Why rebound headaches make everything worse

Rebound headaches, also known as medication overuse headaches, are a frustrating and often misunderstood phenomenon that affects many people who suffer from chronic headaches or migraines. These headaches occur when pain medication is used too frequently, leading to a vicious cycle of pain and medication use that can be challenging to break. So what exactly happens when the cure for your pain becomes the culprit and how do you stop it?

What are rebound headaches?

Rebound headaches are a secondary headache that commonly occur in people with migraine, cluster or tension headache. The headaches are caused by overuse of over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen as well as prescription medication such as triptans. When these medications are taken more than 10-15 days a month for at least three months, they can paradoxically lead to more frequent and severe headaches. If you overuse your medication, you can actually alter the brain pathways that deals with pain so you become more sensitive to pain.

Why medication overuse makes headaches worse

The exact mechanism behind rebound headaches isn’t fully understood but several factors contribute to their development:

• Tolerance: Regular use of pain medication can lead to tolerance, requiring higher doses to achieve the same pain-relieving effect
• Altered pain pathways: Frequent use of pain medication may change how the brain processes pain signals, making it more sensitive to pain
• Withdrawal: As medication wears off, withdrawal symptoms can trigger new headaches, prompting more medication use

How to fix rebound headaches

There is no easy or quick fix when it comes to rebound headaches. Besides slowly reducing the frequency of pain medication use, it is also essential to look at your lifestyle – is there a reason why you often have migraines or headaches?

A simple way to track and identify potential migraine triggers in your lifestyle is to use a Migraine Calendar. By identifying triggers, you can work to reduce or avoid them. Common migraine triggers are stress, certain foods and drinks, lack of sleep, bright lights and loud noises.

Most importantly, you need to consult your doctor or neurologist. You will need their help and guidance in terms of stopping the medication overuse and make a realistic plan for the future. There is a larger array of preventive medication available like the anti CGRP migraine medication. Treatments like these can reduce the number of migraines, thus the need for taking medication.

Be kind to yourself

I want to emphasize that rebound headaches are not your fault so don’t be hard on yourself. Having headaches or migraines is extremely debilitating and disrupts your entire life. If you overuse your medication, it is a sign that your disorder is not properly taken care of. Start taking back control by tracking your migraine and triggers. This will also help your doctor in determining how to help you.

Beware that it can take 2-6 months to get rid of rebound headaches so think of ways that you can be kind to yourself in this process. Do you need a massage often? Go to bed earlier? Eat differently? Need more help from your partner, kids, family members?

I would be lying if I wrote that eliminating rebound headaches is easy. It is hard work but with the right plan and support, it is very much possible.