Prophylaxis and treatment of drug-induced persistent headache. Therapy recommendation of the German Society for Migraine and Headache

A relatively large number of headache patients (in specialized practices an d clinics about 5 - 10% of all headache patients) develop so-called drug-in duced persistent headache following too frequent intake of analgesic and/or antimigraine drugs. This is usually a dull,throbbing persistent headache. The only reasonable approach is a detoxification treatment, which is comple ted after 10-14 days. This can be done on an outpatient or inpatient basis in specialized practices and clinics. In order to avoid drug-induced headac he patients should only take headache or antimigraine drugs a maximum of 10 days/month and at the most on 3 successive days. More attention should be paid to the prevention and treatment of drug-induced headache in the medica l practice.