A rebound headache, also known as medication overuse headache (MOH), is a type of headache that occurs when painkillers are taken frequently to relieve headaches. Rebound headaches frequently occur daily, can be very painful, and are a common cause of chronic daily headache. They typically occur in patients with an underlying headache disorder such as migraine or tension-type headache that "transforms" over time from an episodic condition to chronic daily headache due to excessive intake of acute headache relief medications. MOH is very rare in patients without a history of recurrent headaches, and it rarely develops in patients who take analgesics for non-headache pain, like arthritis or irritable bowel syndrome. The symptoms of rebound headaches involve many features of the headaches you’re trying to treat, including:
- Location and severity of the headache may change from day to day
- Nausea
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Depression
- Problems sleeping
Rebound headaches can be treated through withdrawal of the overused drug(s) and by means of specific approaches that focus on the development of a close doctor-patient relationship in the management of the patients headache disorder. It may be difficult in the beginning, because once you stop your medication, your headache is likely to get worse before it gets better. But medications that prevent headaches, and nonmedical therapies such as biofeedback and avoiding headache triggers, can help get a person through this medication withdrawal period.
