Are there predictive factors for long-term outcome after withdrawal in drug-induced chronic daily headache?
OBJECTIVE
To investigate prognostic factors for long-term outcome of patients after inpatient withdrawal because of drug-induced chronic daily headache.


METHODS
Fifty-five patients (36 females) were re-examined by means of a standardized interview after inpatient withdrawal. The mean observation period was 9.28 +/- 2.85 years (mean +/- SD; median 8.58; range 5.00-13.50).


RESULTS
Five years after withdrawal, one-third of the patients (34.6%) had an overall favourable outcome, one-third (32.7%) had no recurrent drug overuse and reported a clear-cut improvement of headache, and one-third (32.7%) developed recurrent drug overuse. Most relapses occurred within 2 years, and a small percentage within 5 years. No predictors for long-term outcome after inpatient withdrawal were found.


CONCLUSIONS
All patients with drug-induced chronic daily headache should be considered as good candidates for inpatient withdrawal, and no patient should be excluded from that therapy.
Tribl
G G
GG
Department of Clinical Neurology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. Gotthard.Tribl@akh-wien.ac.at
Schnider
P
P
Wöber
C
C
Aull
S
S
Auterith
A
A
Zeiler
K
K
Wessely
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012008:Recurrence