Rebound Headaches: When Getting Better Makes You Worse

By: Mayfair Jaz Click author's name for more of his/her articles

The help designed to alleviate our headaches are what triggers rebound headaches -- pain medication. So basically, it becomes a view of suffer now, or suffer later.

Rebound headaches are frequently daily occurrences, beginning early in the morning. Rebound headaches can lead to other dilemmas including worry, melancholy, irritability and insomnia.

Drugs
Migraine drugs drive to increase serotonin levels to mitigate pain. However, when excessive medication is ingested, something happens to the serotonin levels which allows the compound to lose its efficacy. Examination has shown that serotonin levels are reduced when you take extreme pain medication and then they climb slightly after the headaches gets better and you cease taking the medication.

If prescription or over-the-counter drugs are taken regularly or in greater dosage than advised, this can lead to rebound headaches. In addition to sedatives and tranquilizers, other rebound-causing drugs include:

1. Caffeine-containing analgesics (Anacin, Excedrin, etc.). Caffeine, a primary part in many headache drugs, can lessen migraine pain temporarily. However, taking medication containing caffeine every day -- as well as intaking caffeine-loaded beverages such as coffee or soft drinks -- can lead to more frequent and awful headaches. If the headache gets worse when you cease using caffeine, the caffeine may be the origin of some of your headaches.

2. Butalbital compounds (Fioricet, Fiorinal, Phrenilin, etc.); Isometheptene compounds (Duradrin, Midrin, etc.); Decongestants (Afrin, Dristan, Sudafed, Tylenol Sinus, etc.); Ergotamines (D.II.E. 45, Ergomar, Migranal, Wigraine); Triptans (Amerge, Axert, Imitrex, Maxalt, Zomig); Opioids and related drugs (Darvocet, OxyContin, Percocet, Tylenol with codeine, etc.). Medications that include any form of codeine, such as Percocet, Tylenol 3, or Vicodin, should be used with care because they can bring about craving quickly.

Indicators

* Your headache happens daily or almost daily (3 or 4 times a week).
* Your headache deviates in form, location on the head, acuteness and strength.
* You have a lesser than natural threshold for pain.
* You begin to observe evidence of an increasing tolerance to the value of analgesics over a period of time.
* You note a spontaneous development of headache pain when you discontinue the medicines.
* You are considered a sufferer of a primary headache ailment and you employ prevention medication frequently and in large quantities.
* Even the slightest physical movement or bare minimum of logical expenditure kicks off the beginning of the headache.
* Your headache is accompanied by any of these indicators: fear, depression, effort in attentiveness, bad temper, recollection problems, queasiness, and agitation.
* You undergo withdrawal indications when you hurriedly are taken off the drugs.

Healing

If you have rebound headaches due to the overuse of medicines, the only way to pull through is to discontinue taking the prescriptions. If it is caffeine that is causing your rebound headaches, lowering your ingestion may be of help. Before making your mind up on whether you want to halt hastily or in stages, the following need to be considered:

1. Make sure you discuss with an expert before withdrawing from headache drugs. Specified non-headache medications, such as anti-anxiety drugs or beta-blockers, require steady withdrawal.
2. The patient (you) may need to be hospitalized if the warning signs do not respond to treatment, or if they initiate acute unsettled stomach and vomiting.
3. During the first few days, alternative prescriptions may be given. Examples of drugs that may be used include corticosteroids, dihydroergotamine (with or without metoclopramide), NSAIDs (in mild situations) or valproate.
4. Whatever approach you select, when discontinuing your medication, you will go through a stage of worsening headache afterward. Most people will feel better within 2 weeks, however, headache signs can continue for as long as 4 months and in some unusual occurrences even longer.

Good News
Lots of patients experience long-term relief from all headaches subsequently. The conclusion of one study made known that in excess of 80% of patients notably convalesced 4 months after withdrawal.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: If you are searching online for natural migraine headache treatments there are many more migraine articles for you to read including a free 5 part mini course of migraine information. Read other articles written to assist in all types of personal problems like fertility help at my "Hopefully Helpful blog. Good luck Jasmine...