”Drug overuse headache, also known as pharmacogenic headache, is the third most common type of headache after tension-type headache and migraine. It is often caused by excessive and frequent use of pain medication by headache sufferers. I. Why does medication overuse headache occur? 1. Most headache patients do not realize that overuse of pain medication can aggravate headache, so when pain medication is ineffective or headache worsens, they often choose to increase the dose and frequency of pain medication or add other kinds of pain medication. 2.Patients lack knowledge of headache disease and take acute symptomatic drugs daily as preventive medication. 3.Fear of headache and the dysfunction caused by headache, fear that headache attacks will affect daily life, work and social life, and often take medication in advance in order to improve the quality of survival and work efficiency, which inadvertently leads to drug overdose. 4. Patients with chronic headache are often accompanied by depression and anxiety, which also tend to lead to drug overdose. Also, the occurrence of headache after withdrawal of medication makes patients dependent on the medication, which leads to the continuous use of overdose. 5. Caffeine in pain relievers containing caffeine can cause mental excitement and lead to drug dependence, resulting in drug overdose abuse. What are the drugs that cause drug overuse headache? The common drugs that cause drug overuse headache in China are mainly the compound preparations containing caffeine, including painkillers (Somitol), compound aspirin, phenol curry tablets, brain clearing tablets and some Chinese patent medicines, and some are due to the overuse of ibuprofen, acetaminophen, tramadol, ergotamine, etc. 3. How to diagnose drug overuse headache? The following 3 items need to be satisfied: 1. headache ≥ 15 days/month; 2. regular overdose of one or more drugs for acute or symptomatic treatment for ≥ 3 months; 3. headache worsened or deteriorated during drug overdose application. IV. What should I do if I have a drug overuse headache? Rapid discontinuation or slow discontinuation of medication is an option. Depending on the specific situation, outpatient or inpatient treatment can be chosen. For patients with low dosage of overdose, strong self-control, good compliance and no history of relapse after withdrawal, those who can accept withdrawal through doctor’s recommendation can achieve withdrawal in outpatient clinic. For patients with poor self-control, a history of post-withdrawal relapse, and concomitant physical illness, inpatient withdrawal will be more effective and safer. For patients with sedative, opioid or barbiturate overdose, gradual withdrawal is advocated and inpatient withdrawal is required, especially for patients with large daily doses, inpatient treatment is more convenient for the management of withdrawal syndrome. V. What should I pay attention to after drug withdrawal? After drug withdrawal, the primary headache (migraine, tension-type headache) should continue to be treated under the proper guidance, education and supervision of a specialist.