Reader's Mail: Stopping Medication Overuse Headache

Q. How can I stop medication overuse headaches? I try to hold off on my medication, but I can’t stand the pain.

A. There is no simple way of doing this.  However, how often these acute agents can be used varies based on the drug.  Non-medication methods may help dampen the pain (nerve blocks, Cefaly device) and preventive agents need to be maximized.

If the problem is severe, and sounds like it is, admission to a hospital, and better, a specialized headache center like Diamond Inpatient Headache Unit in Chicago, where you can get round the clock IV treatments is your best bet.

Mark Green, MD
New York, NY