Painkiller overuse can cause headaches

TAKING PAINKILLERS or anti-migraine medications too frequently can result in chronic headaches, an expert has warned.

Ireland needs more awareness and structured facilities to help people overcome that reliance, according to Prof Rigmor Jensen from the University of Copenhagen.

She was in Ireland last week to talk to a meeting about best practice in treating “medication overuse headache”, where overly frequent use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs to control headache symptoms results in chronic headache.

The condition affects an estimated 250,000 people in Ireland north and south, according to the Migraine Association of Ireland.

“Many people do not regard painkillers as drugs,” Prof Jensen told The Irish Times.

“Some people start the day with two paracetamol in case they get a headache. They do not regard it as a problem, but the cure becomes the cause.”

Prof Jensen said that keeping a diary of how frequently you are taking painkiller or anti-migraine medications can help to highlight the problem, and the treatment itself is to stop taking the drugs.

Going “cold turkey” can initially lead to worsening symptoms, but can eventually reduce the number of headaches each month, she noted.

“It’s very important you are prepared. You may have to take the days off work and be ready for a migraine-like attack but it will disappear, and if you come out of medication overuse there is an excellent prognosis,” said Prof Jensen.

She directs the Danish Headache Centre, which offers support, structured programmes and in some cases inpatient facilities to help people withdraw.

“Some had chronic headache every day for 10, 20 or 30 years, but are now down to one or two days per month,” she said.

There is no inpatient programme for medication overuse headache patients in Ireland, according to the Migraine Association of Ireland.

The association’s chief executive Patrick Little said that the majority of sufferers here are told by their doctors to give up the medication and then come back.

“However, for someone who is taking medication on more than 15 days per month just so they can function, this is often impossible to do alone,” he said.