Diagnosis Of Medication Overuse Headache Research Articles

Prevalence and Awareness of Medication Overuse Headache among Undergraduate Students at the University of Belgrade.

Medication overuse headache (MOH) is a prevalent and potentially preventable secondary headache disorder linked to the excessive use of medications intended for primary headache management, particularly migraine. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of MOH among undergraduate students and explore their awareness. This observational cross-sectional study included 401 active undergraduate students from the University of Belgrade. Data were collected through an anonymous online questionnaire which was distributed among student groups and via social media. The questionnaire specially designed for this study was developed in accordance with established guidelines for headache epidemiological research. Among the surveyed students, 10 of them (2.5%) met the criteria for the diagnosis of MOH. Awareness of MOH was noted in 149 (37.2%) students, with higher awareness among medical students and those aged 22-25 years. Despite this awareness, there was no significant difference in MOH occurrence between those aware and unaware of the condition (aware 2.7% vs. unaware 2.4%, p = 1.000). Additionally, significant gaps in education and communication about MOH were evident. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling from a single university at one time point. The questionnaire was not specifically validated in the student population, and the data relied on self-reporting. Our study highlighted a notable prevalence of MOH among undergraduate students, with a substantial portion exhibiting awareness of its risks. Despite this awareness, our findings suggest ongoing gaps in education and communication regarding MOH, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions.

Long-term effectiveness of eptinezumab in the treatment of patients with chronic migraine and medication-overuse headache.

This post hoc analysis of the PREVAIL study explored the effectiveness of eptinezumab for up to 2 years of open-label treatment in the subgroup of patients with chronic migraine who had a confirmed diagnosis of medication-overuse headache (MOH) at screening. MOH is a disabling and costly secondary headache disorder characterized by increased headache frequency and/or severity with increased acute headache medication use. Eptinezumab, an anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibody, reduces headache frequency, severity, and associated disability and improves functioning and health-related quality of life as a preventive migraine therapy; short-term benefits in patients with concurrent MOH have also been reported. Participants received up to eight quarterly intravenous infusions of eptinezumab 300 mg in the phase 3, single-arm, open-label PREVAIL study. Safety and patient-reported outcome measures (Migraine Disability Assessment [MIDAS], 6-item Headache Impact Test [HIT-6], patient-identified most bothersome symptom [PI-MBS], Patient Global Impression of Change [PGIC], and 36-item Short-Form Health Survey [SF-36]) were conducted at predefined intervals. Patients were observed up to 20 weeks after their last infusion (Week 104). A total of 49/128 (38.3%) patients enrolled in PREVAIL had an MOH diagnosis at screening. In the MOH subgroup, long-term eptinezumab treatment was associated with reductions in headache frequency (43/49 [87.8%] patients reported ≥50% reduction in MIDAS-derived headache days at ≥1 visit), severity (2.2-point reduction [on a 10-point scale]), disability (mean MIDAS total score reduction of 51.9 points), and impact (mean HIT-6 total score reduction of 9.7 points) at Week 104. Most patients described a "much improved" or "very much improved" status by Week 48 (PI-MBS, 31/46 [67.4%]) and Week 104 (PGIC, 31/36 [86.1%]). Health-related quality of life improvements in the SF-36 were also observed. Eptinezumab preventive therapy in patients with chronic migraine showed benefits that extended to the subset of patients with concomitant MOH.

