Description

Medication overuse headaches are the result of the long-term use of the drugs needed to treat headaches, such as migraine. It is ok to take pain relievers for headaches sometimes. But the people who take more than a couple of days a week you can get the medication overuse headaches, also called rebound headaches.

For people with headache condition, such as migraine, the majority of the medicines for the relief of pain can have this effect. This does not seem true for people who have never had a headache condition. But people with a history of headaches that take pain relievers regularly for another condition, such as arthritis, can be obtained from the medication overuse headaches.

Medication overuse headaches more often disappear after stopping the medication for the pain. This can make it difficult to handle the pain in the short term. But your health professional may help you find ways to
prevent medication overuse headaches.

Symptoms

The symptoms of medication overuse headache depends on the type of headache that is being treated and the medication used. Medication overuse headaches tend to:

  • They occur every day or almost every day. These headaches are often awaken people from their sleep.
  • Improve with pain medication, but then return as the medicine wears off.

Other symptoms may include:

  • Nausea.
  • Concern.
  • Difficulty concentrating.
  • Memory problems.
  • Irritability.

When to see a doctor

It is common to have some headaches. But take the headaches seriously. Some types of headaches can be deadly.

Seek immediate medical attention if your headache:

  • It is sudden and very bad.
  • Happens with fever, stiff neck, rash, confusion, seizures, double vision, weakness, numbness or difficulty speaking.
  • Following a head injury.
  • It gets worse even with rest and analgesics.
  • It is a new type of headache that is durable, especially in people older than 50 years.
  • That happens with the shortness of breath.
  • That happens when in the vertical position, but it disappears when lying down.

Talk with your health care professional if you:

  • You have two or more headaches a week.
  • Taking a painkiller for headaches more than twice a week.
  • You need more than the dose you are supposed to take medicine for the pain that you get without a prescription to relieve your headaches.
  • Your headache changes in the pattern.

Causes

The experts don't know exactly why the medication overuse headaches to happen. The risk of suffering from these headaches varies depending on the medicine. But most of the headaches medications can lead to medication overuse headaches, including:

  • Pain relievers. Common pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) have a low risk of causing medication overuse headaches. Take more than the dosage daily increases the risk.
  • Combined pain relievers.The painkillers that you can buy in the store that combine caffeine, aspirin and acetaminophen (Acetaminophen) have a moderate risk of causing medication overuse headaches. This group also includes a combined prescription drug that has the sedative butalbital (Butapap, Lanorinal, other). Drug butalbital have a high risk of causing medication overuse headaches. It is better not to take them to treat headaches.
  • Drugs for migraine.Triptans (Imitrex, Zomig, other) used to treat migraine headaches have a high risk of medication overuse headaches. The ergot of rye, dihydroergotamine (Migranal, Trudhesa) appear to have a lower risk of causing medication overuse headaches. A new group of drugs for migraine, known as gepants not seem to cause medication overuse headaches. Gepants, which include ubrogepant (Ubrelvy), rimegepant (Nurtec ODT) and zavegepant (Zavzpret).
  • Opioids. Pain medicine made of opium or human-made opium compounds have a high risk of causing medication overuse headaches. They are oxycodone (Oxycontin, Roxicodone, others), hydrocodone tramadol (Conzip, Qdolo, others), and its combination of codeine and paracetamol. Take 10 or more days per month may lead to medication overuse headaches.

Combined pain relievers. The painkillers that you can buy in the store that combine caffeine, aspirin and acetaminophen (Acetaminophen) have a moderate risk of causing medication overuse headaches.

This group also includes a combined prescription drug that has the sedative butalbital (Butapap, Lanorinal, other). Drug butalbital have a high risk of causing medication overuse headaches. It is better not to take them to treat headaches.

Drugs for migraine. Triptans (Imitrex, Zomig, other) used to treat migraine headaches have a high risk of medication overuse headaches. The ergot of rye, dihydroergotamine (Migranal, Trudhesa) appear to have a lower risk of causing medication overuse headaches.

A new group of drugs for migraine, known as gepants not seem to cause medication overuse headaches. Gepants, which include ubrogepant (Ubrelvy), rimegepant (Nurtec ODT) and zavegepant (Zavzpret).

