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Medication overuse headache: rates and predictors for relapse in a 4-year prospective study
Article first published online: 9 JUL 2004
DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2004.00789.x
1468-2982/asset/cover.gif?v=1&s=a27c0a401a66f4447a00fca21da3177bb07d2062 "Cephalalgia")
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How to Cite
Katsarava, Z., Muessig, M., Dzagnidze, A., Fritsche, G., Diener, H. and Limmroth, V. (2005), Medication overuse headache: rates and predictors for relapse in a 4-year prospective study. Cephalalgia, 25: 12–15. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2004.00789.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 9 JUL 2004
- Article first published online: 9 JUL 2004
- Received 20 October 2003, accepted 26 March 2004
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- Medication overuse headache;
- relapse;
- triptans
We present a prospective 4-year follow-up study of 96 patients with medication overuse headache following withdrawal. Complete datasets were available from 85 patients (89%) 6 months, from 79 patients (82%) 1 year and from 75 patients (78%) 4 years after withdrawal. Twenty-six patients (31%) relapsed within the first 6 months after withdrawal. The number of relapses increased to 32 (41%) 1 year and to 34 (45%) 4 years after withdrawal. The 4-year relapse rate was lower in migraine than in tension-type headache (32% vs. 91%, P ≤ 0.001) and combination of migraine and tension-type headache (32%vs. 70%, P ≤ 0.027) and also lower in patients overusing triptans than analgesics (21%vs. 71%, P ≤ 0.001). The study suggests that the majority of relapses occur within the first year after withdrawal and that the long-term success of withdrawal depends on the type of primary headache and the type of overused medication.