Medication headache warning
Wednesday August 28th, 2013
Patients with headache need to be warned that too much medication can trigger more problems, according to guidelines published today.
The problem
means that doctors need to make sure they diagnose the type of headache
causing a patient problems, according to the National Institute for Health
and Care Excellence.
NICE says people with migraine should be offered the correct treatment - triptan combined with a common pain-killer such as paracetamol.
Neurologist Sam Chong, who helped develop the guidelines, said: "Medication overuse headaches are a common problem; I hope this quality standard will go some way in raising awareness of this, and ensure that people with headache and migraine are getting the right treatment.”
Professor Gillian Leng, of NICE, said: "Headaches and migraine can have a very significant, negative impact upon those who suffer from them. It is important for people to understand that different headaches require different treatments, and so a correct diagnosis is vital.
"People may not know that overusing some types of medication for treating tension-type headaches or migraines can actually make things worse, causing further pain."
Tags: Brain & Neurology | Pain Relief | Pharmaceuticals | UK News
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