MEDICATION-OVERUSE HEADACHE

Course overview

MEDICATION-OVERUSE HEADACHES (MOH), ALSO KNOWN AS ANALGESIC REBOUND HEADACHES, DRUG-INDUCED HEADACHES, OR MEDICATION-MISUSE HEADACHES, ARE A COMMON NEUROLOGIC DISORDER THAT RESULTS IN ENORMOUS DISABILITY AND SUFFERING AND PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE TRANSFORMATION FROM EPISODIC TO CHRONIC HEADACHE DISORDERS. THESE HEADACHES TYPICALLY DEVELOP IN PATIENTS WITH ESTABLISHED PRIMARY HEADACHE DISORDERS LIKE MIGRAINE OR TENSION-TYPE HEADACHES WHO OVERUSE MEDICATION IN AN ATTEMPT TO ALLEVIATE THE SYMPTOMS OF THEIR PRIMARY HEADACHE. AN UNFORTUNATE CYCLE OF MEDICATION OVERUSE RESULTS IN INCREASED HEADACHE FREQUENCY, WHEREBY THE MEDICATION INDICATED FOR THE TREATMENT OF THE PRIMARY HEADACHE BECOMES THE CAUSE OF HEADACHES. PATIENTS PRONE TO HEADACHES WHO TAKE ANALGESICS FOR OTHER CONDITIONS CAN ALSO DEVELOP MOH. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE PRESENTATION, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF MEDICATION-OVERUSE HEADACHES AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF AN INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM APPROACH TO THE CARE OF AFFECTED PATIENTS.