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MEDICATION OVERUSE A Personal Letter from Drs. Brenda and Erik Slovin... The Growing Epidemic Of Medication Overuse Headaches Every person who suffers from headaches, whether migraine, tension or otherwise, needs to know about medication overuse headaches, also sometimes referred to MOH. When used more than two or three days a week, headache pain relief medications quite often lead to medication overuse headaches, also known as rebound headaches. Unfortunately, most people simply do not understand that the frequent use of seemingly safe, FDA approved over-the-counter headache remedies can actually cause or worsen headache pain. Even more alarming, MOH is responsible for an increasing cascade of health issues, including fatal internal organ damage. Nearly half of the more than 175 million adults who regularly take over-the-counter pain relievers exceed the recommended dose with little or no regard for the incredibly dangerous potential risks. It is important to note that each and every year, at least 16,500 people die and 103,000 are hospitalized due to health issues directly related to pain relief medications. What Exactly Is Medication Overuse Headache? Medication overuse headache is an interaction between the excessive use of a pain relief medication and a susceptible patient. The key factor here is the frequent, regular treatment of headache pain using an analgesic or other pain relief medication, typically several times a week. Interestingly, women are five times more likely to suffer MOH than men. One reason medication overuse headache has become so prominent in our society can be traced directly to product marketing. We are inundated every day with compelling advertising that promises headache relief … fast, fast, fast! What these glitzy marketing campaigns don’t show you, however, is the dark underside of headache medications. Painkiller side effects - such as a heightened sense or tranquility, a false sense of wellbeing, or increased energy - can easily lead to a dangerous dependency on these drugs. Your body initially perceives that your favorite headache pain relief medication works wonders, in turn causing your mind to associate pain relief and pleasurable sensations with that particular product. So you keep reaching for it, even if you think you might be about to get a headache. Soon, you find that you are taking headache medications several times a week, but rather than enjoying relief from your headaches, they worsen. Soon your life is consumed by drug-induced, chronic daily headache pain. What
Headache Pain Medications Almost every pain medication that promises fast headache relief can cause MOH. Some of the most common MOH instigators are medications containing butalbital with either acetaminophen or aspirin, usually with caffeine. Unfortunately, they are also some of the most commonly prescribed medications for the relief of many types of headache. These medications include Fiorinal®, Fioricet®, Esgic®, Medigesic® and Phrenilin®. Many over-the-counter headache pain medications are also known to cause medication overuse headaches. For example, aspirin, acetaminophen (also known as Tylenol®) and ibuprofen (the main ingredient in Advil®, Motrin®, Aleve® and Midol®) have all been associated with the onset of MOH. Migraine-specific medications present an even larger problem, in that they not only are known to cause medication overuse headaches, but many of these headache medications feature opiates, which can be highly addictive. These include Tylenol 3®, Vicodin® and Percocet®. Additionally, the key ingredients in Imitrex®, Amerge®, Zomig® and Maxalt™, all popular migraine pain relief prescriptions, have recently been linked to MOH. Are
Children In Danger Of Developing Surprisingly, headaches are very common in children and adolescents. As a matter of fact, about a third of adult headache sufferers say their headaches started before they reached the age of ten, and over half report their headaches started before they were twenty years old. And, just like their adult counterparts, children are susceptible to chronic daily medication overuse headaches. Even more frightening is the fact that, many times, children and adolescents take headache pain medication without the knowledge of their parents. It simply does not occur to them that they should consult their parents before taking such a seemingly harmless medication. A vital word of warning is in order when discussing children and headache pain medications. Some very popular headache pain medications contain aspirin and should never be taken by a child under the age of nineteen. Aspirin has been conclusively linked to the potentially deadly Reye's Syndrome, which involves brain damage and liver damage of an unknown cause, and is associated with the use of aspirin in children. The majority of children who experience the chronic daily pain of medication overuse headaches suffer headaches lasting more than four hours a day, often for six months or longer. Consequently, medication overuse by children results in increasingly frequent school absenteeism and sleeping problems.(1) Medication Overuse Headaches Impact Your Emotional Health A recent study conducted in France revealed a strong connection between medication overuse headaches and anxiety as well as depression. This study revealed that MOH sufferers are particularly susceptible to substance abuse problems and mood disorders. It was also determined that people afflicted with MOH have a far greater risk of suffering from anxiety and depression than migraine sufferers.(2) Many medical professionals also believe that, in addition to causing emotional health problems, medication overuse headaches may trigger other health disorders such as chronic pain syndrome, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. How Can Medication Overuse Headaches Be Stopped? Immediately discontinuing the medication causing the MOH is the preferred plan of action. It is obviously the quickest, and does not introduce even more medications into an already confused body. Withdrawal symptoms typically last two to ten days, and may include withdrawal headache, vomiting, arterial hypotension, tachycardia, sleep disturbances, restlessness, anxiety or nervousness. In some cases, a tapered withdrawal or supervised detoxification is necessary. The best approach is to ask your doctor for help and advice. Unfortunately, it seems that any medication we take for headache or migraine relief has the potential to cause medication overuse headaches if used more than two or three days a week. In the long run, your best solution to headache pain is the chiropractic approach to pain management. This approach embraces stress reduction, healthy diet and exercise, combined with a natural, drug-free chiropractic treatment plan. References:
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