How long would a medication overuse headache last?
I have had chronic migraines and chronic daily headaches for most of my adult life (25 years) and have been treated with a variety of preventative and pain medications. I recently (6 days ago) went off of the pain meds in order to see for myself if the rebound headaches were contributing to the problem. The first 3-4 days were rough with dependance type of symptoms, but now I am left with what I started with--a chronic daily headache. Is that normal and is there anything that I can do?
Hi Teacherintl,
It is difficult to say how long medication overuse headache (MOH) lasts, because there are so many different variables involved. These include the type of medication, how long you have been on them and how often you take it. You can continue reading more information about MOH in this article: Medication Overuse Headache - When the Remedy Backfires.
Medication been shown to be a factor in 80% of cases of transformed Migraine. Stopping the medication overuse is key to stopping the transformed Migraine. You can read more about this in Stopping Medication Overuse Can Halt Transformed Migraine.
For purposes of treatment, learning about your Migraines, being able to get care if you're away from home, etc., you need a full diagnosis of what type of Migraine you have. You can read more about this in The Type of Migraine Does Matter.
If your doctor isn't able to help you, it may well be time to consult a Migraine and headache specialist. It's important to note that neurologists aren't necessarily Migraine and headache specialists. Take a look at the article Migraine and Headache Specialists - What's So Special? If you need help finding a Migraine specialist, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.
Good luck
Nancy
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