Medication Overuse Headaches

Medication overuse headaches — also known as rebound headaches — are caused by the long-term use of medicines to treat headaches such as migraines. Pain relievers offer relief for occasional headaches. But if you take them more than a couple of days a week, they may trigger headaches.

If you have a headache disorder such as migraine, most medicines you take for pain relief can have this effect. However, this doesn’t appear to be true for people who have never had a headache disorder. In people without a history of headaches, taking pain relievers regularly for another condition such as arthritis hasn’t been shown to cause medication overuse headaches.

Medication overuse headaches usually go away when you stop taking pain medicine. This can be challenging in the short term. But your health care provider can help you find ways to beat medication overuse headaches for the long-term.