Abstract
The aim of our study was to evaluate the situation in the Czech Republic among that segment of the population that uses headache medication (analgesics combined or with single compound, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], dihydroergotamine, triptans, and opioids) to excess. We included patients presenting the first time between 1st January and 30th June 2008 at specialised centres for the diagnosis and treatment of headache.
All the patients fulfilled criteria for medication overuse according to the International Headache Society. We acquired demographic data, assessed the headache type, and established how long the subjects had suffered, as well as the average intensity and frequency of occurrence.
We assessed data from 153 patients from seven sites, 39 men and 114 women. Average age was 46 years, patients had suffered for an headaches for an average of 21 years and the average frequency was 21 days per month.
One compound was overused by 62% patients; 30% of the patients overused two substances and 8% three of them. The most commonly overused medication was sumatriptan at 30%, second was ibuprofen at 23%, followed by eletriptan at 20%.
Patients were using an average of 35 pills per month for an average span of four years.