Lancet neurology
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Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a chronic headache disorder defined by the International Headache Society as a headache induced by the overuse of analgesics, triptans, or other acute headache compounds. The population-based prevalence of MOH is 0.7% to 1.7%. Most patients with MOH have migraine as their primary headache and overuse triptans or simple analgesics. ⋯ There is no clear evidence on which method of withdrawal therapy is the most efficacious. Withdrawal symptoms can be treated with steroids; however, not all data support this concept. As MOH can severely affect the quality of life of patients, it needs to be recognised early to enable appropriate treatment to be initiated.