When to review acute medicine use
If you are taking pain relievers or migraine-specific acute medicines on many days each month and headaches are becoming more frequent, ask a GP, pharmacist or headache clinician about medication overuse.
It is about days of use, not whether the medicine is 'strong'
Different medicine classes have different overuse thresholds. The important history is how many days each month acute headache medicines are used, including combination products and medicines taken for apparently different headache days.
Medication overuse and chronic migraine can occur together
Frequent migraine can lead to frequent acute treatment, and frequent acute treatment can contribute to a more persistent headache pattern in susceptible people. A clinician may need to address both sides of that cycle rather than blaming the person for treating attacks.
Do not stop prescribed treatment abruptly because of a Clea page
The safest plan depends on the medicine, current headache burden, other conditions and the preventive plan that will support the change. Some people need a structured withdrawal or bridging approach organised with a clinician.
What to bring to the review
Record the name of each acute medicine and the number of days it was used, rather than only the number of tablets. Pair that with total headache days and migraine-like days so the clinician can see the whole pattern.
Understanding medication overuse headache
This page explains the recognised pattern associated with medication overuse headache and where it sits among migraine and headache disorders. Headache conditions can overlap, and the same person can experience more than one headache pattern.
How clinicians separate headache patterns
Diagnosis usually depends on the history: frequency, duration, pain features, associated symptoms, neurological symptoms, autonomic symptoms, medication use and examination. Imaging or other tests may be used when another cause needs to be considered; there is not one scan or blood test that proves migraine.
Go to the original sources.
Clea checks source material, but PBS listings, medicine information and treatment access can change. Confirm current details with the TGA, PBS, your pharmacist or treating clinician.
How Clea sources and reviews migraine information →