Medication overuse (not opioids in this study) is implicated in chronic daily headaches. A simple screening questionnaire has been devised to suggest this is a problem.
J Headache Pain. 2013 Oct 2;14(1):81. [Epub ahead of print]
Probable medications overuse headaches: validation of a brief easy-to-use screening tool in a headache centre.
Dousset V, Maud M, Legoff M, Radat F, Brochet B, Dartigues JF, Kurth T.
http://www.thejournalofheadacheandpain.com/content/pdf/1129-2377-14-81.pdf
Questions include:
1. Do you have headaches for more than 15 days/month?
2. Do you take treatment for attacks more than 10 days per month?
( use would be would include ergotamine, triptans, analgesic opioids or combination analgesic medications on ≥ 10 days /month on a regular basis for 3 months)
3. Is it for more than 3 months?
4. Is drug intake regular?
What would put icing on the cake would be awareness that headaches have significantly worsened since they did above.
In their study,
- 8 patients overused acetaminophen or NSAID
- 10 overused an association of medications
- 14 overused combinations
- 9 overused triptans
- one ergotamine.
- sensitivity of 95.2% and a specificity of 80%.