Rebound Headaches

Everything you never wanted to know about rebound headaches and would like to soon forget!

Are You Having Rebound Headaches?

If your answer is YES to any of the following, you are having rebound headaches –

1. You are using medications containing Butalbital

2. You get relief at first, but the migraines come back

3. Your medication (Butalbital) won’t help your current headache pain

4. Even in one day you have symptoms of a migraine that switch to those of a tension headache

Unfortunately, rebound headaches are actually caused by your prescription medication containing Butalbital with aspirin or acetaminophen (sometimes with caffeine). Butalbital compound medicines have been shown to cause rebound headaches.

One rebound headache remedy your medical professional may offer is to up the dosage of your current compound medication. This will probably work, but only temporarily. You will again have rebound headaches. It can become a horrible, painful and annoying cycle.

Rebound headaches are also known as medication overuse headaches, also known as MOH, and is classified as a headache disorder by the International Classification of Headache Disorders.

Medications that Can Cause Rebound Headaches –

· Butalbital compound medication, which sometimes contain aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine

· Vicodin that contains aspirin or acetaminophen

· Triptans, which can be known as Imitrex, Amerge, Zomig, Maxalt

· Ergotamines such as DHE, Migranal, Cafergot

· Analgesics, such as acetaminophen

· Opioids such as Codeine and Diluadid

· Any other medications containing more than one medication

Are You Having Rebound Headaches or Not? - Rebound headache Symptoms Checklist

It might be hard to tell if you are having rebound headaches or if they are simply tension headaches. Many people take the above medications and some on a regular basis. There are some differences between a migraine and a rebound headache. I will outline each of these for you:

Migraine pain gets worse when you are active

-Rebound headaches usually are not worse with movement

Migraine symptoms can be any or all of the following: vomiting, nausea, sensitivity to sound and light, chills, hot flashes and more.

-Rebound headaches are not known to have these symptoms

So, how do you find a long-term rebound headache remedy?

You should make an appointment with your medical professional and get their help with your rebound headaches. However, one thing you can do is stop the medication causing the rebound headaches.

Unfortunately, you might experience withdrawal symptoms for up to ten days. Some of the withdrawal symptoms you might experience include vomiting, headaches, restlessness, anxiety, sleep disturbances, nervousness, arterial hypertension and tachycardia.

In some instances when you are taking large doses of a Butalbital, you can have seizures. Your medical professional might offer a slow weaning off of the medication so your withdrawal symptoms either are non existent or smaller.

If you use any prescription or non-prescription medications for migraines, you could be at risk for rebound headaches. There is help out there for you. You do not have to live with this disorder.

Don’t hesitate to get second, third opinions if you feel you need to, especially if your medical professional doesn’t seem to know what rebound headaches are or how serious they are. You deserve the help. If you need to, go see a headache specialist.

If you think you are having rebound headaches, see your medical professional as soon as possible so you can get some advice, help and relief.

The statements found within these pages have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. If a product or treatment is recommended in these pages, it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not meant to take the place of individual medical advice of a qualified physician.