Medication-overuse headache: A pharmacovigilance study in France

Overusing medication for primary headaches or other medical conditions can lead to dependency and medication-overuse headache (MOH) as an adverse drug reaction (ADR). To analyse reports of ADRs associated with MOH recorded in the French national pharmacovigilance database (FPVD). This retrospective study selected all MOH cases reported in the FPVD from January 2000 to June 2023. A search of the High-Level Group Term "headache" was performed for drugs classified under ATC codes for the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Specific keywords were searched in report narratives to further reduce their number. Voluntary intoxication reports were excluded. Only MOH cases according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders or with a medical diagnosis of MOH were considered. Among the 2674 reports associated with the HLGT "headache", for 649 ATC drug codes, only 234 reports correspond to MOH, primarily notified by physicians. The median age was 45 years (IQR: 32-56), with 74.4% females and approximately 61.0% having pre-existing primary headaches. In all, 53.4% of the reports were classified as serious. Among patients, 84.2% had an isolated "headache" as the ADR. One drug was suspected in 47.4% of cases, two drugs in 29.1%, and three or more in 23.5%. In total, 473 suspected drugs, corresponding to 104 active ingredients, were involved, including analgesics (63.0%), in particular, acetaminophen-containing drugs, opioids, triptans and ergots, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (12.7%). Antiepileptics and psycholeptics were found in 6.6% and 6.1% of cases, respectively. Drug withdrawal was successful in 84.6% of drug-discontinuation cases. Warnings about MOH are mentioned in the summary of product characteristics (SmPCs) for triptans, ergots, and certain acetaminophen-containing drugs, but not other drug classes. Certain drug classes show a high reporting rate of MOH and caution should be exercised when prescribing these drugs. Notably, warnings about MOH must be mentioned in the SmPC of all concerned drug classes.

Efficacy and safety of eptinezumab in patients with chronic migraine and medication-overuse headache: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

BackgroundFor some people with migraine, despite taking greater amounts of acute headache medication (AHM), they develop an increase in monthly headache days. This cycle of increasing headache days, and in turn AHM use, can lead to a secondary headache disorder called medication-overuse headache (MOH). Preventive medications can prevent migraine from occurring and reduce reliance on AHMs, thereby preventing the cycle of MOH. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of eptinezumab to prevent migraine/headache in a mainly Asian patient population with a dual diagnosis of chronic migraine and MOH.MethodsSUNLIGHT was a phase 3, multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial. Patients aged 18−75 years with ≥ 8 migraine days/month and a diagnosis of MOH were randomly allocated (1:1) to one of two treatment groups: eptinezumab 100 mg or placebo. Monthly migraine days (MMDs) were captured using a daily electronic diary; the change from baseline in the number of MMDs over Weeks 1−12 was the primary efficacy endpoint.ResultsPatients were randomized to eptinezumab 100 mg (n = 93) or placebo (n = 100). Over Weeks 1−12, eptinezumab reduced mean MMDs more than placebo (difference between treatments was -1.2; p = 0.1484). Differences between treatment groups with p-values below 0.05 favoring eptinezumab were observed in 3 out of the 6 key secondary endpoints.ConclusionAll endpoints numerically favored eptinezumab treatment when compared to placebo; however, this study did not meet its primary endpoint and is therefore negative. No new safety signals were identified in this study, like previous reports that confirmed the safety and tolerability of eptinezumab treatment.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04772742 (26/02/2021).

P.015 Preventive treatment with eptinezumab in patients with a dual diagnosis of chronic migraine and medication-overuse headache: subgroup analysis of PROMISE-2

Background: This post hoc analysis of the PROMISE-2 data provides an assessment of the total preventive migraine efficacy of eptinezumab over 24 weeks in patients with a dual diagnosis of chronic migraine (CM) and medication overuse headache (MOH). Methods: PROMISE-2 was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study of eptinezumab (NCT02974153) over 24 weeks. Endpoints analyzed here include changes in MMDs, changes in monthly days of AHM use (total and class-specific), percentage of patients below thresholds for CM and MOH, and assessments patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Results: 40.2% patients with CM also had a diagnosis of MOH at baseline. Mean changes from baseline in MMDs during Weeks 1–12 were -8.4 and -8.6 in eptinezumab 100 mg and 300 mg treatment groups, respectively (vs 16.7 at baseline), compared with -5.4 in the placebo group (P<0.0001 vs placebo for both doses). Total monthly AHM use also decreased with eptinezumab. For all 24 weeks, 51.1% (100 mg) and 54.4% (300 mg) of eptinezumab-treated patients were below the ICHD thresholds for diagnosis of CM, compared with 32.4% of patients receiving placebo. Conclusions: This subgroup analysis of patients with a dual diagnosis of CM and MOH suggests that eptinezumab treatment resulted in greater improvements overall compared with placebo.

