Rebound Headache
You've been getting headaches. Finally, you find some medications that are making a difference. You're headaches are almost all gone - but wait - they're coming back! They're getting worse! The painkillers aren't doing the job they used to do. What's going on?
You may be a victim of "rebound headache". Rebound headache is a common problem. It happens when you start trying to fight off headaches, and they start fighting back. What's often happening in rebound headache is that the very drugs that used to solve the problem are actually making things worse. If you start taking the drugs on a regular basis, your body actually gets used to the medication and starts to crave it when it's not there. Then the headaches get worse, so you take more drugs. The cycle goes on.
If you're suffering from a mild headache almost every day, you may have rebound headache. If you're taking pain relievers every 2-3 days, that's a sign that you're caught in the cycle. You may find that 3-4 hours after taking the drugs the headache gets even worse, or you may start waking up with headache.
How can you avoid getting caught in this trap?
The Mayo Clinic reports that the pills most likely to cause rebound headache are drugs with a combination of ingredients, such as drugs that include combinations of caffeine, aspirin and acetaminophen, and migraine drugs like ergotamines and triptans (eg Imitrex). If you're taking a lot of painkillers, see your doctor and try to treat the problem. There may be newer and better treatments available.
Also, be sure you have at least two days that are drug-free between every day when you're taking painkillers. Some doctors suggest that you take no more than 10 doses a month. If you're taking much more than that, see a good doctor and look for other solutions.
But what if you're already dealing with rebound headache?
Though it may be hard to believe, you may actually be better off with no drugs at all. Many doctors suggest going cold turkey. You may need medical help to be able to get out of the cycle. The sooner you can get that help the better.
You can try cutting down over a couple of months. Be sure to keep track of exactly what you're taking. First, go a day without drugs, then two days between every day with drugs. You'll likely notice an increase in headaches at first, but keep at it! Things will get much better.
If things aren't better after a few weeks, or you're having trouble cutting down, see a doctor right away. Make sure there isn't another damaging problem causing the headaches. It's not worth the suffering - there is lots of help available if you ask for it!
Rebound headache can be painful and debilitating. Don't let it control your life. This article is for your information, but should never replace a trip to the doctor. If you have any kind of new headache, or if things are getting worse, you could experience permanent problems if you don't seek help.
Things can get better! Many people before you have gotten out of the cycle and have seen their headaches diminish and even vanish. All the best in your fight to be headache free!
James Cottrill is a headache sufferer and health writer at http://www.Relieve-Migraine-Headache.com. He lives with his wife and two children in the shadow of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. For more on rebound headache, visit http://www.Relieve-Migraine-Headache.com/rebound
Latest News
BioImagene CEO, Dr. Ajit Singh, Speaks On Enabling Personalized ... MarketWatch - Digital pathology, a key enabler for personalized medicine, will aid clinicians in managing and interpreting data from a whole new set of diagnostic tests ... Aperio Introduces SecondSlide(TM) Digital Slide Sharing Network |
 Boston Globe | Medicine for the Job Market New York Times, United States - By JONATHAN GRUBER A CENTRAL feature of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign was an aggressive plan to expand health insurance coverage by subsidizing ... New Report Shows Slower Premium Growth, But Increasing Pressure to ... Health Corps Research database from the US Library of Medicine |
 Current World News | American College of Surgeons Comments on Institute of Medicine ... MarketWatch - CHICAGO, Dec 03, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The American College of Surgeons (ACS) today recognized the Institute of Medicine (IOM) for its ... BMC Internal Medicine Residency Program Achieves National ... Report urges more sleep for medical residents Medical Residents Must Sleep After 16 Hours, Experts Urge |
Research and Markets: 2008 Integrative Medicine and Dietary ... MarketWatch - In this 32-page issue, we offer a breakdown of 2007 US Complementary and Alternative Medicine sales data and provides a detailed analysis of new integrative ... |
 Afrik.com | 34 Nigerian Children Dead From Tainted Medicine Voice of America - By VOA News Nigerian health officials say they are flying in doses of an antidote for a poisoned teething medicine that has now killed 34 infants. ... 'Toxic' syrup kills Nigerian babies Teething mixture kills more Nigerian babies Nigeria infant drug toll hits 34, antidote flown in |
Research database from the US Library of Medicine The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com, OH - Search PubMed, Clinicaltrials.gov, the CDC and a dozen other medical sites - all at once. AP MEDICAL VIDEO by Michael O'Malley and Joan Mazzolini/Plain ... |
A New Index of Preventive Medicine Companies Motley Fool - The accompanying table [click to enlarge] presents statistics and the top 15 rated companies in the ETF Innovators [ETFI] Preventive Medicine Index. ... |
American Academy of Dermatology Issues Position Statement on Vitamin D MarketWatch - The currently recommended adequate intake levels established by the Institute of Medicine may be revised upward due to evolving research on the increasing ... |
NIGERIA: Jos displaced grapple with food, water, medicine shortages IRINnews.org, NY - JOS, 4 December 2008 (IRIN) - Water, medicine and food supplies are running low for an estimated 10000 people displaced by violence in Jos, northern Nigeria ... |
 Canada.com | "Rogue" stem cell clinics exploit hope: report Reuters - "The direct-to-consumer portrayal of stem cell medicine is optimistic and unsupported by published evidence," Timothy Caulfield of the University of Alberta ... Scientists warn of “rogue” online stem cell clinics Internet stem-cell clinics 'exploiting' MS and Parkinson's patients The International Society for Stem Cell Research Releases New ... |
Resources
-
Sorry Currently Unavailable