New Clues about Medication Overuse Headache and Opioids
In the video below, researcher Dr. Julie Wieseler discusses new research into the opioid medications.
Opioids include medications such as codeine and meperidine (Demerol). They’re common when it comes to migraine treatment, but they’re also highly suspect when it comes to Medication Overuse Headache (MOH). Meaning – taking them for migraine symptoms can temporarily help, but make symptoms worse later on. (Actually, most medications can do this – but opioids seem to be among the more likely)
Researchers have noticed that taking opioid medications can make symptoms of cutaneous allodynia worse – but why?
The investigation began to see why exactly this migraine treatment was causing more symptoms in the long run. Their results, discussed in the video below, may help researchers find better treatments, or use opioids more safely, or find ways to prioritize treatments that are less likely to cause MOH.
Find out more about this new research here: Why Opioids Enhance Migraine Pain: The Puzzle Points to Glia
9 January 2012 @ 10:07 pm
I have chronic pain issues, in addition to chronic migraines, so I have to keep a minimal level of opioid pain medication on-board, or I couldn’t even function. I have to fight the DRS just to maintain that amount of medication because so many of them are “afraid” of being accused of prescribing the meds too freely. My level of meds doesn’t come close to keeping me comfortable, much less doing anything to offset a migraine.
At this point, I’m fighting about two a week, but that’s way down from what things used to be. I can’t take NSAIDS anymore, due to gastric bleeding problems, resulting from a gastic bypass. Having suffered migraines for over 38+ years at this point, literally I’ve been through every medication protocol in effort to successfully control my migraines, mostly resulting in dismal failure. These days, I only get relief by crashing out via a heavy dose of seroquel(an off-label usage), then an injection of nubain(15mg)&phenergan(50mg) if the attempt to sleep it off is unsuccessful. A shot of narcotics every couple of weeks is the only thing that will break the cycle at this point. My PCP and my Neurology specialist are fine with the narcotic medication that I take, but every new person I see gives me major headaches(pardon the pun) over my med intake. I get hasselled every time I have to be treated by a new person. They all think they know better and none of them want to listen to complete list of every medication that I’ve tried and has failed me over the years. I get treated just like some street junkie slinking my way into the Dr’s office to get my “fix”. I’m sick of the condesending and “we know better” attitudes that I’m constantly confronted with, even though my history is fully documented and a detailed treatment protocol is right in the front of my file. Heck, I’ve got shoes older than some of the people that think they know so much more about my condition than I do, yet they usually fail to have even the basic professionalism to listen to any answers I give, provided they bother to fake the minimal examination. Most of the time, these “doctors” don’t even shine a light in my eyes to see if my pupils are appropriately reactive.
I’ve gone through the ringer over the years with this condition, seeing countless doctors and specialists, repeating the same non-informative tests over and over again. I’ve documented every single food and beverage I’ve consumed, what the weather conditions were, what my stress level was, what medications I took, literally every detail of my existance so many times I’ve lost count. Yet, I’m still treated like a common street junkie because I am prescribed a minimal amount of narcotic medication. Heck, I probably couldn’t even make cab fare for a crosstown trip if I sold all my meds on the street corner. Chronic migraine sufferers should not have to be treated like scum of the earth when their basic existance is practially hell on daily basis. Lucky for me I no longer have a migraine EVERY DAY, but I live with the fear that the next attack could hit at any moment and I’m most likely going to encounter some serious hassle and disrespect if I have to seek out any help from the medical establishment….AND THAT SUX!!!
1 April 2012 @ 4:28 pm
I know this post is a few months old, but it sounds like my life story as well. I also have tried and failed practically every combo out there. Nubain/phenergan has been my saving grace for many years. However, recently my dr office stopped carrying it, due to hospital corporation policy changes. So now if I get desperate enough to need a shot, I must go to the ER or urgent care. Not only is this a hassle, it’s VERY expensive. Have you or anyone ever been prescribed Nubain/phenergan for home? I’m a nurse so the injection process would be very easy for me. Thanks and I hope and pray we all someday get the empathy we deserve.
11 January 2012 @ 2:48 am
My headache condition (hemicrania continua) for me is very sensitive to opiod medications. I can only take a very limited amount before they make the headache worse and not better. I also have other chronic pain conditions that require me to medicate for pain in order to function. I use fentanyl which does not contain any part of the morphine molecule (I have been told even the “artificial” morphiates all contain part of the morphine molecule). This headache seems to be very sensitive to a lot of medications un related to opiods or opiates, so I think it just may be The Headache.
I sympathize with Leigh Ann. There is a difference between a sensitivity or reaction to a medication and overuse of a medication. There is also a great deal of prejudice in the medical community concerning pain medication for chronic pain patients, whether headache related or otherwise. Just brings a lot of unnecessary drama and tension to lives that already have enough of both due to dysfunctional bodies!!!
21 January 2012 @ 10:31 pm
I can empathize with both these ladies. I have just come back from France after living there for 19 years. I have been a severe migraine sufferer since pregnancy and have also been through a certain number of medications. I get migraines a few times a week and often wake up with one. I do not overuse medication. I do usually use an opiate (Darvocet — no longer on the market but I still have some left from France — I haven’t really been to the doctor here yet but I will be going soon and have some reservations about what they will prescribe) but never go over the prescribed daily amount. For heavy duty pain relief I use a triptan (
Zomig sublingual). I have wondered if these drugs are giving me MOH but frankly I must function. I’m sure my migraines are hormonally linked but I am now menopausal. However, since I take Evista (a selective estrogen suppressor) as a post-cancer breast treatment and one of the secondary effects is headache, I am sure that this is part of the mix. I just figure I have to live with this for the rest of my life and that is a real PAIN !
10 November 2012 @ 9:26 am
I take nubain/phenergan as well, I have hemaplegic migraines which causes a great deal of not even being able to walk, they paralyze you from neck down among other chronic conditions from a lady running a red light going 50 mph, I was going 10 mph
9 July 2015 @ 12:41 pm
This makes me so angry. Another professional wasting time on the only thing that barely helps the pain. What are we supposed to do? Really? oooh drugs are bad. How many of us hate taking this stuff? How many of us feel like its our fault already and wish like hell that we could have some other alternative? So another professional smiles and sympathizes because she has migraines so its okay to say what she says. It’s not okay. As my doctor said. You don’t abash a diabetic for taking insulin, so you don’t abash a migraine patient for doing what they must do to cope. Yet our own society does it ALL THE TIME. How many suicides happen because of migraines? The stats are extremely high.
26 November 2017 @ 12:11 pm
10 years constant headaches I am loosing my battle. Cant function