Overuse of Acute Migraine Medications and Migraine Chronification

Overview

Journal Curr Pain Headache Rep

Date 2009 Jul 10

PMID 19586594

Citations 48

Authors

Marcelo E Bigal

Richard B Lipton

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Among individuals with episodic migraine, the influence of excessive acute medication use on the development of chronic migraine depends upon within-person characteristics (eg, headache frequency), class of drug, and frequency of medication use. Available data suggest that opioids induce migraine chronification (progression), and the effect is dose dependent (critical dose around 8 days of exposure per month) and more pronounced in men. Barbiturates also induce migraine progression, and the effect is dose dependent (critical dose around 5 days of exposure per month) and more pronounced in women. Triptans induce migraine progression only in those with high migraine frequency at baseline (10-14 days per month), but not overall. NSAIDs protect against migraine progression unless individuals have 10 or more headache days per month (when they become inducers, rather than protective). Finally, caffeine-containing over-the-counter products increase risk of progression. While we await randomized trials, these findings should inform the choice of acute migraine treatments with the goal of reducing the risk of migraine progression to chronic migraine.

Citing Articles

Erenumab escalation in migraine - double dose without additional benefit - a retrospective experience.

Heintz S, Storch P, Burow P, Maier P, Obermann M, Stoessel G Acta Neurol Belg. 2024; 124(5):1663-1670.

PMID: 39066884 PMC: 11615020. DOI: 10.1007/s13760-024-02603-z.

A Narrative Review of Intestinal Microbiota's Impact on Migraine with Psychopathologies.

Francavilla M, Facchetti S, Demartini C, Zanaboni A, Amoroso C, Bottiroli S Int J Mol Sci. 2024; 25(12).

PMID: 38928361 PMC: 11203823. DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126655.

Comparative effectiveness of erenumab versus rimegepant for migraine prevention using matching-adjusted indirect comparison.

Mahon R, Tiwari S, Koch M, Ferraris M, Betts K, Wang Y J Comp Eff Res. 2024; 13(3):e230122.

PMID: 38174577 PMC: 10945420. DOI: 10.57264/cer-2023-0122.

Multimodal Migraine Management and the Pursuit of Migraine Freedom: A Narrative Review.

Blumenfeld A, Lipton R, Silberstein S, Tepper S, Charleston 4th L, Landy S Neurol Ther. 2023; 12(5):1533-1551.

PMID: 37542624 PMC: 10444724. DOI: 10.1007/s40120-023-00529-x.

L-arginine and aged garlic extract for the prevention of migraine: a study protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase-II trial (LARGE trial).

Chaliha D, Vaccarezza M, Corti E, Takechi R, Dhaliwal S, Drummond P BMC Neurol. 2023; 23(1):122.

PMID: 36973718 PMC: 10041759. DOI: 10.1186/s12883-023-03149-y.

References

Scher A, Stewart W, Liberman J, Lipton R . Prevalence of frequent headache in a population sample. Headache. 2004; 38(7):497-506. DOI: 10.1046/j.1526-4610.1998.3807497.x. View

King T, Ossipov M, Vanderah T, Porreca F, Lai J . Is paradoxical pain induced by sustained opioid exposure an underlying mechanism of opioid antinociceptive tolerance?. Neurosignals. 2005; 14(4):194-205. DOI: 10.1159/000087658. View

Bigal M, Lipton R . Excessive acute migraine medication use and migraine progression. Neurology. 2008; 71(22):1821-8. DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000335946.53860.1d. View

Sullivan L, Chawarski M, OConnor P, Schottenfeld R, Fiellin D . The practice of office-based buprenorphine treatment of opioid dependence: is it associated with new patients entering into treatment?. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2005; 79(1):113-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2004.12.008. View

Bigal M, Lipton R . Modifiable risk factors for migraine progression. Headache. 2006; 46(9):1334-43. DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2006.00577.x. View

Scher A, Lipton R, Stewart W, Bigal M . Patterns of medication use by chronic and episodic headache sufferers in the general population: results from the frequent headache epidemiology study. Cephalalgia. 2009; 30(3):321-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2009.01913.x. View

Williams L, OConnell K, Tubridy N . Headaches in a rheumatology clinic: when one pain leads to another. Eur J Neurol. 2008; 15(3):274-7. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2008.02050.x. View

Zeeberg P, Olesen J, Jensen R . Discontinuation of medication overuse in headache patients: recovery of therapeutic responsiveness. Cephalalgia. 2006; 26(10):1192-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2006.01190.x. View

Bigal M, Sheftell F, Tepper S, Rapoport A . Discontinuation of medication overuse in headache patients: recovery of therapeutic responsiveness. Cephalalgia. 2007; 27(6):568. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2007.01310_1.x. View

10.

Bigal M, Serrano D, Buse D, Scher A, Stewart W, Lipton R . Acute migraine medications and evolution from episodic to chronic migraine: a longitudinal population-based study. Headache. 2008; 48(8):1157-68. DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2008.01217.x. View

11.

Mathew N, Reuveni U, Perez F . Transformed or evolutive migraine. Headache. 1987; 27(2):102-6. DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.1987.hed2702102.x. View

12.

. The International Classification of Headache Disorders: 2nd edition. Cephalalgia. 2004; 24 Suppl 1:9-160. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2003.00824.x. View

13.

Bahra A, Walsh M, Menon S, Goadsby P . Does chronic daily headache arise de novo in association with regular use of analgesics?. Headache. 2003; 43(3):179-90. DOI: 10.1046/j.1526-4610.2003.03041.x. View

14.

Yamamoto T, Nair P, Vagner J, Largent-Milnes T, Davis P, Ma S . A structure-activity relationship study and combinatorial synthetic approach of C-terminal modified bifunctional peptides that are delta/mu opioid receptor agonists and neurokinin 1 receptor antagonists. J Med Chem. 2008; 51(5):1369-76. PMC: 2737825. DOI: 10.1021/jm070332f. View

15.

Wilkinson S, Becker W, Heine J . Opiate use to control bowel motility may induce chronic daily headache in patients with migraine. Headache. 2001; 41(3):303-9. DOI: 10.1046/j.1526-4610.2001.111006303.x. View

16.

Paemeleire K, Bahra A, Evers S, Matharu M, Goadsby P . Medication-overuse headache in patients with cluster headache. Neurology. 2006; 67(1):109-13. DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000223332.35936.6e. View

17.

Haut S, Bigal M, Lipton R . Chronic disorders with episodic manifestations: focus on epilepsy and migraine. Lancet Neurol. 2006; 5(2):148-157. PMC: 1457022. DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(06)70348-9. View

18.

Gutzwiller F, Leu R, SCHULZ H, Schroter R, Zemp E . The Swiss Health Survey Project (SOMIPOPS): an example of a data collection effort from various sources. Soz Praventivmed. 1985; 30(2):76-9. DOI: 10.1007/BF02083049. View

19.

Compton W, Volkow N . Major increases in opioid analgesic abuse in the United States: concerns and strategies. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2005; 81(2):103-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2005.05.009. View

20.

Bigal M, Borucho S, Serrano D, Lipton R . The acute treatment of episodic and chronic migraine in the USA. Cephalalgia. 2009; 29(8):891-7. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2008.01819.x. View