Medication overuse headache

Medication overuse headache (MOH) is a secondary headache disorder attributed to overuse of acute headache medications by a person with an underlying headache disorder, usually migraine or tension-type headache. MOH is common among individuals with 15 or more headache days per month. Although MOH is associated with substantial disability and reductions in quality of life, this condition is often under-recognized. As MOH is both preventable and treatable, it warrants greater attention and awareness. The diagnosis of MOH is based on the history and an unremarkable neurological examination, and is made according to the diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders third edition (ICHD-3). Pathophysiological mechanisms of MOH include altered descending pain modulation, central sensitization and biobehavioural factors. Treatment of MOH includes the use of headache preventive therapies, but essential to success is eliminating the cause, by reducing the frequency of use of acute headache medication, and perhaps withdrawing the overused medication altogether. Appropriate treatment is usually highly effective, leading to reduced headache burden and acute medication consumption.

Clinical Utility of Leeds Dependence Questionnaire in Medication-Overuse Headache.

Dependence behaviors are common in patients with medication-overuse headache (MOH). This prospective study aimed to characterize dependence behaviors in MOH by using Leeds dependence questionnaire (LDQ), and to determine the clinical utility of LDQ in the diagnosis of MOH. In total, 563 consecutive chronic migraine (CM) patients (451F/112M, mean age 41.7 ± 12.0 years) were recruited, including 320 with MOH (56.8%) (254F/66M, mean age 42.3 ± 11.6 years). LDQ scores were positively correlated with the monthly frequency of acute medication use (Spearman's rho = 0.680, p < 0.001). When compared with patients without, those with MOH scored higher on LDQ (13.0 ± 7.6 vs. 3.9 ± 5.1, p < 0.001). By using a receiver operating characteristics curve, the cutoff value of LDQ was determined at 7 (sensitivity = 77.5%, specificity = 77.4%, area under curve = 0.85) for a diagnosis of MOH. An LDQ score of ≥7 was predictive of MOH (odds ratio = 11.80, 95% confidence interval = 7.87-17.67, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the presence of MOH in patients with CM is associated with more severe dependence behaviors. An LDQ score of ≥7 is useful in the detection of MOH in CM patients.

Medication-Overuse Headache: Results from a Pain Medicine Clinic Cohort

Background and Objective: Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a common, disabling, and treatable cause of chronic daily headache. This study evaluates the characteristics of a cohort of patients with MOH seen in a pain medicine clinic. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of consecutive patients seen by a neurologist in the pain medicine clinic at the University of California, San Diego. Demographics, headache diagnoses, and overused medications were extracted from clinical records from 83 patients ≥ 18 years of age where a diagnosis of MOH was entered into the electronic medical record September 12, 2017-March 30, 2020. Results: Opioids were the most overused medications (42/83, 50.6%) followed by caffeine-containing compounds (20/83, 24.1%), triptans (12/83, 14.5%) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (10/83, 12.9%). Chronic migraine was the most common underlying headache syndrome (54/83, 65.1%), followed by secondary headache disorder (13/83, 15.7%) and tension-type headache (8/83, 9.6%). Men were more likely to be overusing opioids (OR 3.3, p = 0.026) while women were more likely to be overusing caffeine-containing compounds (OR 5.4, p = 0.041). Discussion and Conclusions: It is crucial for pain specialists to recognize MOH in the pain clinic setting. Opioid overuse headache is more common among men, likely in part due to migraine being underrecognized in men and therefore men not receiving migraine-specific medications. Caffeine-containing compound overuse is more common among women; these are over-the-counter (OTC) and often do not appear on patients’ medications lists. Pain specialists should specifically ask patients with headache whether they are using OTC caffeine-containing compounds.

