Rebound Headaches
I ran across this rather amusing anecdote posted by GruntDoc about the guidelines for chiropractors in the ER, which I won’t quote from since he prefers that you read it in context.
However, what was also interesting was a comment about rebound headaches left on the post by A Bohemian Road Nurse that reads as follows:
I’ve also found a lot of people with constant “migraine” headaches whereby Immitrex, narcotics and NSAIDS are not working are really having “rebound headaches”. My sister, who suffered from just such a headache merry-go-round didn’t believe me about the existence of rebound headaches. But she reluctantly tried my suggestion of weaning herself from pain meds. After three days of misery, she was headache free. It worked. Now, she only gets the ocasional “real” migraine, around her menstrual cycle, for which Immitrex DOES now work. (I know this doesn’t cover everybody, but it is a thought to consider for some people with lots of headaches….)
I first heard of rebound headaches a few years back from (I believe it was) Dateline NBC. The gist of the story was that constant use of NSAIDS like Ibuprofen can actually lead to worse headaches once the medication wears off.
It eventually turns into a vicious cycle.
I can’t help but wonder if there might not be a similar “rebound back pain” associated with over-reliance on pain meds for the treatment of back and neck problems. It would explain why a lot of minor injuries develop into chronic problems.
I’m sure there is a flaw in my logic somewhere… I’m just thinking out loud.
Dean
July 16th, 2007 at 12:08 am
` I never thought of NSAIDS being that dangerous or annoying before! And yet, doesn’t pain medication ironically tend to speed up the recovery process?
July 17th, 2007 at 12:26 am
Hi Sara,
Occasional use of NSAIDS appears to be safe. Regular use can damage the lining of the stomach. (According to a doctor friend of mine.)
The “Rebound Headache” thing is still just a theory. I don’t know if any studies have been done on it yet.
Anti-inflamatories can help speed recovery in some instances of joint and muscles injuries. Usually because they allow you to do some light physical therapy without pain… or to get some much needed sleep.
On the other hand, pain meds can also mask the pain and cause people to keep working when they should rest the injury. This is a major cause of Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) such as Carpel Tunnel Syndrome.
Bottom line is it’s probably best to follow your doctor’s advice and use pain meds only in moderation.
September 4th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
` I just thought of something; pain medications including Codeine, Demerol and Morphine (and general anesthesia, which I was once forced under literally kicking and screaming when it wasn’t necessary) don’t have much of an effect on me besides severe side-effects. I guess opiates aren’t a good option.
` Large doses of Ibuprofen is the only thing that I know helps, as long as the pain is relatively mild. (Although to most people this pain is probably more like moderate.)
` I have noticed that I can be in worse pain (=restricts my movements more) after it wears off. I’m wondering; what other options do I have in painkiller world? And don’t mention Tylenol because I also have side-effects from that!
September 14th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Hey Sara,
Sorry I’ve taken so long to respond, I’ve been neglecting this blog of late as I’ve been busy working on some other projects. This response started to get long so I decided to turn it into a blog posts.
I assume we’re talking about headaches here… and I’ve got to point out that I’m no expert on the subject.