary headache and medication overuse were 16.8 and 2.6 years respectively. Overused drugs were ergotamine (n: 15), combination analgesics (n:8), nonsteroid antiinflamatory drugs (n:7), triptans (n:5). Twenty-one patients were free from the headache after drug withdrawal and medical treatment of MOH such as amitriptyline.
Conclusions: in order to prevent MOH, it is important to warn the patients against frequent use of medicine, and not to delay prophylactic medication of headaches.