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Headache By Rx? €“ A Cautionary Tale On Headache Meds
By Renee Morales
Are Your Meds Giving You A Headache?
What is the first thing you do when you sense an impending headache? Probably rush to your medicine cabinet and take a painkiller automatically. If you are like many sufferers, you may even pop a pain pill occasionally or even regularly, in anticipation of a tough day or as a preemptive strike against a chronic headache.
Whatever the case, pause for a moment and analyze the pattern of your headaches. Have they become more intense lately, requiring more drugs than before? Are they happening more frequently, even daily? If yes, then most likely you are suffering from what are called rebound headaches, which are simply medication overuse headaches.
The cycle goes like this. Your headaches prompt you to take pain pills, more often or in greater doses than recommended or prescribed. Your system adjusts to the larger, more frequent dosages by becoming less responsive. And the next time you need a larger dose sooner to dull the pain. As you up the dosage each time, your headaches get worse and happen more often until they are a daily routine. You may even wake up with a dull that continues throughout the day.
The effect is similar to what happens when at the slightest hint of a headache, you reach for your cup of coffee because coffee seems to cure your headache. You then become a more frequent coffee drinker, till one day, the situation reaches a point where, if you do not get your coffee in time, you start getting a headache. With time, the frequency of the headaches increases and so does your requirement for coffee. And the whole vicious cycle continues. It is the caffeine in your coffee cup that is the culprit here.
Rebound headaches are usually accompanied by restlessness and irritability. Rebound headaches can be triggered by any overused pain pill, however, some pain pills are more likely to do so. Of the popular over the counter (OTC) drugs, which can cause rebound headaches, the most likely ones are acetaminophen, aspirin, and ibuprofen, especially when caffeine is included in the ingredients list. Rx drug culprits include most migraine medicines, opium-based medications,
and those containing butalbital (Esgic, Fioricet, & Fiorinal). Get the details on your pain pill here.
If you are like most Americans, you may not know that over the counter pain pills are intended for use on occasional headaches only. They must not to be taken indiscriminately on a regular basis for recurrent headaches because medication overdosing can set off a vicious cycle of rebound headaches. Once the rebound cycle has been triggered, the only way to stop it, is to stop taking the drug that triggered it. Period. It sounds simple enough, but is not always easy. Especially in the case of opium drugs, withdrawal must be closely medically supervised, because it is potentially dangerous.
You can get additional rebound headache information here or by consulting your health care professional. Seek medical help if you:
- have a more than 3 times a week
- are regularly on pain pills
- your headaches seem to be getting worse despite medication and rest
The doctor will recommend whether to stop the medication right away or to withdraw it gradually. Your headaches may become worse before they get better because of medication withdrawal symptoms, but if you persist, you can successfully break the rebound cycle.
Most natural remedies focus on prevention and ultimately, prevention is worth a pound of any cure. This requires a conscious effort on your part and can be achieved by identifying and avoiding things that trigger headaches for you. Alternative therapies like meditation and yoga teach you to relax and develop a positive attitude towards life. Also, making small lifestyle changes like getting sufficient sleep, eating meals in time, exercising regularly and quitting smoking can go a long way in preventing nagging headaches. Renee Morales www.total-headache-relief.com
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