REBOUND HEADACHES [ back to Glossary Index ]
Rebound Headache is a drug-induced headache from over-use of pain medication. Patients with severe but infrequent headache such as migraine, may avoid seeing a neurologist and try self-medicating with daily doses of Motrin, Advil or Tylenol ES. What they do not appreciate is that having that much NSAID medication in their system causes chronic, daily headache, prompting them to continue taking the medication. The treatment is to undergo physician supervised withdrawal from the medication, which can be resumed later but only in a limited, very controlled manner. Rebound headache is so common, that they comprise a major portion of referrals to specialty headache clinics.