|
Home / Health
Rebound Headaches: When Getting Better Makes You Worse
By:Ron King
Rebound headaches are caused by the very things that relieve headaches -- pain medication. So basically it becomes a choice of suffer now, or suffer later.
Rebound headaches are usually daily occurrences, beginning early in the morning. Rebound headaches can lead to other problems including anxiety, depression, irritability and sleeplessness.
Medications
Migraine medications work to raise serotonin levels to ease pain. However, when too much medication is ingested something happens to the serotonin levels, which causes the chemical to lose its effectiveness. Research has shown that serotonin levels are lower when you take too much pain medication and then they rise slightly after the headaches gets better and you stop taking the medication.
If prescription or over-the-counter drugs are taken too often or in greater amounts than recommended, this can lead to rebound headaches. In addition to sedatives and tranquilizers, other rebound-causing medications include:
1. Caffeine-containing analgesics (Anacin, Excedrin, etc.). Caffeine, a primary ingredient in many headache medicines, can relieve migraine pain temporarily. However, taking medicine containing caffeine every day -- as well as drinking caffeine-loaded beverages such as coffee or soft drinks -- can lead to more frequent and severe headaches. If the headache gets worse when you stop using caffeine, the caffeine may be the cause 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, must be used with care because they can cause dependency quickly.
Symptoms
* Your headache occurs daily or almost daily (3 or 4 times a week).
* Your headache deviates in form, location on the head, severity and strength.
* You have a lower than normal threshold for pain.
* You begin to notice evidence of an increasing tolerance to the effectiveness of analgesics over a period of time.
* You notice a spontaneous improvement of headache pain when you discontinue the medications.
* You are considered a sufferer of a primary headache disorder and you use prevention medication frequently and in large quantities.
* Even the slightest physical movement or bare minimum of intellectual expenditure causes the onset of the headache.
* Your headache is accompanied by any of these symptoms: anxiety, depression, difficulty in concentration, irritability, memory problems, nausea, and restlessness.
* You suffer withdrawal symptoms when you abruptly are taken off the medication.
Recovery
If you have rebound headaches due to the overuse of medications, the only way to recover is to cease taking the drugs. If it is caffeine that is causing your rebound headaches, reducing your intake may be of help. Before deciding on whether you want to stop abruptly or gradually, the following need to be considered:
1. Make sure you consult with a physician before withdrawing from headache drugs. Certain non-headache medications, such as anti-anxiety drugs or beta-blockers, require gradual withdrawal.
2. The patient (you) may need to be hospitalized if the symptoms do not respond to treatment, or if they cause severe nausea and vomiting.
3. During the first few days, alternative medications may be administered. Examples of drugs that may be used include corticosteroids, dihydroergotamine (with or without metoclopramide), NSAIDs (in mild cases) or valproate.
4. Whatever method you choose when stopping your medication, you will go through a period of worsening headache afterward. Most people will feel better within 2 weeks, however, headache symptoms can persist for as long as 4 months and in some rare cases even longer.
Good News
Many patients experience long-term relief from all headaches afterward. The conclusion of one study showed that over 80% of patients significantly improved 4 months after withdrawal.
Digg
del.icio.us
Blink
Stumble
Spurl
Reddit
Netscape
Furl
Article keywords: headache, migraine
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com
Visit Relieve Headache to learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer, visit his website at Articles for authors
Copyright 2006 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links live.
Submitted with Article Distributor.
|
|
| Top Health Articles |
- 1). Collarbone Injury By : Frank Vanderlugt
The clavicle or “collar bone” connects the scapula bone in the shoulder to the sternum in your chest. It functions to hold the shoulder upward and backward.
Clavicle fractures are common bone injuries. A break in the clavicle bone is usually a closed fracture that normally takes approximately 6 weeks to heal in an adult, 4 weeks in a child. The injury rarely requires surgery.
|
- 2). The Hottest Hair Trends And The Sexiest Hairstyles For 2007 By :
Copyright 2006 David Maillie
Hair has become unequivocally important as it can literally make one look like a movie star or a has been from Hee Haw, which died out many years ago. It is big enough that it is a multi billion dollar industry and the average bill in a salon is approaching $100. In the big cities with a hot hairstylist like Jonathon in Beverly Hills prices can easily top $500 for a cut and style.
|
- 3). Muscle Imbalance And Chronic Injuries By : Jeff P. Anliker, LMT
Injuries can occur anywhere and at anytime, but the most prevalent place of occurrence is in the workplace. The reason for such a high rate of injury is that people spend 8-18 hours a day, 5-7 days a week performing unidirectional (one-way) movement patterns, causing an imbalance in the musculoskeletal system that results in the overuse and under use of certain muscle groups.
|
- 4). Why Whey Protein? By : Sandy Knoll
With all of the recent negative press given to body supplements, it makes good sense to be cautions about using different nutritional supplements as a part of your body building efforts.
