| Rebound headaches are caused by the very things | | | | period of time.* You notice a spontaneous |
| that relieve headaches -- pain medication. So basically | | | | improvement of headache pain when you discontinue |
| it becomes a choice of suffer now, or suffer | | | | the medications.* You are considered a sufferer of a |
| later.Rebound headaches are usually daily | | | | primary headache disorder and you use prevention |
| occurrences, beginning early in the morning. Rebound | | | | medication frequently and in large quantities.* Even the |
| headaches can lead to other problems including | | | | slightest physical movement or bare minimum of |
| anxiety, depression, irritability and | | | | intellectual expenditure causes the onset of the |
| sleeplessness.MedicationsMigraine medications work to | | | | headache.* Your headache is accompanied by any of |
| raise serotonin levels to ease pain. However, when too | | | | these symptoms: anxiety, depression, difficulty in |
| much medication is ingested something happens to the | | | | concentration, irritability, memory problems, nausea, and |
| serotonin levels, which causes the chemical to lose its | | | | restlessness.* You suffer withdrawal symptoms when |
| effectiveness. Research has shown that serotonin | | | | you abruptly are taken off the medication.RecoveryIf |
| levels are lower when you take too much pain | | | | you have rebound headaches due to the overuse of |
| medication and then they rise slightly after the | | | | medications, the only way to recover is to cease |
| headaches gets better and you stop taking the | | | | taking the drugs. If it is caffeine that is causing your |
| medication.If prescription or over-the-counter drugs are | | | | rebound headaches, reducing your intake may be of |
| taken too often or in greater amounts than | | | | help. Before deciding on whether you want to stop |
| recommended, this can lead to rebound headaches. In | | | | abruptly or gradually, the following need to be |
| addition to sedatives and tranquilizers, other | | | | considered:1. Make sure you consult with a physician |
| rebound-causing medications include:1. | | | | before withdrawing from headache drugs. Certain |
| Caffeine-containing analgesics (Anacin, Excedrin, etc.). | | | | non-headache medications, such as anti-anxiety drugs |
| Caffeine, a primary ingredient in many headache | | | | or beta-blockers, require gradual withdrawal.2. The |
| medicines, can relieve migraine pain temporarily. | | | | patient (you) may need to be hospitalized if the |
| However, taking medicine containing caffeine every | | | | symptoms do not respond to treatment, or if they |
| day -- as well as drinking caffeine-loaded beverages | | | | cause severe nausea and vomiting.3. During the first |
| such as coffee or soft drinks -- can lead to more | | | | few days, alternative medications may be |
| frequent and severe headaches. If the headache gets | | | | administered. Examples of drugs that may be used |
| worse when you stop using caffeine, the caffeine | | | | include corticosteroids, dihydroergotamine (with or |
| may be the cause of some of your headaches.2. | | | | without metoclopramide), NSAIDs (in mild cases) or |
| Butalbital compounds (Fioricet, Fiorinal, Phrenilin, etc.); | | | | valproate.4. Whatever method you choose when |
| Isometheptene compounds (Duradrin, Midrin, etc.); | | | | stopping your medication, you will go through a period |
| Decongestants (Afrin, Dristan, Sudafed, Tylenol Sinus, | | | | of worsening headache afterward. Most people will |
| etc.); Ergotamines (D.II.E. 45, Ergomar, Migranal, | | | | feel better within 2 weeks, however, headache |
| Wigraine); Triptans (Amerge, Axert, Imitrex, Maxalt, | | | | symptoms can persist for as long as 4 months and in |
| Zomig); Opioids and related drugs (Darvocet, | | | | some rare cases even longer.Good NewsMany |
| OxyContin, Percocet, Tylenol with codeine, etc.). | | | | patients experience long-term relief from all headaches |
| Medications that include any form of codeine, such as | | | | afterward. The conclusion of one study showed that |
| Percocet, Tylenol 3, or Vicodin, must be used with care | | | | over 80% of patients significantly improved 4 months |
| because they can cause dependency | | | | after withdrawal.Visit Relieve Headache to learn more. |
| quickly.Symptoms* Your headache occurs daily or | | | | Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web |
| almost daily (3 or 4 times a week).* Your headache | | | | developer, visit his website at Articles for |
| deviates in form, location on the head, severity and | | | | authorsCopyright 2006 Ron King. This article may be |
| strength.* You have a lower than normal threshold for | | | | reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links |
| pain.* You begin to notice evidence of an increasing | | | | live. |
| tolerance to the effectiveness of analgesics over a | | | | |