Too frequent use of painkillers can cause rather than cure headaches | BMJ – will Scotland agree?

  “NICE advises the NHS to be alert to the possibility of drug induced headaches in patients whose headache developed or worsened while they were taking triptans, opioids, ergots, and combination analgesic treatments for 10 days a month or paracetamol, aspirin, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen either alone or in combination for15 or more days a month. Drug induced headaches are five times as common in women as in men.”

With regards to the Scottish Government’s stance that NICE guidelines need to be re-evaluated by SIGN in Scotland (when justifying not accepting NICE guidelines for non-specific lower back pain*) – is the Government going to disregard the latest NICE headache-related guidelines until they can be re-assessed in a few years time? Or is this decision selective?

* “NHS QIS have established a Scottish Chronic Pain Steering Group to take forward recommendations in the Getting to GRIPS Report. Part of this work will be to develop a SIGN guideline on aspects of chronic pain management. NICE Clinical Guidelines have no formal status in Scotland” Shona Robison 11/March/2011 (http://bit.ly/CAMNHS-NICEGuideRobKerr)

Too frequent use of painkillers can cause rather than cure headaches | BMJ