I'm 43 and have lived with migraines since I was a teenager. I have tried everything, literally, that you can imagine to get rid of them. It's been awhile since I used a chiropractor so I'm giving one a shot again. He combines the treatment with massage and has a lot of experience and success with migraine sufferers. I believe he may be able to help me with some of the headaches, but I know I have horrible rebound headaches also. I'm on pain meds and muscle relaxants for the HAs that burn up the back of my neck. But rebounds HAs are killing me. The triptans aren't working very well for me now and I take a lot of Excedrin - 4 - 8 a day. I know how dangerous this is. The do help but I know they also bring on HAs. Naturally, my doctor is working very hard to get me off Excedrin.
Now, she has told me (and I've read) that I would need to stop taking it anywhere from 3 days to a month to rid myself of the rebound effect. My question is ... how in the world could I possibly do that!!?? At least the Excedrin keeps my HAs from getting worse sometimes so that I can be functional to a point. I own two businesses. To stop taking Excedrin would leave me incapacitated and in so much pain, I cry when I think about it. I don't know how I can do it but I know I have to get off the Excedrin. I can't believe there isn't a better way or something I could use to help me through this. I don't know how the doctor realistically expects me to do this. I'm scared to death. How have any of you or your doctors handled this?
Hello, and welcome to MyMigraineConnection.com!
Unfortunately the only way to stop rebound, now called Medication Overuse Headache, is to stop taking the offending medication cold turkey. This can be difficult but can be done, I did it last summer. The problem is, there isn't a preventive medication in the world that will work while in MOH. So it is best to break the cycle and then find the right preventive plan with the help of your doctor.
Medication Overuse Headache - The Basics.
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Welcome again,
Nancy Bonk
MyMigraineConnection.com Expert
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