Key clinical point: Use of opioids is still prevalent among patients with migraine, thus indicating non-adherence to evidence-based international guidelines; moreover, the opioid use is more frequent and prolonged among patients with chronic migraine (CM) than among those with episodic migraine (EM).
Major finding: Overall, 13.4% of patients reported ever using an opioid for headache, with 46.3% using opioids occasionally, whereas 27.0% and 11.3% reported using them for >1 month and >1 year, respectively. Additionally, 2.4% of participants used opioids without a prescription. Patients with CM vs EM reported more frequent (21.6% vs 11.7%; P < .001) and prolonged (>1 month: 33.6% vs 24.4%; P < .003; >1 year: 17.7% vs 8.7%; P < .001) opioid use.
Study details: Findings are from a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study including 3712 patients with migraine (CM n = 629; EM n = 3,083).
Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. GM Terwindt declared receiving consultancy support and independent support from various sources. No other conflicts of interest were declared.
Source: van Welie RF, van Welie FC, et al. Characterizing opioid use in a Dutch cohort with migraine. Cephalalgia. 2023;43(5) (May 11). doi: 10.1177/03331024231174160