What is medication-overuse headache?
Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a headache that can develop when acute pain-relief medication is used on too many days per month over a sustained period. The commonly cited thresholds are around 10 days a month for triptans, opioids and combination painkillers, or 15 days a month for simple painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen. This page is informational — only a clinician can say whether it applies to you.
How MOH is thought to develop
When you have frequent migraine, it's natural to reach for acute medication often. Over time, in some people, that frequent use appears to make headaches more frequent rather than less — a self-reinforcing loop where the treatment becomes part of the problem. MOH is usually diagnosed in someone who already has a headache disorder, typically when regular acute-medication use has continued for more than three months. The key figures to know are informational: roughly 10 medication-days a month for triptans, ergotamines, opioids and combination analgesics, and 15 or more for simple painkillers.
Why the day-count matters
Because MOH is about how many days a month you take acute medication, the single most useful thing you can know is your own acute-medication-day count — not the number of pills, but the number of days you used any acute treatment. Most people badly underestimate this from memory, especially across a busy month. A dated record makes the true figure visible, which is exactly the information a clinician needs to talk with you about whether medication use is contributing to your headaches.
What to do with this
MOH is treatable, but the path — and any change to how you use medication — is a clinical decision, not something to attempt from a web page. Never stop or change prescribed medication on the strength of an article. Bring your acute-medication-day count to a doctor and let them interpret it with you. Temple records those days so the conversation starts from facts; it does not tell you that you have MOH, and it isn't medical advice. Temple is a tracking tool, not medical advice — for anything specific to you, consult a healthcare professional.
Temple counts the acute-medication days that matter for MOH conversations, so you arrive at an appointment with an accurate figure instead of a guess.
Common questions
- How many days of painkillers cause medication-overuse headache?
- The informational thresholds are around 10 days a month for triptans, opioids, ergotamines and combination painkillers, or 15 or more days a month for simple painkillers, sustained for over three months. These are guides for discussion, not a self-diagnosis — only a clinician can determine whether MOH is present.
- Does tracking my medication mean I have MOH?
- No. Counting your acute-medication days simply gives you and a clinician accurate information. Whether that pattern amounts to medication-overuse headache is a clinical judgement, and any change to your medication should be made with a healthcare professional.