Your Headache Medication May Be Causing Your Headache

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Cheerful

Joined: 14-Aug-2007
Posts: 123

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 02:48 am Post topic: Your Headache Medication May Be Causing Your Headache
Four percent of Americans suffer headaches daily,, according to the NY Times. But according to recent research, a sizeable and growing number of headaches are being caused by the very medications taken to alleviate them. Half of chronic migraines, and as many as 25 percent of all headaches, are actually “rebound” episodes triggered by the overuse of common pain medications. Overuse is defined as taking pain medication for 15 or more days a month. If you get more than two headaches a week and take pain pills for them, you’re at risk. Both prescription and over-the-counter drugs may be to blame. Patients begin by popping too many pills to deal with a migraine or a simple tension-type headache. When the medications stop, another headache follows, similar to a hangover. Sufferers race again to the medicine cabinet, and before long they are locked in a cycle of headaches and overmedication. The only way to know whether medication is contributing to your headaches is to stop taking them. Unfortunately, it can take as long as two months for medication-dependent patients to see an improvement.
Tags: headache , migraine , overuse-pain-medication

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RavenCares

Joined: 25-Jul-2007
Posts: 197

Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 04:00 am Post topic: Your Headache Medication May Be Causing Your Headache
Thanks for the great information, Cheerful! I think rebound headaches are much more common than most people realize. I have a friend who was taking daily doses of analgesics for her headaches. One day, she had to see a doctor other than her own (he was out of town) to get her prescription refilled. Well, the new doctor took one look at her chart and knew immediately that her medications were causing her headaches! It did take her several months with no meds at all until her headaches stopped.

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Sissy

Joined: 18-Jul-2007
Posts: 258

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 09:49 pm Post topic: Your Headache Medication May Be Causing Your Headache
I think it is interesting how most of us that suffer with headaches can go for a while with no symptoms and then all of the sudden it seems like it will never stop. Crazy!! Sissy

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Sissy

Joined: 18-Jul-2007
Posts: 258

Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 07:48 pm Post topic: Your Headache Medication May Be Causing Your Headache
My neigbor is older than me and is having terrible troubles with her eyes. Surgery after surgery got us talking about headaches and such. It if interesting but she claims that she would have 3 or 4 day headaches too, Maybe this has something to do with this type of headaches. Sissy

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