Dataset Information

Should we educate about the risks of medication overuse headache?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is caused by the regular use of medications to treat headache. There has been a lack of research into awareness of MOH. We distributed an electronic survey to undergraduate students and their contacts via social networking sites. Analgesic use, awareness of MOH, perceived change in behaviour following educational intervention about the risks of MOH and preferred terminology for MOH was evaluated.

Findings

485 respondents completed the questionnaire (41% having received healthcare training). 77% were unaware of the possibility of MOH resulting from regular analgesic use for headache. Following education about MOH, 80% stated they would reduce analgesic consumption or seek medical advice. 83% indicated that over the counter analgesia should carry a warning of MOH. The preferred terminology for MOH was painkiller-induced headache.

Conclusions

This study highlights the lack of awareness of MOH. Improved education about MOH and informative packaging of analgesics, highlighting the risks in preferred lay terminology (i.e., painkiller-induced headache), may reduce this iatrogenic morbidity and warrants further evaluation.

SUBMITTER: Lai JT

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3942071 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Should we educate about the risks of medication overuse headache?

Lai James T F JT Dereix John D C JD Ganepola Ravi P RP Nightingale Peter G PG Markey Kiera A KA Aveyard Paul N PN Sinclair Alexandra J AJ

The journal of headache and pain 20140213

<h4>Background</h4>Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is caused by the regular use of medications to treat headache. There has been a lack of research into awareness of MOH. We distributed an electronic survey to undergraduate students and their contacts via social networking sites. Analgesic use, awareness of MOH, perceived change in behaviour following educational intervention about the risks of MOH and preferred terminology for MOH was evaluated.<h4>Findings</h4>485 respondents completed the q ...[more]

PMID: 24524380

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Project description:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a common chronic headache caused by overuse of headache analgesics. It has similarities with substance dependence disorders. The treatment of choice for MOH is withdrawal of the offending analgesics. Behavioral brief intervention treatment using methods adapted from substance misuse settings is effective. Here we investigate the severity of analgesics dependence in MOH using the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS), validate the SDS score against formal substance dependence diagnosis based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) and examine whether the SDS predicts successful withdrawal. METHODS:Representative recruitment from the general population; 60 MOH patients, 15 chronic headache patients without medication overuse and 25 population controls. Headaches were diagnosed using the International Classification of Headache Disorders, medication use was assessed and substance dependence classified according to the DSM-IV. The SDS was scored by interviewers blinded to patient group. Descriptive statistics were used and validity of the SDS score assessed against a substance dependence diagnosis using ROC analysis. RESULTS:Sixty-two percent of MOH patients overused simple analgesics, 38% centrally acting analgesics (codeine, opiates, triptans). Fifty percent of MOH patients were classified as DSM-IV substance dependent. Centrally active medication and high SDS scores were associated with higher proportions of dependence. ROC analysis showed SDS scores accurately identified dependence (area under curve 88%). Lower SDS scores were associated with successful withdrawal (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS:MOH has characteristics of substance dependence which should be taken into account when choosing treatment strategy. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Based on data collected in previously reported randomized BIMOH trial (; in the present manuscript, Clinical trials registration number: NCT01314768). The present part, however, represents observational data and is not a treatment trial.

Project description:ObjectiveTo estimate the relative frequency of acute medication overuse (AMO) among people with episodic migraine and chronic migraine, to characterize the types of acute medications overused for migraine, and to identify factors associated with AMO.MethodsWe analyzed data from the Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes (CaMEO) Study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01648530), a cross-sectional and longitudinal internet study that included a systematic sampling of the US population. From September 2012 to November 2013, the CaMEO Study respondents participated in different modules to collect data on the clinical course of migraine, family burden, barriers to care, endophenotypes, and comorbidities. Among people who met the criteria for migraine consistent with the International Classification of Headache Disorders, third edition (ICHD-3), we evaluated types and frequency of medications used for headache/migraine, selected comorbidities, and emergency department (ED) and urgent care (UC) use. AMO was defined by days per month of medication use as specified by ICHD-3 criteria for medication overuse headache (MOH) without the requirement for ≥15 monthly headache days (MHDs). Nested, multivariable binary logistic regression modeling was used to identify factors associated with an increased risk of AMO.ResultsOf 16,789 CaMEO respondents with migraine, 2,975 (17.7%) met the AMO criteria. Approximately 67.9% (2,021/2,975) of AMO respondents reported <15 MHDs. Simple analgesics, combination analgesics, and opioids were the medication classes most commonly overused. Factors associated with AMO in the final multivariable logistic regression model included ≥15 MHDs, moderate to severe disability, severe migraine interictal burden, use of preventive medication, and an ED/UC visit for headache within 6 months.ConclusionsApproximately two-thirds of respondents with AMO reported <15 MHDs and therefore did not meet the criteria for MOH. Those with AMO had greater disease burden and increased ED/UC utilization relative to people with migraine but not AMO.

Project description:ObjectiveThis post hoc analysis in patients medically diagnosed with chronic migraine (CM) and medication-overuse headache (MOH) evaluated reductions in the use of acute headache medication (AHM) and sustained changes in the diagnostic status of CM and MOH following eptinezumab treatment in the PROMISE-2 study.BackgroundEptinezumab, a monoclonal antibody that inhibits calcitonin gene-related peptide, is approved in the United States for the preventive treatment of migraine. A previous analysis showed that eptinezumab reduced monthly migraine days and was well tolerated in the subgroup of PROMISE-2 patients diagnosed with both CM and MOH.MethodsThe phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled PROMISE-2 study (NCT02974153) randomized adults with CM to eptinezumab 100 mg, 300 mg, or placebo (administered intravenously every 12 weeks for up to two doses). MOH was prospectively diagnosed at screening by trained physicians based on 3 months of medication history and International Classification of Headache Disorders-3β criteria. This post hoc analysis evaluated changes in total and class-specific days of AHM usage, the percentage of patients using AHM at or above MOH diagnostic thresholds, and the percentage of patients experiencing monthly headache and migraine day frequency below diagnostic thresholds for MOH and/or CM.ResultsIn PROMISE-2, 431/1072 (40.2%) patients with CM were diagnosed with MOH (eptinezumab 100 mg, n = 139; 300 mg, n = 147; placebo, n = 145) and were included in this analysis. Total monthly AHM use decreased from 20.6 days/month at baseline to 10.6 days/month over 24 weeks of treatment (49% decrease) with eptinezumab 100 mg, from 20.7 to 10.5 days/month (49% decrease) with eptinezumab 300 mg, and from 19.8 to 14.0 days/month (29% decrease) with placebo. Numerically greater decreases from baseline with eptinezumab were also observed for individual drug classes. In each study month, the percentages of patients who were below MOH thresholds were numerically higher for both eptinezumab doses compared with placebo, as were the percentages of patients experiencing headache and migraine frequency below CM thresholds. Of patients with available data across the entire treatment period, 29.0% (58/200) of patients treated with eptinezumab stopped meeting and remained below diagnostic thresholds for both CM and MOH during Weeks 1-24, as well as 6.3% (6/96) of patients who received placebo.ConclusionsAcross 24 weeks of treatment, eptinezumab reduced AHM use in patients diagnosed with CM and MOH. More than one-fourth (29%) of patients treated with eptinezumab did not meet the diagnostic thresholds for either CM or MOH for the entire treatment period.

Dataset Information

Should we educate about the risks of medication overuse headache?

Background

Findings

Conclusions

Publications

Should we educate about the risks of medication overuse headache?

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