Classes de medicamentos reconhecidas pelos discentes de medicina como associadas à cefaleia por uso excessivo de medicamentos

Abstract

Indroduction: The inadequate and prolonged use of symptomatic medications in patients with a preexisting primary headache causes the development of a prevalent and disabling pathology: the medication-overuse headache (MOH). The recognition of medications that have potential to cause MOH and its diagnosis are extreme important, since most of the patients with chronic headache have MOH and the majority of them only improves with the withdrawal of the substance. Objective: To analyze the pharmacological classes recognized by medical students at a public university as associated with medication-overuse headache. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive study, applied to the population of 557 medical students from a public university, from the 1st to the 12th period of the course, approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Alagoas. A total of 416 students answered a questionnaire that contained a multiple answer question containing all substances associated with MOH, according to ICHD-3, in which all answers considered appropriate should be marked. Results: Of the 416 students who answered the question, the majority considered caffeine, combined analgesics, NSAIDs, dipyrone and paracetamol as the main drugs associated with the development of MOH while triptans and ergotamines were among the least associated. A total of 106 students indicated that they preferred not to respond the question and 2 of them did not choose any of the drugs presented. Conclusion: The study allows us to conclude that the majority of medical students do not recognize triptan and ergotamines as drugs potentially associated with the development of MOH, which may be caused by a less knowledge about these classes of drugs, due to their less use in the context of the pubic health system. It is important to make students aware of the importance of knowing all pharmacological classes associated with the development of MOH to properly advise susceptible patients.