On an overall life-time basis, women are more apt than men to suffer from headaches. However this varies with type of headache as well as with age. More women than men suffer from migraine and tension-type headaches (TTH), while men predominate in cluster headache pain, the least common type. It is not clear why more […]
Read MoreStudies indicate that up to 45% of patients can relapse to MOH, even after initial improvement and back-transformation from chronic to episodic pain is achieved. Predictors of relapse include the type of primary headache and the type of drug overused. Patients suffering from more than one type of headache relapse more often and tension-type headaches […]
Read MoreOf course, in the vast majority of cases, withdrawal of a problematic medication should be accompanied by the beginning of preventative medications, taken on a daily basis. In fact, this course of treatment should be considered in all cases of frequent headaches and migraines. Possible preventative drugs include: antidepressants, such as amitriptyline/Elavil; anticonvulsants (‘neuronal stabilizing […]
Read MoreGentle yet thorough questioning of a patient’s headache and medication taking habits will usually suggest whether MOH should be suspected or not, especially if the frequency of the headaches continues to increase “in spite of” medication use. Basically, the drug or drugs involved need to be stopped, but the approach to this will vary. Abrupt […]
Read MoreA large percentage, perhaps a majority, of daily headaches may be due to medication overuse – so-called “rebound headaches.” This phenomenon was first described in 1982 by Dr. Lee Kudrow, father of popular actress Lisa Kudrow, who has suffered from cluster headaches herself. We note that medication overuse headaches and chronic headaches often have a […]
Read MoreThis begins with the identification and avoidance of triggers, as discussed above, but by no means ends there. Growing clinical evidence and experience suggests that migraine headaches can often be prevented by prophylactic medications. These are sometimes in the anti-convulsant class of medications, such as channel-blockers often used for epilepsy treatments. They can also be […]
Read MoreIn evaluating patients with chronic headache, the first consideration is distinguishing between tension and migraine types. The following three symptoms, all with the letter S, distinguish the typical tension-type and migraine headaches from each other. Sidedness: on either but just one side in migraine, global in tension type. Steadiness: not steady but throbbing in migraine, […]
Read MoreA large percentage, perhaps a majority, of daily headaches may be due to medication overuse – so-called “rebound headaches.” This common phenomenon is treated more extensively in a separate report, Pain Medication Overuse Headaches.It must be noted here that medication overuse headaches and chronic headaches often have a complex and uncertain cause-and-effect relationship with each […]
Read MoreBoth migraine and tension headaches are known to be more likely to occur to people who are not well rested are under a great deal of stress. Thus one major preventative behavior is to get sufficient amounts of sleep, with most people needing at least seven hours per night to healthy. Many aspects of our […]
Read MoreFor migraine associated vertigo, identification and elimination of triggers combined with prophylactic medicines is the most common approach. Patients must be instructed to abstain from common trigger foods, such as chocolate, cheese, smoked meats or fish, alcohol, and foods containing high levels of monosodium glutamate (MSG). If such abstinence leads to a drop in the […]
Read More