How to Tell If You Have Rebound (Medication Overuse) Headaches

While we all know that there are many medications, both over-the-counter and prescription, available to treat the common ailment of headache and migraine, many people do not know that these medications can in fact be the cause of this pain. If you have frequent headaches, including migraines, tension headaches, and cluster headaches, you may be experiencing the phenomenon known as rebound, or medication overuse, headaches. While you may ultimately need to discuss this possibility with your health care provider, there are several methods for determining whether you might be suffering from rebound headaches.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Calendar
• Notebook
• Writing utensil
• Your memory
• A health care provider with headache/migraine experience

1. Track the frequency of your headaches. Keep track of how many headaches you have each week. If you have more than 3 per week, you may have rebound headaches.
2. Keep track of your medication use. Note how often you take headache relief medication, and how much you take for each headache. Taking this type of medication every day or nearly everyday is a strong indication of rebound headaches. Also note how much medication you take; if you need more than the recommended dosage or find that you have to take several doses throughout the day you most likely have rebound headaches.
3. Headaches at the same time every day are probably rebound headaches. Notice what time of day you experience headaches. Do you wake up with the headache? Does it seem to set in at the same time each day? These are signs of rebound headaches.
4. Caffeine contributes to rebound headaches. Monitor your caffeine intake. Do you find yourself using caffeine or medications that contain caffeine, such as Excedrin or Midol (especially for menstrual headaches) to treat your headaches? It's possible that these medications can relieve a headache, then cause more headache as it wears off and the caffeine withdrawal starts.
5. Having to switch medications usually indicates rebound headache. Think about your headache medication history. Did you stop using certain medications because they stopped working after a while? If you had to switch to a different medication to relieve your head pain, it is almost certain that you are experiencing rebound headaches.
6. Prescription drugs can cause rebound headaches. Don't assume that because you use prescription migraine/headache medication that you won't or don't experience rebound headaches. Because the body can also adapt to them just as with over-the-counter drugs, prescription drugs are just as likely to be culprits in rebound headaches.
7. More than one type or level of pain may indicate a rebound headache. Don't dismiss the possibility of rebound headaches based on the type of head pain you experience; rebound headaches can range from a dull ache to throbbing pain.
8. Rebound headaches can manifest as migraines. Also don't dismiss the rebound headache possibility if you believe you have a migraine disorder or other headache disorder. It is still possible that you are having rebound headaches, and it is also possible that your disorder transformed into its current state from inadvertently using too much headache medication.

Tips & Warnings

• If you go to the emergency room for treatment of a migraine and you frequently use headache medication, let the doctor treating you know what you use so that you are not treated with the very medication that may be contributing to your migraine.
• If you suspect you might be suffering from rebound headaches, see a health care provider that specializes in headache and migraine to discuss a plan for determining whether you do, and for devising a treatment plan.
• If you experience very severe migraines, be sure to see your health care provider. This type of pain may be symptomatic of a serious underlying medical issue.
• If you are pregnant or nursing be sure to talk with your health care provider about any headache/migraine remedies you use; some will harm a fetus and some are excreted in breast milk.