Drug-induced headache in young people of reproductive age with tobacco addiction

Drug-induced headache (DIH) is one of the most common forms of chronic headache (CH). Management of patients with DIH remains a pressing problem of modern medicine. This condition is characterized by headache over 15 days a month for more than 3 months. On the basis of the BSMU Clinic, we assessed the health status of young people with DIH and nicotine addiction. Patients with nicotine addiction were evaluated for the degree of negative effect of smoking on respiratory function.

It was found that the majority of patients took monocomponent analgesics, and the minority of patients took combined analgesics and triptans; compared with young men, young women were less likely to seek medical advice if the episodes of headache became more frequent; however, uncontrolled use of painkillers was observed more often in males. In the absence of an analgesic effect 30 h after medication intake, young men repeated the medication in 60% of cases.

Educational programs about DIH and the development of CHs with associated nicotine addiction may play an important in preventing the development of the condition.