Q I've been taking painkillers almost every day, and now my headaches seem to be even more frequent. Is this medication-overuse headache?
A Using triptans on 10 or more days per month, or NSAIDs and painkillers on 15 or more days per month, can cause medication-overuse headache (MOH). You must taper off gradually under professional guidance.
Detailed Answer
Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a phenomenon in which a primary-headache patient's headaches become chronic from excessive, repeated use of acute painkillers. The risk is high when triptans are used on 10 or more days, or NSAIDs and acetaminophen on 15 or more days, per month. Treatment involves slowly reducing the offending medication under a physician's guidance while combining preventive treatment.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
This is exactly the kind of situation that calls for the approach Dongjedang emphasizes: "addressing the root rather than suppressing with painkillers." Acupuncture and brain-clearing herbal medicine lower the frequency of headache attacks without drug dependence, serving as a solid support while you reduce painkillers. When withdrawal headaches are severe during the tapering period, acupuncture can ease the pain, and it is safest to draw up the tapering plan together with your Korean medicine doctor.
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