Risk factors

Risk factors of medication overuse headaches are:

  • Long-term history of headaches. A long history of headaches, especially migraines, the risk increases. Medication overuse headache often occurs when a headache condition, such as migraine is not well-controlled, and may make the underlying headache is a difficult condition to treat.
  • The Regular use of headache medications. Your risk increases if the combined use of analgesics, opioids, ergotamine or triptans 10 or more days of the month. The risk also increases if the simple use of analgesics more than 15 days a month. This is especially true if you are using these drugs for three months or more.
  • The history of substance use disorders. A history of alcohol use disorder or other substance use disorder that puts them at risk.

Prevention

To help prevent medication overuse headaches:

  • Take your headache prescription drugs.
  • Please contact your health professional if you need the headache medicine more than twice a week.
  • Do not take medicines that have butalbital or opioids, if possible.
  • The use of pain relievers that you can get without a prescription less than 14 days to a month.
  • Limiting the use of triptans or combination of pain relievers to no more than nine days a month.

Taking care of yourself can help prevent the majority of headaches.

  • Stay away from the headache triggers. If you're not sure what is causing the headaches, keeping a headache diary. Write down the details about all the headaches. You can see a pattern.
  • Get enough sleep. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
  • Do not skip meals. Start your day with a healthy breakfast. Eat lunch and dinner at the same time each day.
  • Stay hydrated. Be sure to drink plenty of water or other liquids that do not have caffeine.
  • Exercise regularly. Physical activity causes the body to release chemicals that block pain signals to the brain. With your health care professional, choose activities that you enjoy. You can walk, swim or bike ride.
  • Reduce stress. To make your programming easier. The Plan for the day. Try to keep a positive attitude.
  • To lose weight. Obesity can add to the headaches. If you need to lose weight, consult your health care professional to help you find a program that works for you.
  • Stop smoking. If you smoke, talk with your healthcare provider about quitting smoking. Smoking is linked to an increased risk of medication overuse headaches.
  • Limit the consumption of caffeine. Daily dose of caffeine can also add that the medication overuse headaches. Caffeine can come from coffee, soft drinks, painkillers and other products. Read product labels to make sure that you're not getting more caffeine than you know about.

Diagnosis

Your health care professional what more can often diagnose the medication overuse headaches, based on its history of headaches and the use of the medicine. Most of the people do not need testing. People who are diagnosed with the disorder, by medication overuse has a headache condition, have headaches on 15 or more days per month for more than three months, and take a lot of headache medicine.

Treatment

A vital part of treatment is learning about medication overuse headaches, and other ways for relieving the pain. To break the cycle of medication overuse headaches, you'll need to stop or reduce the pain of the medicine. Your health care professional may advise you to stop taking the medication right away, or lowering the dose gradually.

Break the cycle

When you stop taking your medicine, wait for the headaches get worse before they get better. You can depend on a few medications that cause medication overuse headaches. The symptoms of withdrawal can include:

  • The nervousness.
  • Concern.
  • Nausea.
  • Vomiting.
  • Insomnia.
  • The constipation.

These symptoms last from 2 to 10 days. But you can go as well for several weeks.

Your health care professional may prescribe treatments to help with the headache and the side effects of the medicine of the withdrawal. This is called a bridge or transition of the therapy. Treatments may include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, nerve blocks, and medications for nausea. Your provider may also suggest that you take the ergot of rye, dihydroergotamine, through a vein.

Hospitalization

Sometimes it is better to be in a hospital when you stop taking medication for pain. You may have a short stay in the hospital if you:

  • You have other conditions, such as depression or anxiety.
  • You are taking high doses of drugs are opioids or sedative butalbital.
  • Are the use of substances such as tranquilizers, opiates or barbiturates.

Preventive medications

Preventive medicines can help to break the cycle of medication overuse headaches and relieve the underlying headache condition, such as migraine. Work with your health care professional to avoid relapse and to find a more secure way to manage their headaches. During or after withdrawal, your healthcare provider may prescribe a medicine daily to prevent headaches, such as:

  • An anticonvulsant such as topiramate (Topamax, Qudexy XR, others).
  • A tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline or nortriptyline (Pamelor).
  • A beta blocker such as propranolol (Inderal LA, Innopran XL, Hemangeol).
  • A calcium channel blocker such as verapamil (Verelan, Verelan PM).

