What Are Rebound Headaches?
This just in from the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER) ©1998-2010:
Rebound headaches (medication-overuse headaches) are caused by frequent use of headache medication. Pain relievers offer relief for occasional headaches, but if you take them more than a couple of days a week, you may trigger rebound headaches.
Risk factors for developing rebound headaches include:
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Frequent use of headache medications. Your risk increases if you use combination analgesics, ergotamine or triptans 10 or more days a month or simple analgesics more than 15 days a month — especially if this regular use continues for three or more months.
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History of chronic headaches. Anyone who has a history of migraines, tension-type headaches or other chronic headaches is at risk of developing rebound headaches from the overuse of pain relievers.
Daily doses of caffeine — from your morning coffee, your afternoon soda, or any pain reliever or other product containing this mild stimulant — may fuel rebound headaches as well. Read product labels to make sure you’re not wiring your system with more caffeine than you realize.
To stop rebound headaches, reduce or stop taking the pain medication.
Of course, we at Chen’s Acupuncture in Seattle/Bellevue, WA are also recommending acupuncture and Chinese herbs as a great way to get rid of headaches. Just stop by our office, email us at info@chensacupuncture.com or call Peishan, Janette or David at 425 644 2056. Thanks!
(Image courtesy of Lucas Janin, Flickr)
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