Reliance on Pain Relievers Increases Risk of Rebound Headaches

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When you feel a migraine coming on, do you immediately reach for a pain reliever? Did you know that relying too much on pain medicine can actually mean more headaches? Rebound headaches happen when you stop taking your migraine pain relievers for a few days and your body goes through withdrawal symptoms. Dr. Budler offers an alternative to pain relievers called the SPG block procedure to give people with migraines long-lasting relief without the risk of rebound headaches.

 Five Signs You’re Suffering From Rebound Headaches:

  1. You Wake Up with a Headache. Just like migraines, rebound headaches tend to develop in the morning. Pain begins when you wake up and gets worse as you start moving.
  2. Your Pain is in a Different Place. Rebound headache pain is typically diffused throughout the head, versus localized like migraine pain. Some people with rebound headaches report that their pain starts at the base of their neck and radiates to the rest of their head.
  3. Your Headache Quickly Gets Worse with Activity. Rebound headache pain intensifies quickly with movement. Walking, bending and standing up can cause pain to escalate.
  4. Your Headache Gets Worse with Your Mood. Excitement and stress also intensify rebound headache pain. Researchers believe that this element of rebound headaches may be tied to pain caused by increased activity.
  5. Pain Relievers Have Stopped Working. Migraine patients who suffer from rebound headaches often report that their head pain goes away for a few hours, but comes back stronger or that their pain intensifies immediately after taking a pain pill.

Any pain medication can cause people with migraines to develop rebound headaches if taken in large quantities for long periods of time. The most common culprits include codeine and other prescription narcotics, aspirin, acetaminophen, and NSAIDs.

The SPG block procedure provides long-lasting pain relief by numbing the group of nerve cells behind the nose known as the SPG. The SPG is responsible for kicking off a pain response when exposed to a migraine stimulus. The results of the procedure last three to four months, allowing patients to live free from migraines and rebound headaches.

To schedule your SPG block procedure with Dr. Budler, call 855-201-1519.