If you have a history of migraines, your health care professional may suggest a CGRP monoclonal antibody as erenumab (Aimovig), galcanezumab (Emgality), fremanezumab (Ajovy) or eptinezumab (Vyepti). People take erenumab, galcanezumab and fremanezumab as injections every month. People take eptinezumab through a vein every three months.

Injections

Photos of onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) can help you to reduce the number of headaches each month. You can also do that the headaches are less severe.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy, also called CBT

This talk therapy teaches you ways to deal with the headaches. In CBT, I also work in healthy lifestyle habits and keep a pain diary.

Alternative medicine

For many people, the complementary or alternative therapies offer relief of headaches. But not all of these therapies are backed by studies. Some therapies needs further investigation. Discuss the pros and cons of complementary therapy with your health care professional.

Possible treatments include:

  • Acupuncture. Acupuncture uses fine needles to put on the skin to release the body's natural painkillers. For some people, this therapy relieves headaches.
  • Biofeedback. Biofeedback teaches the control of certain responses in the body that helps to relieve pain. During biofeedback, which is connected to the devices that keep track of the responses of the body. We give you information about your body, including muscle tension, heart rate, and blood pressure. You then learn to relieve the muscle tension and decrease the heart rate and breathing. This helps you to relax, which can help you deal with the pain.
  • Mindfulness. This is a type of meditation in which you focus on what you're sensing and feeling in the moment. Mindfulness involves the use of breathing methods and other ways to relax and reduce stress. For some people, this practice can help to relieve headaches.
  • Herbs, vitamins, and minerals.Some dietary supplements seem to help prevent or treat certain types of headaches. They include magnesium, feverfew, coenzyme Q10 and riboflavin, also known as vitamin B-2. But there's little scientific support for these claims. If you want to try supplements, consult with your health care professional. Some supplements can get in the way of other medicines that you take. Or can have other harmful effects.

Herbs, vitamins, and minerals. Some dietary supplements seem to help prevent or treat certain types of headaches. They include magnesium, feverfew, coenzyme Q10 and riboflavin, also known as vitamin B-2. But there's little scientific support for these claims.

If you want to try supplements, consult with your health care professional. Some supplements can get in the way of other medicines that you take. Or can have other harmful effects.

Coping and support

It might be helpful to talk with other people who have had medication overuse headaches. Ask your health care professional if there are support groups in your area. Or in contact with the National Headache Foundation in www.headaches.org or 888-643-5552 .

Preparing for your appointment

It is likely to start by seeing your primary health care provider. Your healthcare provider may send you to a doctor who specializes in disorders of the nervous system, called a neurologist.

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.

What you can do

  • Keep a pain diary. Write down your symptoms, even those that seem unrelated to the headaches. Note that he did, ate or drank before the headache started. Also take note of how long the headache lasted. They include the medications and the quantities that you took to treat headache pain.
  • Write down key personal information, including major stresses or recent life changes.
  • List of questions to ask your health care professional.

Medication overuse headaches, some questions are:

  • What medicine can I take to treat headaches cause headaches?
  • There could be other reasons for my headaches?
  • How can I avoid these headaches?
  • If I keep getting headaches, how can I do it?
  • Are there brochures or other printed material I can have? What websites do you suggest?

Be sure to ask all the questions that you have.

What to expect from your doctor

Your health care professional will ask you questions about your headaches, such as when they started and what they feel. The questions may include:

  • What type of headache most often have?
  • Have your headaches has changed in the last six months?
  • How bad are the symptoms?
  • What a headache medications you use, and how often?
  • It has increased the amount of headache medications you take or how often you take them?
  • What side effects have you had to take the medicine?
  • Is there something to improve the symptoms?
  • What, in any case, it makes your symptoms worse?

What you can do in the meantime

Until his appointment, take only the amount of your medication as often as your healthcare provider tells you to. And take care of yourself. Healthy lifestyle habits can help prevent the headaches. Getting enough sleep, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, and exercise regularly. Stay away from headache triggers.

A headache diary can help your health care professional. Keep a log of when your headaches happen, how bad they are and how long they last. Also write down what you were doing when the headache began, and what your response to the pain was.

Symptoms and treatment of Medication overuse headaches