A few of my fellow 'Trochlear Migraine' buddies have asked me to put on the blog how I define what a rebound headache is... So here goes.
After reading "Heal Your Headache" by David Buchholz, MD I finally understood what was meant by a re bound headache. But I still didn't think I was having trouble with that.
Our neurologists tell us we are only allowed 2 days a week of pain meds. This is not comprehensible if you suffer from chronic almost daily headaches/migraines. What do you mean I can't take SOMETHING when I have a headache?!
I was at a point of taking 100mg of Indocin daily with a narcotic for the really bad days. It was no longer working... That's when my neurologist explained it to me best.
Dr. Bucholz explains that when you take a pain reliever, the pain receptors in the brain are 'bound' with the medicine, and the pain receptors are quieted... but after the pain receptors have been trained to expect the pain med to bind them, the now will sort of SWELL looking for the pain medicine when it wears off. They want to be 'rebound' with the medicine. They stay LOUD and searching searching, searching, looking to be bound with pain medicine.
Then my neurologist explained the next step. She told me what I have is a 'monster of a problem'. Daily Headaches. But after a while it becomes a Tyrannosaurus Rex and you just can't feed it enough pain meds to keep it happy. Soon you land where I was at... Nothing is working....NOTHING!
I was devastated, but I knew she was right. I had to stop my daily pain meds. Ibuprofen, tylenol all of it. I cried all the 3 hours home mostly because I knew she was right. I was scared. I had to loose what I thought was my safety net.
I am happy to report however, after making it through the rebound stage, ( two days) I wasn't any worse off than I was before and maybe a little better. My stomach was the happiest as all the years of meds had chewed holes in my stomach.
Best part is that when I did take pain meds. They actually stopped the pain, and I got a two day break, enough to build up strength to face the pain once again.
Fun fact? According the to infamous HoneyChuck... you can have meds round the clock if you need on those two days. Its not the amount you take its the length, it can't be longer than two days or else you train the pain receptors all over to expect the pain meds.
You could discuss maybe trying a prednisone taper while getting off your pain meds.
Now... my next adventure should be caffeine headaches... I'm just not ready to give up my Jo though.
After reading "Heal Your Headache" by David Buchholz, MD I finally understood what was meant by a re bound headache. But I still didn't think I was having trouble with that.
Our neurologists tell us we are only allowed 2 days a week of pain meds. This is not comprehensible if you suffer from chronic almost daily headaches/migraines. What do you mean I can't take SOMETHING when I have a headache?!
I was at a point of taking 100mg of Indocin daily with a narcotic for the really bad days. It was no longer working... That's when my neurologist explained it to me best.
Dr. Bucholz explains that when you take a pain reliever, the pain receptors in the brain are 'bound' with the medicine, and the pain receptors are quieted... but after the pain receptors have been trained to expect the pain med to bind them, the now will sort of SWELL looking for the pain medicine when it wears off. They want to be 'rebound' with the medicine. They stay LOUD and searching searching, searching, looking to be bound with pain medicine.
Then my neurologist explained the next step. She told me what I have is a 'monster of a problem'. Daily Headaches. But after a while it becomes a Tyrannosaurus Rex and you just can't feed it enough pain meds to keep it happy. Soon you land where I was at... Nothing is working....NOTHING!
I was devastated, but I knew she was right. I had to stop my daily pain meds. Ibuprofen, tylenol all of it. I cried all the 3 hours home mostly because I knew she was right. I was scared. I had to loose what I thought was my safety net.
I am happy to report however, after making it through the rebound stage, ( two days) I wasn't any worse off than I was before and maybe a little better. My stomach was the happiest as all the years of meds had chewed holes in my stomach.
Best part is that when I did take pain meds. They actually stopped the pain, and I got a two day break, enough to build up strength to face the pain once again.
Fun fact? According the to infamous HoneyChuck... you can have meds round the clock if you need on those two days. Its not the amount you take its the length, it can't be longer than two days or else you train the pain receptors all over to expect the pain meds.
You could discuss maybe trying a prednisone taper while getting off your pain meds.
Now... my next adventure should be caffeine headaches... I'm just not ready to give up my Jo though.
