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Drug‐associated headache is unrecognized in patients treated at a neurological centre
Author(s) -
Bekkelund S. I.,
Salvesen R.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0404.2002.1o193.x
Subject(s) - medicine , analgesic , neurology , drug , migraine , pediatrics , neurological disorder , population , headache disorders , international classification of headache disorders , anesthesia , central nervous system disease , psychiatry , environmental health
Objective – We studied the frequency of unrecognized headache associated with overuse of analgesic drugs in a population of headache patients treated at a neurological centre. Methods – Patients in North Norway referred to a neurologist for headache during a 2‐year period completed a questionnaire. From a total of 945, 262 patients (28%) reported headache 3 days or more per week and used analgesic drugs on a daily bases. Results – A specific diagnoses given by the neurologist was reported in 134 of the patients (51%). Only two patients reported that they suffered from a possible drug‐associated headache. Conclusion – This study shows that drug overuse may be the cause of chronic headache in more than 1/4 patients referred to neurologists. Drug‐associated headache is a difficult diagnosis which deserves more attention because it is a common and treatable condition.