Whey protein has been lauded as a safe, natural and simple supplement. It's use has become popular for those genuinely interested in good health through physical fitness and body building.
|
- 5). Autism and its Generated Behavioral and Mental Impairments By : Groshan Fabiola
Autism is a complex neurological disorder that dramatically affects people’s behaviors and social interactions. The disorder can be revealed in early childhood, by the age of 3. Although the first signs of autism can sometimes be identified in infants, the disorder is usually discovered at a later stage of life. Autistic children present a wide range of behavioral abnormalities, and they can be easily identified among normal children.
|
- 6). Why Asbestos Cancer Affects More Men? By : Alfred J.James
Who needs to be examined?
Individuals who have been exposed (or suspect they have been exposed) to asbestos fibers on the job or at home via a family contact should inform their physician of their exposure history and any symptoms. Asbestos fibers can be measured in urine, feces, mucus, or material rinsed out of the lungs.
A thorough physical examination, including a chest x-ray and lung function tests, may be recommended.
|
- 7). The Benefits of Martial Arts Training By : Clint Leung
As any martial arts practitioner will tell you, there are multiple benefits in martial arts training. Of course, the most obvious benefit is a knowledge of self defense which is one of the major reasons why the martial arts were developed in the first place. Knowing how to defend oneself and loved ones in a potentially dangerous situation is an asset in today’s world just as it was hundreds of years ago.
|
- 8). Study Says Obesity May Be Caused By Virus By : Rick Hendershot
In new study published this month, a research team claims to have found evidence that a contagious virus can contribute to obesity.
The team found that a specific human adenovirus Ad-37 seems to trigger obesity in chickens. Previous studies had linked other adenoviruses -- Ad-36 and Ad-5 -- to obesity in animals.
These and other adenoviruses cause colds and other common illnesses in people.
|
- 9). How Long Will It Take To Gain Muscles| Build Muscle Mass By : Chris Chew
There are many factors to consider when you want to know how long will it take for you to gain and build muscle mass. Questions like are you eating enough and the right nutrients to accelerate muscle growth, are you exercising correctly and regularly and do you have the genes for quick muscle growth need to be addressed.
In this article, we shall discuss whether you have the genetic make up to gain and build muscles quickly.
|
- 10). Breathe Easy: Some Asthma Relief Tips By : Nick Carter
Asthma is the seventh-ranked chronic health condition in the United States and the leading chronic illness of children. It is a chronic inflammatory disease that makes airways (bronchial tubes) particularly sensitive to irritants.
During an asthma attack, tightening of the smooth muscles around the bronchial tubes causes them to become inflamed, narrow inside, and produce excess mucus.
|
| New Health Articles |
- 1). How To Break An Addiction By : John Morris
You need to evaluate the problem and find what triggers your addicts and what specific need it is using. Once you have determined that, you can begin breaking yourself of the habit one step at a time...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- 5). Make Your Heart More Healthy By : Dan Sherman
Does it seem like there are more health risks these days than there were in the past? Well, the plain and simple truth is, there are. Now, more than ever, people around the globe grapple with various heath afflictions.
|
- 6). The Best Ways To Quit Cigarette Smoking By : Jonty Smith
The author packed in his 40-a-day habit within a few hours. He did it quickly, easily and painlessly. Why then do so many other smokers struggle to quit? In this article, the author explains the best ways to quit cigarette smoking, and why many of the established methods are counter-productive.
|
- 7). Can Chocolate Really Kill Your Dog By : Gregg Hall
We have all heard this all of our lives but how big a threat is it really? Is it life threatening or will it just make him sick? How much chocolate does the animal have to eat for it to cause a negative reaction?
|
- 8). The Attraction Of Magnetic Therapy By : John Morris
Magnetic therapy is an alternative treatment for common ailments. The most commonly treated ailments for that magnetic therapy is used for are arthritis, pain, inflammation, muscle tension, migraines, tumors, asthma, allergies, diabetes and many other joints or healing complaints...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
