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[Headache caused by analgesic and/or ergotamine abuse]
A Panconesi1, P L Del Bianco, C Curradi
1Istituto di Clinica Medica Generale e Terapia Medica IV, Università degli Studi di Firenze.
La Clinica Terapeutica
|May 15, 1991
Summary
Chronic daily headaches can be caused by the overuse of pain medications, a condition now recognized as a distinct disease. Withdrawal from these drugs can lead to significant headache relief for many patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
Context:
- Chronic headache is often linked to the overuse of analgesics and ergotamine.
- The International Headache Society classifies this as an autonomous disease.
Purpose:
- To review the characteristics, pathogenesis, and treatment of chronic headache caused by medication overuse.
Summary:
- Medication overuse headache (MOH) affects approximately 5% of patients in Italian headache centers, often originating from migraines.
- Treatment involves hospitalization, drug withdrawal, management of withdrawal symptoms, and prophylactic therapy.
- Literature review indicates over 60% of patients experience significant headache relief within 1-3.5 years post-withdrawal.
Impact:
- Suggests a causal role for medication overuse in headache chronification.
- Highlights the potential involvement of central antinociceptive system dysfunctions.
- Demonstrates the effectiveness of drug withdrawal in improving chronic headache conditions.