For subscribers
The Life List: Popping painkillers can make headaches worse, here’s what to do instead
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Medication-overuse headaches occur when people take painkillers frequently for at least three months.
PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO
SINGAPORE – A woman who suffered from chronic migraines for years sought medical help when the usual painkillers stopped alleviating her pain.
The solution turned out to be reducing the frequency of medication to only twice a week, says Dr Hew Jia Ni, family physician and clinical lead for Neurology Workgroup, SingHealth Polyclinics. The patient, who was in her 60s, had developed a medication-overuse headache.