Medication overuse headache in patients with chronic migraine using cannabis: A case-referent study.

To examine whether cannabis use predicts medication overuse headache (MOH) in patients with chronic migraine (CM). Electronic chart review was conducted by combining the terms "CM," "medication overuse," "cannabis," "cannabidiol," and "tetrahydrocannabinol" for patients seen at our headache clinics from 2015 to 2019. Of 729 charts consecutively screened, 368met our inclusion criteria, that is, adult patients with CM with ≥1-year CM duration. The following variables were extracted from the included patient charts: MOH diagnosis, age, sex, migraine frequency, current CM duration, current cannabis use duration, overused acute migraine medications, current MOH duration, and types of cannabis products used. Logistic regression was used to identify variables predicting MOH while controlling for remaining predictors. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) was conducted to explore natural clusters using all predictor variables. There were 212 patients with CM and MOH (cases; median age 43years, interquartile range [IQR] 33-54; 177 [83%] females) and 156 patients with CM without MOH (referents; median age 40years, IQR 31-49; 130 [83%] females). MOH was present in 81% (122/150) of current cannabis users compared with 41% (90/218) in those without cannabis use-adjusted odds ratio 6.3 (95% CI: 3.56 to 11.1, p< 0.0001). Current cannabis use was significantly associated with opioid use (Spearman's rho 0.26, p<0.0001). Both current cannabis use (rho 0.40, p<0.0001) and opioid use (rho 0.36, p<0.0001) were significantly associated with MOH. Similarly, AHC revealed two major natural clusters. Cluster I patients featured 9.3 times higher current cannabis use, 9.2 times higher current opioid use, and 1.8 times higher MOH burden than those in Cluster II (p<0.0001). Cannabis use was significantly associated with increased prevalence of MOH in CM. Bidirectional cannabis-opioid association was observed-use of one was associated with use of the other. Advising patients with CM and MOH to reduce cannabis use may help treat MOH effectively.

Medication Overuse Withdrawal in Children and Adolescents Does Not Always Improve Headache: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: MOH can be diagnosed in subjects with headache occurring 15 days/month in association with a regular medication overuse, but its existence is not universally accepted. ICHD-3 redefined criteria for MOH, removing the criterion associating drug suspension with headache course. The aim of our study was to compare the rate of patients diagnosed with medication overuse headache (MOH) according to ICHD-2 and ICHD-3 criteria, to verify the degree of concordance. The secondary aim was to verify if drug withdrawal was really associated with pain relief.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we retrospectively analyzed a sample of 400 patients followed for primary chronic headache at the Headache Center of Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital. We then selected those presenting with a history of medication overuse, and we applied both ICHD-2 and ICHD-3 criteria to verify in which patients the criteria would identify a clinical diagnosis of MOH.Results: We identified 42 subjects (10.5%) with MOH; 23 of them (55%) presented a relief of headache withdrawing drug overuse. Regarding the applicability of the ICHD-2 criteria, 43% of patients (18/42) fulfilled all criteria, while all ICHD-3 diagnostic criteria were satisfied in 76% of patients (32/42). Eighteen patients (43%) satisfied both ICHD-2 and ICHD-3 criteria, while 10 patients (24%) did not satisfy either diagnostic criterion.Conclusions: Our study suggests that in children and adolescents, withdrawing medication overuse is not always associated with a clinical benefit. Therefore, though allowing a MOH diagnosis in a higher rate of patients as compared to ICHD-2, the application of ICHD-3 criteria does not guarantee a true a causal relationship between medication overuse and headache worsening.

Episodic and Chronic Migraine in Primary Care.

