Warning of migraine sufferers hooked by addictive painkillers

A national health conference in Hull – regarded as a centre of excellence for headache treatment and research – was told that clearing supermarket shelves of many brands of painkillers would significantly help many migraine victims.

Simple painkillers such as paracetamol were once regarded as a better choice of headache treatment than ones which use opiates such as codeine.

But Fayyaz Ahmed, consultant neurologist at Hull Royal Infirmary, told the British Association for the Study of Headache conference that many paracetamol products now came with added ingredients such as caffeine and barbiturates.

There is growing evidence of a major problem of people overmedicating for headaches and migraines which are one of the most common health complaints in the UK with more than 10 million sufferers, accounting for one in 25 GP consultations.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) estimates between one and two per cent of the population are self-medicating through the supermarket when they should be going to see a GP. But Dr Ahmed told the conference: “We know that must be an underestimate because 50 per cent of headache sufferers do not consult with their GPs but go to supermarkets to buy painkillers.

“If you suffer from migraines, the painkiller makes the headache go away but as soon as it gets out of your system the headache returns. Then you get into a vicious circle of taking more and more painkillers.

“You have some people taking six doses of painkiller every day for 30 days a month.

“If I could have a wish it would be to clear all codeine-based painkillers from the supermarket shelves and any painkillers with caffeine and barbiturates.”

He was concerned that many types now being marketed as pick-me-ups or as extra potent cures for migraine would only stave off the headache until the pill wore off.

He is calling for improved packaging information warning anyone who finds themselves “popping painkillers” more than twice a week to stop taking them and consult their GP.

Many of the existing warnings refer to continued use over a period of days by which time, Dr Ahmed said, “the horse had already bolted”.

Dr Ahmed told his audience of national and international experts at Hull Royal Infirmary that patients could wean themselves off the tablets – but would feel worse before they got better.

There was also a big risk of relapse, which further underlined the need for further headache clinics, similar to the one that already exists in Hull, to steer patients on the road to recovery.

Nice estimates that as many as a million people in the UK have completely preventable severe headaches caused by taking too many painkillers, with women five times more likely to get them than men.

Most sufferers are believed to have started with everyday headaches or migraines which have become much worse as they self medicate. Nice is advising GPs to consider the possibility of medication overuse in patients taking medicines for up to half the days in a month over three months.

Experts from across the country, the United States and Europe attended the conference at the East Riding Medical Education Centre at Hull Royal Infirmary.

Other work discussed at the meeting included new migraine therapies, with presentations on using botox injections to cushion pain hotspots during attacks.

The Migraine Trust and the British Association for the Study of Headache will offer help to sufferers from migraines over accessing treatment, employment and welfare benefits rights at a meeting in Hull on Saturday, February 23. The event is free but places must be booked in advance. For further information go to the trust’s website or call it on 0207 631 6977.