Comorbidities Associated With Epilepsy And Headaches [comorbidades Associadas às Epilepsias E Cefaleias]

Comorbidities are often associated with chronic neurological diseases, such as headache and epilepsy. Objectives: To identify comorbidities associated with epilepsy and headaches, and to determine possible drug interactions. Methods: A standardized questionnaire with information about type of epilepsy/headache, medical history, and medication was administered to 80 adult subjects (40 with epilepsy and 40 with chronic headache). Results: Patients with epilepsy had an average of two comorbidities and those with headache of three. For both groups, hypertension was the most prevalent. On average, patients with epilepsy were taking two antiepileptic medications and those with headache were taking only one prophylactic medication. Regarding concomitant medications, patients with epilepsy were in use, on average, of one drug and patients with headache of two. Conclusions: Patients with chronic neurological diseases, such as epilepsy and headaches, have a high number of comorbidities and they use many medications. This may contribute to poor adherence and interactions between different medications.704274277Hirtz, D., Thurman, D.J., Gwinn-Hardy, K., Mohamed, M., Chaudhuri, A.R., Zalutsky, R., How common are the "common" neurologic disorders? (2007) Neurology, 68, pp. 326-337Stovner, L.J., Hagen, K., Jensen, R., The global burden of headache: A documentation of headache prevalence and disability worldwide (2007) Cephalalgia, 27, pp. 193-210Proposal for revised classification of epilepsies and epiletic syndromes (1989) Epilepsia, 30, pp. 389-399. , Commission on Classification and Terminology of the International League Against EpilepsyGidal, B.E., French, J.A., Grossman, P., le Teuff, G., Assessment of potential drug interactions in patients with epilepsy: Impact of age and sex (2009) Neurology, 72, pp. 419-425Recomendações para o tratamento profilático da migrânea: Consenso da Sociedade Brasileira de Cefaléia (2002) Arq Neuropsiquiatr, 60, pp. 159-169. , Sociedade Brasileira de CefaleiaBetting, L.E., Kobayashi, E., Montenegro, M.A., Tratamento de epilepsia: Consenso dos especialistas brasileiros (2003) Arq Neuropsiquiatr, 61, pp. 1045-1070Patsalos, P.N., Perucca, E., Clinically important drug interactions in epilepsy: Interactions between antiepileptic drugs and other drugs (2003) Lancet Neurol, 2, pp. 473-481Buse, D.C., Manack, A., Serrano, D., Sociodemographic and comorbidity profiles of chronic migraine and episodic migraine sufferers (2010) J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 81, pp. 428-432Faught, E., Duh, M.S., Weiner, J.R., Nonadherence to antiepileptic drugs and increased mortality: Findings from the RANSOM Study (2008) Neurology, 71, pp. 1572-1578Cramer, J.A., Glassman, M., Rienzic, V., The relationship between poor medication compliance and seizures (2002) Epilepsy and Behavior, 3, pp. 338-342Oberndorfer, S., Piribauer, M., Marosi, C., Lahrmann, H., Hitzenberger, P., Grisold, W., P450 enzyme inducing and non-enzyme inducing antiepileptics in glioblastoma patients treated with standard chemotherapy (2005) J Neurooncol, 72, pp. 255-260Spina, E., Scordo, M.G., D'Arrigo, C., Metabolic drug interactions with new psychotropic agents (2003) Fundamental and Clin Pharmacol, 17, pp. 517-538Monaco, F., Cicolin, A., Interactions between anticonvulsant and psychoactive drugs (1999) Epilepsia, 40 (SUPPL.), pp. S71-S7