To inform migraine care model development by assessing differences between patients with chronic migraine (CM) and episodic migraine (EM) in the current state of treatment, disability, patient satisfaction, and quality improvement opportunities. Efficient and focused use of scarce resources will be needed to address challenges within large populations of migraine patients. We deployed a cross-sectional survey study of randomly selected migraine patients within a community primary care practice. There were 516 survey respondents (516/1804 [30%] response rate). CM patients were more likely than EM patients to report care from a neurologist (76/110 [69%] vs 229/406 [56%]; P=.0026), and higher disability according to the Migraine Disability Assessment and Headache Impact Test - 6 questionnaires (P<.0001). CM patients were less likely than EM patients to report overall satisfaction with care (16/110 [38%] vs 156/406 [66%], P=.0002), satisfaction with access to care (17/110 [33%] vs 176/406 [68%], P<.0001), and advice they needed (16/110 [31%] vs 160/406 [62%], P<.0001). Most patients with migraine had been offered triptan medications 377/516 (78%). Overall, 156/516 (31%) of individuals were currently taking any medication for migraine prevention, and 208/516 (40%) including botulinum toxin injections. CM patients were more likely to be taking preventive medication (39/110 [36%] vs 117/406 [29%], P=.0191) and report familiarity with the diagnosis of medication-overuse headache than patients with EM (80/110 [81%] vs 256/406 [69%], P=.0178). We observed differences between patients with chronic and EM and expected care delivery improvement opportunities for migraine patients in primary care. CM patients report higher levels of disability and less satisfaction with access to perceived needed medical advice and care. These findings support the need to further develop and study novel care models to efficiently and effectively deliver high-quality care and expertise in limited supply to a diverse migraine population.

High Achievement Motivation is Not Related to Increased Use of Acute Headache Medication in Migraine: A Cross-sectional Observational Cohort Study.

To determine if migraine patients with high achievement motivation have an increased use of acute headache medication. It has been hypothesized that high achievement-motivated migraine patients have an increased use of acute headache medication to be able to perform at work and during daily life, putting them at risk for medication overuse headache (MOH). The Achievement Motivation Inventory and use of acute headache medication were assessed in 117 migraine patients (60 episodic, 57 chronic) at their first appointment at our tertiary headache center. Patients with low vs high achievement motivation were not significantly different in acute headache medication days per month (10.8 ± 6.9 vs 10.9 ± 7.8, P = .98), in acute headache medication use in the absence of headache (to prevent occurrence of headache later that day: 51.8% vs 48.2%, P = .38), in having a diagnosis of MOH (37.9 vs 23.7%, P = .12), or in reduction of acute headache medication days at 3 and 6 months follow-up (both P > .20). High achievement motivation in migraine patients was not associated with increased acute headache medication use or more frequent diagnosis of MOH.

Early management of patients with medication-overuse headache: results from a multicentre clinical study.

Educational intervention has proved to be effective in reducing drug abuse in uncomplicated medication-overuse headache (MOH). This ancillary of the SAMOHA multicentre study aimed to assess any differences in phenotypic characteristics, type and amount of drugs overused, and comorbidities between patients with MOH who responded to simple advice and those who did not. Demographic and clinical headache data of the last 3months before enrollment of patients were collected and patients were then asked to fill out a daily headache diary for 4weeks. Patients were then divided into two subgroups, i.e. those with confirmed MOH continued in the study [randomized (R) group], whereas those who did not still show any features of MOH dropped out of the study. A total of 88 (67.7%) patients still met the inclusion criteria after the baseline 4weeks (R group). Conversely, 42 (32.3%) patients dropped out of the study. A detailed analysis of those who dropped out revealed that only 34 were not randomized at visit 2 because they no longer satisfied the inclusion criteria for MOH [screening failures (SF) group]. The SF group was significantly younger and had fewer years of migraine history than the R group. Moreover, the SF group had a significantly shorter history of chronicity compared with the R group. Our findings suggest that in MOH trials, after an educational session, an observational period is needed in order to confirm the diagnosis of MOH and to avoid overestimation of the effect of other treatments used to manage MOH. Future research should focus mainly on those patients with MOH who do not respond to simple advice and with unsuccessful withdrawal.

