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Opioids in headache.

Morris Levin1

  • 1Department of Neurology, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA.

Headache
|October 17, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Opioid analgesics offer some benefits for headache management but carry significant risks like tolerance, dependence, and addiction. Their use in acute and chronic headache disorders requires careful consideration of these adverse effects.

Keywords:
addictionopioidstreatment

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Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pain Management
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Opioid analgesics are frequently prescribed for headache disorders.
  • Their use has increased significantly over the past 25 years, particularly for non-malignant pain.
  • The efficacy and safety of opioids for acute and prophylactic headache treatment remain controversial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the benefits and disadvantages of opioid use in managing migraine and other headache disorders.
  • To focus on the acute treatment of migraine attacks with opioids.
  • To evaluate the continuous prophylactic use of opioids for refractory chronic migraine.

Main Methods:

  • Review of known properties of opioid medications.
  • Analysis of clinical data regarding opioid use in headache management.
  • Examination of adverse effects, including tolerance, dependence, and addiction.

Main Results:

  • Opioid treatment for acute and chronic headaches presents significant challenges.
  • Adverse effects such as tolerance, dependence, and addiction are prominent concerns.
  • The benefits of opioids must be weighed against these substantial risks.

Conclusions:

  • The use of opioid analgesics for acute migraine attacks and prophylactic treatment of chronic migraine is a complex issue.
  • Careful consideration of potential adverse effects is crucial.
  • Further research and clinical guidelines are needed to optimize opioid use in headache management.