Aleve question - Headaches & Migraines Message Board

2talll · 12-26-2004, 07:47 AM

I've been taking two Aleve pills everynight before bed for 10+ years as a preventative method for my migraines and sinus headaches. Then all of the sudden I see the news report about Aleve increases Heart Attacks!! What should I do? I don't go to the doctor that prescribed this anymore because I couldn't trust him after the amytryptilene (but thats a long story). Is there an equivalent I can take? Or do I jsut say screw it- since I've been taking it for so long the damage is already done?

I tried not taking it the past two nights and woke up with sinus headaches each time. Help!

Thanks

Laney00 · 12-29-2004, 04:15 PM

If I were you I would stay off the Aleve. You will have to deal with the headaches as you come off of it. You are most likely addicted to it, so it will take time to get your body used to not taking it. Good luck. Just remember headaches for a couple of weeks are way better than risking your life to a heart attack or stroke right!
Besides, taking Aleve, Advil, Tylenol, etc daily is bad anyway! When your doc told you to take this daily, they didn't have all the info on rebound headaches that they do now.
Maybe you should call your GP, just to make sure cold turkey dropping this med is safe.
Take care.

2talll · 12-31-2004, 09:41 AM

THe thing is, is that the headaches I am getting each morning due to my sinuses are so bad that I would rather die of a heart attack in 15-20 years than deal with this pain everyday- it is cripling to the point that I just sit and do nothing with my eyes closed. I can't lay down because that makes it worse because of the sinuses. I even said that much to my parents, and knowing how bad my headaches are and how high my normal threshold of pain is they actually agreed with me that I should keep taking it(I've dealt with everything- 13 broken ankles and kept playing basketball through the pain- even played with both ankles broken at once, and a sinus infection that was so bad the dr told me I should have been at the emergency room a week earlier becaue of the pain- not only did I deal with it that long I didn't even miss work).

The only way I can avoid this pain every morning is to take the Aleve with a 12 hour decongestant and even that doesn't work every morning.

plymouth · 12-31-2004, 09:57 AM

It was only one study and all the people in the study were over 70 years old.

Even the author of the study said the results were "not really" significant.

Be careful of what you hear in the news. Headlines are deceiving and alarming. They do that on purpose because people who are upset pay more attention to the ads than people who are calm and relaxed.

2talll · 01-01-2005, 04:36 PM

THanks Plymouth! Now I can stop worrying so much. Although, like I said the headaches I wake up with are so painful that I'd rather chance a heart attack 15-20 years down the road if it will take away the headaches every morning.