Drug use in patients with headache in the post-Covid period

Abstract

Drug use is a risk factor for the chronification of primary headaches and the development of secondary headaches. Forms of persistent post COVID headache have been reported, which may be due in part to the headache attributed to COVID 19 but also to drug use. The aim of the study was to analyze post-COVID drug use in subjects with headaches and to compare with preinfection levels. Material and method: An online survey was done. Questionnaires were completed by subjects who had experienced COVID 19 infection and had a headache. The questionnaire was structured in 72 questions validated and approved by the institutional bioethics committee. Completion time - 20 min. The analysis of drug use was performed and the possible prediction factors were determined by simple multivariate regression. Results: The study included 140 subjects with a mean age of 37.44 ± 10.18 years, 88.6% being women. They reported average drug use for the treatment of pain (days / month) before COVID 19 infection = 4.15 ± 4,041 (days / month) vs. during COVID 19 infection = 9.80 ± 7.742 (days / month) vs post COVID period = 7.7 ± 8.243 (days /month) (½ p <0.000, 1/3 p <0.026). Multivariate regression analysis allowed the prediction of factors that influence drug use. Model 1 - R2 = 0.471, p = 0.031, F = 2.13, df = 15; Predictor 1 = previous drug use before COVID: B = 0.641, β = 0.408, t = 2.85, p = 0.017; Predictor 2 = post COVID headache: B = -2.33, β = -0.293, t = -2.09, p = 0.044; Predictor 3 = post COVID depression: B = - 4.00, β = -0.300, t = -2.09, p = 0.050. Model 3 - R2 = 0.204, p = 0.004, F = 6.26, df = 2, Predictor 1 = drug use before COVID: B = 0.595, β = 0.379, t = 2.9, p = 0.005, Predictor 2 = vertigo post COVID: B = 2.183, β = 0.319, t = 2.462, p = 0.017 Conclusion: Drug use in the post-COVID period is associated with several factors but predictive value showed drug use before infection, the nature of post-COVID headache, depression, and vertigo in the post-COVID period.