Medication Overuse headache

Useful article I thought. Helen

http://www.exeterheadacheclinic.org.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/medication_overuse_headache_0533_june_2011.doc

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I think medication overuse headaches (rebound) are the worst type. They are maddening and insistent. It’s a very hard cycle to break. But you just have to break it if you’re wanting to survive.

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Yesss!!! Tell me about it, Day 8 of no sumatriptan and the stubborn headache is finally giving up, it went from being a complete monster to being a stupid annoyance that at least I can live with for now.

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I’m so proud of you!

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Hi @flutters hope you are having a good day …I was so close to taking an imitrex about 20 mins ago but then remembered this post and how you said you were proud of me lol …put the imitrex back in the meds cabinet and got the ice pack out of the fridge instead

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And I am proud of you! You need to be off the rescue meds a while before getting back on selectively.

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Well done, that takes quite a bit of courage and strength so fair play to you, keep going x

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It’s so hard not taking one when I know it’ll give me immediate relief but at the same time I know the pain most likely will come back tomorrow and that’s when the cycle begins

You’re right. Think of it like an addiction - because it is.

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I’m currently making an effort to drastically reduce my painkiller usage too. One thing that I’ve found helpful is to have some subtle rescue meds ready for particular bad waves of symptoms that are not of the analgesic class, and therefore do not contribute to Rebound Headache Syndrome, but which still provide some relief.

The drug I use is a high dose of Phenergan (Promethazine), which is an over-the-counter anti-histamine which helps with nausea and vertigo. This makes me drowsy, slightly less dizzy, and a bit less nauseous, and - most importantly - doesn’t make me feel guilty for lowering the effectiveness of preventatives by risking Rebound Headaches.
Could be something to think about.
Best wishes,
D

Same for me but meclizine, compazine and cbd.

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How has CBD worked for you? My partner is about to buy some for anxiety and I’m wondering if it could have any benefit for MAV?
D

I’ve found it useful to calm down, relieve pain, sleep well, calm nausea. Here in WA we get the real stuff, not hemp.

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Cool thanks. I believe in my home state (Victoria, Australia) we require a doctor to sign off on the good stuff. Perhaps I’ll ask him at my next appt in 3 weeks.
Best,
D

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How often do you take compazine per day/week & what mg? My doctor prescribed it for nausea from dizziness but I think I read it can help with dizziness (she prescribed me 60, 10mg pills total and said no more than 3 a day) so I was going to take it to see if it helps dizziness (I can deal with the nausea right now but it’d be nice to be nausea-free)

I take compazine as a rescue med. I’ve never taken more than two in a day and never more than 1-2x/week.

Compazine calms everything for me - dizzy, nausea, pain, motion sickness. It also makes me tired and messes up my blood sugar for a while. If I’m taking it, I’m in trouble and trying to limp thru the day or anticipate a major challenge to my thresholds (a movie, long, curvy car ride, etc).

However, it is often prescribed as a daily med 3x/day) as an antipsychotic.

Not in the UK. Only for very short term use, max three days. Doctors told me it has now quite recently been proven to cause dizziness when taken regularly. PILs are being amended to remove ‘dizziness’ totally from its uses list and issue it solely for control of nausea for which I found it most effective. Like you I’ve taken one for Special Occasions. Works a treat, I’ve even taken an odd one to prevent car sickness, ie the day I had to travel miles to an MRI Scanner. Only ever the dissolvable 3mg tablet though I’ve had it by injection too. Trouble is it doesn’t just slow my gut, it stops it completely for days and days. Helen

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I guess I should ‘plug’ it the other way. It calms my IBS.

Oh, I’m not against it. For sickness it’s brilliant just does nothing for my dizziness although I know one person personally who found it stopped hers. Dr Silver of Walton Trust fame writes to avoid anti-sickness drugs that reduce gastric emptying (by using Domperidone). I can well imagine it calming IBS. Prochlorperazine always ‘calmed’ my gut to the point it ceased activity of any kind for days. Helen

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Right, for me that’s a hell of a bonus. It creates something close to normal digestion for me.

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