title: Chronic daily headache with medication overuse: predictors of outcome 1 year after withdrawal therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined prospectively the results of withdrawal therapy in 80 patients with probable medication overuse headache. The aim was to identify baseline patient characteristics that might predict outcome after 1 year (end of study).
  
  
  METHODS
  We classified patients according to results of withdrawal therapy measured as the improvement of headache days (HD) from baseline to end of study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-six per cent (29/80) had at least 50% improvement. Sixty-four per cent (51/80) had <50% improvement, and among these, 30% (24/80) had <10% improvement. The following baseline characteristics were associated with poor outcome of withdrawal therapy: use of codeine-containing drugs, low self-reported sleep quality, and high self-reported bodily pain as measured by the quality of life tool SF-36.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Before suggesting withdrawal therapy, one should probably pay more close attention to sleep problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Sørlandet Hospital, Kristiansand, Norway. magne.geir.boe@sshf.no
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bøe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salvesen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mygland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000700:Analgesics / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects; D015984:Causality; D003061:Codeine / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000628:therapy*; D051271:Headache Disorders, Secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D010147:Pain Measurement; D018579:Patient Selection; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; D013995:Time; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D003061:Codeine