Archive · 30 Nov 2025
Painkillers May Cause Chronic Headaches
Sometimes, the medicine we take for headaches can actually make them worse.
This is called a medication-overuse headache.
It happens when people take painkillers like paracetamol, ibuprofen, or codeine too often.
Even though these medicines are supposed to help, using them too much can cause more headaches.
Doctors think this might happen to about 1%-2% of people, and it's more common in women.
The good news is that if you stop taking the medicine carefully with a doctor's help, the headaches often go away.
It's important to talk to a doctor if you're having headaches a lot, so they can help figure out what's causing them and how to treat them.
Medication-overuse headaches affect 1%-2% of people, more common in women
Common triggers include opiates, paracetamol, NSAIDs, and triptans
Overuse is defined as taking painkillers on 15+ days/month for paracetamol/NSAIDs or 10+ days/month for opiates
Treatment involves gradual withdrawal of the medication under medical supervision
Keeping a headache diary can help identify patterns and underlying causes
Excessive paracetamol use can lead to serious complications like liver failure
- Who
- People who regularly take painkillers for headaches, especially women
- What
- Medication-overuse headaches caused by frequent painkiller use
- When
- After taking painkillers for three months or longer
- Where
- Common in the UK, affecting over 10 million people
- Why
- Painkillers can trigger chronic headaches through overuse
- Prevalence
- Affects 1%-2% of people, more common in women
- Common Triggers
- Opiates, paracetamol, NSAIDs, triptans
- Overuse Threshold
- 15+ days/month for paracetamol/NSAIDs, 10+ days/month for opiates
- Treatment Approach
- Gradual medication withdrawal under medical supervision
- Diagnostic Tool
- Headache diary to track symptoms and triggers
- Serious Risk
- Liver failure from excessive paracetamol use
- Underlying Causes
- Migraines, tension headaches, anxiety, depression