In most of the cases, whenever we experience headache, you take any over-the-counter type of pain killer medicine, like aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen or any other pain-relieving drug comes in combination with caffeine. However, when you make a habit to have such medicines or intake them without following proper instructions given by your doctor or those mentioned in the medicine bottle/label, such medicines may cause the problem of rebound headache. Whenever your pain reliever wears off, the body shows a withdrawal reaction and prompts you to intake medicine in relatively higher amounts. This step forces you to suffer from headache for one more time and the cycle continues until and unless you start experiencing headaches on a daily basis with relatively more severe level of pain.
How Do You Get Rid Of A Rebound Headache?
To get rid or break the cycle of rebound headache or medication overuse headache, you have to put restrictions on your pain medications. Depending primarily on the medicine you often intake, your doctor may suggest you stopping it right way or may instruct you reducing its dose in a gradual manner.
Breaking Of The Cycle Of Rebound Headache
Whenever you stop with the intake of medication, you may expect your headache to become worse before your condition improves. Dependency on any drug is a risk factor associated with drugs, which cause rebound headaches and a patient experiences withdrawal symptoms, which include the following-
- Vomiting and Nausea
- Restlessness
- Nervousness
- Constipation
- Insomnia
The aforementioned symptoms often last from minimum 2 days to maximum 10 days. However, they may persist for about many weeks.
Transitional Or Bridge Therapy For rebound headache
Your doctor may recommend you various treatments related to the alleviation of headache pain and side effects, which you may experience while you withdraw the intake of your drug. Doctors call it transitional or bridge therapy. Treatments for rebound headache consist of corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs or dihydroergotamine i.e. an ergot injected via your vein i.e. intravenously. Withdrawal headaches conditions often tend to improve within only a period of one-week.
Hospitalization For Rebound Headache
Doctors may recommend for hospitalization for some period if bridge therapy fails to get rid your condition. These include-
- When rebound headache patients have other health conditions, like anxiety and depression
- When an MOH patient intake high drugs’ doses, which incorporate butalbital or opiates in sedative forms
- When the medicine contains abusing substances, like barbiturates, opioids and tranquilizers
Preventive Medications For Rebound Headache
Preventive medications are helpful in getting rid of your cycle associated with rebound headaches. For this, you have to discuss with your doctor to avoid relapse of your condition and simultaneously, need to identify a safe way related to managing your headache problems. At the time of your withdrawal or after you do so, your doctor may recommend you any of the preventative medications on a daily basis-
- Anticonvulsants available in the form of topiramates
- Tri-cyclic antidepressants, like nortriptyline or amitriptyline
- Beta blockers like propranolol
- Calcium channel blockers, like verapamil and others
The aforementioned medications are helpful in controlling your pain without causing any risk related to rebound headaches. If you take proper care, you may easily take an appropriate medicine to get rid of your pain during headache attacks in the near future.
Details On Rebound Headache Syndrome
The syndrome related to rebound headache becomes common in case your medicine contains caffeine, which is often remain present in most of the pain relievers to perform the functions at a relatively faster rate by combining with other ingredients. Even though this aspect is helpful to some extent, caffeine present in medicines combined with other sources, from where you intake caffeine, like tea, coffee, chocolate and soda increase your probability to suffer from rebound headache or medication overuse headache. Moreover, when you overuse pain relievers, you get addiction to such medicines and your pain becomes highly intense whenever the medicine wears off its effects, while suffer from various other severe side effects.
Also Read:
