Rebound Headaches, 20/20 Special, & Questions-- HELP!

[Anonymity]

After watching the 20/20 special, I became concerned.

I take aleve everyday for fibromyalgia pain. Some days I only take one or two, but on bad days, I take up to four. My doctors know about this and approve. They've each said that aleve is effective as a pain reliever for me and that it has fewer side effects than prescription pain relievers, which I have taken before. The problem with this is that I often have headaches as well, almost every day.

My question is whether the aleve that I'm taking for fibromyalgia pain could be turning off my brain's headache pain receptors. In other words, can rebound headaches occur when pain relievers are taken for for conditions other than headaches (while headaches are also present)? How do the pain receptors in my brain know that the Aleve is for the fibromyalgia pain and not for the headaches? Could the daily Aleve be causing my daily headaches?

Also, I have a number of doctors, as someone with a medical condition often does. Who should I ask these questions of? Should I ask my family doctor, my rheumatologist, my physiatrist, my psychiatrist, my allergist... Which would be most knowledgable? I must admit that I am very, very worried. Thank you all in advance.

[This message has been edited by Anonymity (edited 01-14-2003).]

[woodstock]

Hi Anon,

First off I would stop worrying. If, and it is a big if, you are getting rebound headaches, I would think that would be a GOOD thing. You will have diagnosed your headaches and found an answer to a condition that haunts many people for decades!!

The 20/20 special, as most news programs are apt to do, took the rebound issue to an extreme. It is just NOT TRUE that over 90% of people who suffer from chronic headaches are getting rebound headaches. Some Dr.'s use the 'rebound headache' diagnosis because it's the easiest thing for them to say. Some, because they don't want to prescribe pain killing meds. to patients, and most, because they don't have the answer as to why people have these awful headaches.

A very respected headache specialist - Dr. Robbins pegs the figure at 10-20% of CDH patients. If you talk to a group of people suffering from CDH and a group of headache specialists, the vast majority will say that the 90% figure is bunk!

It is very simple to check for yourself, you just have to stop taking all analgesic medications for a period of 10-12 weeks. If your headaches get worse for a couple of weeks and then start to get better, chances are you are/were getting rebound headaches. If you are in the same or more pain at the end, you are not suffering from rebound headaches.

From what I've read from people that actually DO get rebound headaches, YES, you can get them if you are taking a medication for something else and are sus. to headaches. If you are not a headache person then you most likely won't develop rebound headaches if you are taking a medication for a bad back.

I've read some that say a rebound h/a is just like a regular migraine, but I've read from more people that say a rebound h/a is more like an 'all-over' the head headache.

Good luck!!//Woody

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 01-21-2003).]

[jenn96]

I would seek a Neurologist. I see a Neurologist myself for daily dull headaches and migraines.

[thisstarr]

Hi,

I have a question about this. I am 23 and suffer from TMJD and are have chronic pain 24/7. I have daily headaches (that are like migranes and tenion HA's ) that are so bad I just want to die! pain beind my eyes, jaw pain, etc. I dont have health insurance so I cant see a doctor to help me with my pain yet! I spent my saving money on trying to find out what was causing my headaches to begin with.

I have been taking so many OTC drugs forever I should be dead! I never watched this 20/20 but wish I did! I probably have been doing this for over a year or two. I think I have been taking close to 15-25 or more Advil, Tylenol, anything I could get my hands on for a longtime! I came across rebound headaches and was wondering if I could be making my HA's worse. My pain has been so bad, and it has taken me so long to relieze what I have been doing to myself. How does someone go about something like this? Can you be addicted to OTC med's?

Any input would be appreciated

Thanks,

Starr

[This message has been edited by thisstarr (edited 01-19-2003).]

[Sarah68]

Unfortunately, you can get addicted to most meds if you take them for long enough.