Texture features of periaqueductal gray in the patients with medication-overuse headache

BackgroundPeriaqueductal gray (PAG) is the descending pain modulatory center, and PAG dysfunction had been recognized in migraine. Here we propose to investigate altered PAG texture features (quantitative approach for extracting texture descriptors for images) in the patients with medication-overuse headache (MOH) based on high resolution brain structural image to understand the MOH pathogenesis.MethodsThe brain structural images were obtained from 32 normal controls (NC) and 44 MOH patients on 3.0 T MR system. PAG template was created based on the ICBM152 gray matter template, and the individual PAG segment was performed by applying the deformation field to the PAG template after structural image segment. Grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) was performed to measure the texture parameters including angular second moment (ASM), Contrast, Correlation, inverse difference moment (IDM) and Entropy.ResultsContrast was increased in MOH patients (9.28 ± 3.11) compared with that in NC (7.94 ± 0.65) (P < 0.05), and other texture features showed no significant difference between MOH and NC (P > 0.05). The area under the ROC curve was 0.697 for Contrast in the distinction of MOH from NC, and the cut-off value of Contrast was 8.11 with sensitivity 70.5% and specificity 62.5%. The contrast was negatively with the sleep scores (r = -0.434, P = 0.003).ConclusionTexture Contrast could be used to identify the altered MR imaging characteristics in MOH in understanding the MOH pathogenesis, and it could also be considered as imaging biomarker in for MOH diagnosis.

Volume gain of periaqueductal gray in medication-overuse headache

BackgroundPeriaqueductal gray (PAG) is a substantial descending pain modulatory center, and previous voxel-based morphometry study confirmed the clusters with increased volume in PAG region in medication-overuse headache (MOH). The aim of this study is to investigate altered PAG volume in MOH using an automated PAG segment method to measure the true PAG volume.MethodsHigh resolution three-dimensional T1-weighted fast spoiled gradient recalled echo MR images were obtained from 22 patients with MOH and 22 normal controls (NC). PAG template was created based on ICBM 152 gray template, and the individual PAG was generated by applying the deformation field from structural image segment to the PAG template, and individual PAG volume was calculated.ResultsThere was a significant increased volume of PAG in MOH (0.366 ± 0.005 ml) than that in NC (0.341 ± 0.005 ml)(P < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between the PAG volume and the clinical variables in MOH patients (P > 0.05). The area of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.845, and the cut-off of PAG volume was 0.341 ml with sensitivity 95.5% and specificity 63.6%.ConclusionThe present study demonstrated that the PAG volume gain was confirmed in MOH patients, and the automated individual PAG volume measure may be considered as a simple and effective imaging biomarker in MOH diagnosis.

Medication-Overuse Headache: Protocols and Outcomes in 149 Consecutive Patients in a Tertiary Brazilian Headache Center.

Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a challenging clinical disorder often resulting in frustration for patients and physicians. Adherence issues are common and limited treatment evidence is an obstacle to effective care. Individual bias usually directs the treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate outcome and treatment strategies in consecutive MOH patients from a tertiary center. Every consecutive patient seen between January and December 2014 with the diagnosis of MOH was included. Psychiatric comorbidities, inability to report baseline headache frequency, current or previous 2-month use of preventive medications, and refusal to sign informed consent were exclusion criteria. The patients were evaluated by the same specialist (AVK) in thorough initial consultations. The diagnosis and treatment strategies were clearly explained, and a detailed headache diary was given to all patients. Endpoints were headache frequency and adherence after 2, 4, and 8 months. One hundred sixty-eight patients (31 M, 137 F) met the inclusion criteria. Nineteen patients (11.3%) were excluded. All patients had migraine or chronic migraine as primary headache. Mean baseline frequency was 24.8 headache days/month, average headache history was 20.6 years (1-37), and mean time with > 15 headache days/month was 4.8 years (.5-32). All patients were overusing acute symptomatic medications (SM), and 59 (39.5%) were using more than one pharmacological class. Outpatient withdrawal from overused medications was carried out with all patients, who received different preventive treatment choices and triptan plus NSAID for the acute attacks (maximum of 2 days/week). One hundred and one patients (67.8%) received prednisone during the first 5-7 days. After 2 months, 30 (20.1%) were lost to follow-up, and in those who followed up, the mean headache frequency decreased to 10.7 headache days/month (ITT 13.1). After 4 and 8 months, 109 and 105 patients, respectively, were under treatment, with a mean headache frequency of 7.9 and 8.2 headache days/month. Patients who received prednisone did not perform better than those who did not (P = .3032, 5 d vs no prednisone; P = .639, 7 d vs no prednisone). Withdrawing overused medications, starting prevention, and motivating patients may have helped the high adherence rates and decreasing headache frequency. Additionally, real-world patient studies are scarce and may be useful to guide clinicians struggling to help their daily headache patients. Open studies do not allow definitive conclusions and controlled studies with this subset of patients are necessary.

Medication-Overuse Headache: Differences between Daily and Near-Daily Headache Patients.

Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a challenging neurological disease, which brings frustration for sufferers and treating physicians. The patient’s lack of adherence and limited treatment evidence are frequent. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome and treatment strategies between consecutive MOH patients with daily and near-daily headache from a tertiary center. Methods: Every consecutive patient seen between January and December 2014 with the diagnosis of MOH was included. Psychiatric comorbidities, inability to inform baseline headache frequency, current or previous two-month use of preventive medications, and refusal to sign informed consent were exclusion criteria. The patients were evaluated in thorough initial consultations and divided in two groups based on their baseline headache frequency. The diagnosis and treatment strategies were clearly explained. The filling out of a detailed headache diary was requested from all patients. Endpoints compared headache frequency and adherence after two, four, and eight months between the two study groups. Results: One-hundred sixty-eight patients (31 male, 137 female) met the inclusion criteria. Nineteen patients (11.3%) were excluded. All patients had migraine or chronic migraine as primary headaches. Eighty had daily (DH), and 69 near-daily headache (NDH), at baseline consultation. Mean baseline frequency was 24.8 headache days/month (18.9 days/month for the near-daily group), average headache history was 20.6 years and mean time with >15 headache days/month was 4.8 years. Outpatient withdrawal, starting prevention, and enforcing the correct use of rescue therapy was carried out with all patients. After two months, 88% of the DH and 71% of the NDH groups adhered to treatment (p = 0.0002). The HF decreased to 12 and 9 headache days/month, respectively in DH and NDH groups (p > 0.05, non-significant) (Intention-to-treat (ITT) 14 DH; 12 NDH; p > 0.05). After four and eight months, 86.3% and 83.7% of the DH patients, and 59.4% and 55% of the NDH patients were still under treatment (p = 0.0003 and p = 0.0001). The HF decreased, respectively, to nine and nine headache days/month in the DH patients compared to 6 and 7 headache days/month in the NDH group (p > 0.05) (ITT, 12; 12; DH; 10; 11; NDH; p > 0.05). Conclusions: Although open studies provide limited conclusions, withdrawing overused medications and starting prevention may have helped the favorable outcomes. However, daily headache patients had a significantly higher adherence and lower relapse rates than near-daily headache patients, despite a considerable reduced headache frequency in both groups. Additionally, real-world patient studies are scarce and the comparison between these two subsets of patients may be useful to guide clinicians in approaching their patients. Controlled studies are necessary to confirm these observations.

