Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Practice Masterclass for GPs

Headaches

BMJ 2007; 334 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39090.652847.DE (Published 01 February 2007) Cite this as: BMJ 2007;334:254

Rapid Response:

Pseudoephedrine and migraine? - Feb. 2007

Simply to support the proposition in the responses that caffeine
causes a withdrawal headache. I have experienced it many times, and have
had friends say that refusal to drink hospital instant coffee and the
subsequent despondency, did complicate their appearance to hospital staff,
in the post-surgery recovery period.

So far I haven’t found specific reference in the literature to
pseudoephedrine taken for sinus congestion, causing visual
disturbances[auras - eg flashing lights]. My GP accepts the idea on the
basis of vasoconstriction, but can’t tell me where it is stated in the
literature.

Competing interests:
None declared

Competing interests: No competing interests

15 February 2007
Phillip J. Colquitt
Technician/RN
Independent Comment