Headache by Rx? A Cautionary Tale on Painkillers

What is the first thing you do when you sense an impending headache? Probably rush to your medicine cabinet and pop a painkiller without thought. Sometimes you may even be taking a pain relief product in advance frequently or even daily, in order to stave off recurrent headaches or because you are anticipating a stressful situation ahead.

Did any of those situations sound familiar? Then take a minute and think about your headaches. Is there a pattern? 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.

Coffee drinkers experience something similar. That first shot of coffee heads off the niggling beginnings of a headache. You then become a more frequent coffee drinker, till one day, the situation reaches a point where, if you donnot 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 you perpetuate the vicious rebound headache cycle. Although the caffeine is the culprit here, pain killers work the same way.

What happens is this. When you begin taking pain pills more often than what the doctor prescribed or the label recommends, your body kind of adapts to the medication. The result is that each successive time you need a higher dose to combat headaches. And as you up the dose, the frequency and intensity of your headaches increases, so much so that headaches become a daily phenomenon. You may even wake up with a dull headache that continues throughout the day.

If you are like the majority of Americans, you may not know that over the counter pain meds 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 headache 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. In the case of some drugs, especially opiates, it requires professional help because if done incorrectly withdrawal can be dangerous.

You can get additional rebound headache information here or by consulting your health care professional. Seek medical help if you:

• have a headache more than 3 times a week
• are regularly on pain relievers
• your headaches seem to be getting worse despite medication and rest

Rebound headaches are usually accompanied by restlessness and irritability. Although any pain pill can trigger rebound headaches, some are more likely to fuel them than others. 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. Prescription drug culprits include most migraine medicines, opium-based medications, and those containing butalbital (Esgic, Fioricet, & Fiorinal). Get the details on your pain med here.

Most importantly, preventing any kind of headache from occurring often is the best solution, so it is worth while to try out most natural headache therapies as prevention is their focus. With a bit of attention, you can identify and avoid your headache triggers. 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.