Brief intervention by general practitioners for medication-overuse headache, follow-up after 6 months: a pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a common health problem. Withdrawal of the overused medication is the treatment of choice. We investigated the long-term effectiveness of brief intervention (BI) for MOH patients in primary care. The BI for MOH in primary care study was a blinded, pragmatic, cluster-randomised controlled trial. 25,486 patients (age 18-50) from 50 general practitioners (GPs) were screened for MOH. GPs defined clusters and 23 GPs were randomised to receive BI training and 27 GPs to continue business as usual (BAU). The GPs assessed their MOH patients with the Severity of Dependence Scale, gave individual feedback about the risk of MOH and advice to reduce headache medication. Primary outcomes, assessed 6 months after the intervention, were reduction in headache and medication days/month. 42% were screening responders. 2.4% had self-reported MOH. A random selection of 104 patients with self-reported MOH were invited, 75 were randomised out of which 60 with a physician-defined MOH diagnosis were included. None were lost to follow-up. BI was significantly better than BAU regarding primary outcomes (p < 0.001-0.018). Headache and medication days were reduced by 5.9 (95% CI 1.1-10.8) and 6.2 (1.1-11.3) more days/month in BI than BAU group. Chronic headache resolved in 63 and 11% in the BI and the BAU group (p < 0.001). Headache-related disability was lower among those who detoxified. In conclusion, BI is an effective treatment in primary care with lasting effect 6 months after the intervention for MOH. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01314768.

Medication-overuse headache in China: clinical profile, and an evaluation of the ICHD-3 beta diagnostic criteria.

Although medication-overuse headache (MOH) is common in China, its clinical profile is not yet fully established. Meanwhile, ICHD-3 beta has been published, but its diagnostic criteria require further validation. We retrospectively classified the clinical features of 240 consecutive patients with MOH (55 males, 185 females), whose demographic data, headache features, overused medications (type, quantity, frequency and duration of use), headache-attributed burden, and outcomes were reviewed. We then applied the criteria of the several versions of ICHD (II, IIR and 3-beta) to these patients. Compared with those with other headaches, patients with MOH were more likely to be less well educated (64.6% vs 42.0% for secondary school or lower, p < 0.0001), and on lower annual incomes (72.3% vs 56.0% for an income of Chinese yuan (CNY) 30,000 or less, p < 0.0001). Combination analgesics were the most commonly overused medications, and, caffeine (89.9%), aminopyrine (70.0%), phenacetin (53.9%) and phenobarbital (48.8%) were the most commonly used specific components of these. Only two patients (0.8%) had previously been given the diagnosis of MOH; accordingly, the median time to diagnosis after the estimated onset of the disorder was 4.0 years. The majority of patients (83.7%) improved with treatment. All 240 patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for MOH according to ICHD-3 beta; only 134 (55.8%) satisfied the diagnostic criteria for definite MOH according to ICHD-II, while 195 (81.2%) met those of ICHD-IIR. MOH in China is associated with lower educational level and annual income. MOH has rarely been diagnosed and correctly treated in China. ICHD-3 beta appears to be more appropriate for the diagnosis of MOH than previous versions.

Risk factors in medication-overuse headache: A 1-year follow-up study (care II protocol)

To investigate factors influencing prognosis in medication-overuse headache (MOH), we conducted a 12-month follow-up of patients with probable MOH. We recruited 215 patients consecutively admitted to our headache centre for an inpatient detoxification treatment. We analysed likely predictor factors for headache resolution (sex, age, primary headache, psychiatric comorbidity, type and timing of overuse). Mann-Whitney U-test and chi-squared test were used. One year after withdrawal, we had complete data on 172 patients (80%): 38 of these patients (22%) had relapsed into overuse and 134 (78%) had not. The negative prognostic factors for relapse were: intake of more than 30 doses/month (P = 0.004), smoking (P = 0.012), alcohol consumption (P = 0.037), non-confirmation of MOH diagnosis 2 months after detoxification (P = 0.000), and return to overused drug(s) (P = 0.000). The 1-year relapse rate was 22%. The existence of sub-groups of MOH patients with such risk factors could influence treatment strategies.