# Medication Overuse Headache



## Phyrebrat (Apr 20, 2019)

I was just reading Peat's thread in Writing Disc about creativity, and in that article are a lot of hotlinks which always lead me down an e-rabbit hole.

One of the things I came across was this:

Confessions of a ten-a-day man

And it made me realise I take far too many anadin or paracetamol. I'll bore anyone who'll listen than dancers are (allegedly) amongst the groups of people with the highest tolerance for pain. For me that's a non-issue as something's always hurt, healing, DOMS etc, and I'm used to it. What I cannot cope with, though, is headaches. I will usually get some kind of headache most days and take 2 - 4 pills for it.

Now reading the above article, makes me wonder if it's the over-the-counter stuff that's actually making me hurt!

It's a moderate read, and interesting, and may be of interest to those of us here who suffer from frequent headaches and who use non-prescription medication.

For the next week I won't take any and see if it improves. It shouldn't be hard because I rarely drink coffee, drink alcohol maybe once a month, and 4 litres of water per day (2 bottles).

Bit scary though.

pH


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## Venusian Broon (Apr 20, 2019)

Yeah interesting read, 

I'm lucky in that I don't think I've ever had a headache, so I'm really a very modest user of painkillers. I probably will take two years to go through twenty pills. And really just use them for highly specific situations - so if I've got an achy flu, use them just to get me a few hours of sleep ('cause good quality sleep is usually the best way to recover), or if I've got really stiff sore muscles from overuse in the gym, I'll take one, because it helps me 'loosen up' and cut out the initial stiffness and pain. As you probably know as a dancer, one of the best ways of healing sore muscles is to 'bath them in blood' and actually exercise them,...

I'm of the attitude to try not to take any pills, but like I said I'm lucky that I'm generally pain-free, so can be quite militant about it. I know that constantly getting headaches or just any pain on a regular basis can be awful and destroy the quality of your life.


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## Danny McG (Apr 21, 2019)

Too much water can cause headaches as well, I saw that in some scientific paper in my doctor's waiting room


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## picklematrix (Apr 21, 2019)

Very interesting read.
Best of luck combating the headaches. Have you considered investigating your micronutrients from your diet? 

I'm fortunate enough to not suffer from any long term pain or health complaints that might require use of medication.

I have been made to believe, however, that a lot of people use medication without first looking into subtle lifestyle changes. If I were afflicted by headaches or fatigue or insomnia, or something similar, I would get bloods done and find out if I were deficient in something, such as iron or b12.

A lot of people don't recognise the importance of what they actually eat, and how it can effect things like energy levels, cognition and general bodily function.

Ive read some articles that indicate that drinking coffee is good for heart health and is correlated to longer life expectancy, so I tend to consume coffee in moderation.


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## elvet (Apr 21, 2019)

Being a migraine sufferer, headaches are a part of my life. I am very gun shy when I get the tiniest tinge of a headace, as it can easily blossom into my usual 6 day stretch of migraine. Hence, I tend to reach for meds as soon as I feel a headache coming on, under my doctor’s orders. The triptans give me too many side effects, so my go to is ibuprofen gel caps. This is in addition to the daily prevention meds I take to lessen the frequency of the attacks. 
@Phyrebrat  I have been dancing recreationally for 15 years at a local studio. While I can muster through most aches, I agree with you, a headache is impossible for me to dance through. And I am just a participant. My instructor is used to me cancelling last minute, particularly when the barometric pressure changes, a big trigger for me.


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## -K2- (Apr 21, 2019)

Have any of you considered a 'half-dose' of pseudoephedrine to supplement your pain medication?  Though typically given as sinus relief, you might be surprised how it helps issues such as migraines, chronic sinus issues a given.  That said, a number of people I personally know, myself included, have discovered after enough times using it, events become less and less, eventually, even vanishing for some (I'm hesitant to use the C  word).

When nothing else works and you're willing to try anything, give it a shot.

K2


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## Dave (Apr 21, 2019)

dannymcg said:


> Too much water can cause headaches as well, I saw that in some scientific paper in my doctor's waiting room


Too little water can also cause headaches as well. Often it is dehydration (and exercise and dancing would do that) so, that the glass of water you drink with the tablet would have cured it anyway.

Everything should be taken in moderation.

I haven't read the article but no one should take the same medication for great lengths of time, as the body just adapts to the dose and the dosage inevitably has to increase to compensate. If it is possible not to take painkillers then don't, but that isn't an option for great pain and some people can't tolerate as much as others can. Paracetamol is nasty to the liver, especially on top of alcohol, so taking it for a hangover is a double whammy. Aspirin and Ibuprofen are bad for the stomach lining. Anything stronger than those is usually addictive too, and plenty of high profile celebrity cases in the News of that going wrong.

I do feel for people who suffer from long term pain though. My dad did and I'm sure that the Paracetamol partly caused the problems he ultimately died from. Suffering from continuous pain every hour of every day just makes people miserable and very bad tempered. The health service doesn't put any priority on pain. Their priority is to save life, the quality of life doesn't really figure quite so much, and as far as pain is concerned, handing out painkilling tablets to cure symptoms is easier than looking to find other solutions to problems that are often incurable like arthritis and cancer.

For muscular pain there is the TENS machine like those used in pregnancy (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is a method of pain relief involving the use of a mild electrical current.) If I get lower backache, then I actually find a long walk helps rather than staying inactive and lying down.


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## Phyrebrat (Apr 22, 2019)

Why aren't there any headaches in the jungle..?  Don't worry I won't...I'll leave the Dad jokes to @dannymcg 



picklematrix said:


> Have you considered investigating your micronutrients from your diet?



I am very mindful of what I eat, yes. My body is my resource so a lot of my training has encompassed diet, metabolism and so on. It's funny you mention it because I often 'go off' certain foods for months and realise an improvement in my skin or similar.



picklematrix said:


> If I were afflicted by headaches or fatigue or insomnia, or something similar, I would get bloods done and find out if I were deficient in something, such as iron or b12.



Heheh. I'd love to. I often dream about having the money to go to a nutririonist and find out about any susceptibilities, but in this country (I assume you're not in the UK?) it would mean going to a GP (who are overworked) and I wouldn't get far. Once she even tapped her watch when I went in and said I wanted to talk about two things. She told me, 'We only give patients ten minutes' which simultaneously humiliated and angered me (I rarely go to the Doc, and the only reason I didn't complain was because GPs are treated like beep). If I went in and said I was taking 2-6 painkillers a day she would not give me a battery of tests but lecture me about self-medication. 



picklematrix said:


> Ive read some articles that indicate that drinking coffee is good for heart health and is correlated to longer life expectancy, so I tend to consume coffee in moderation.



Another benefit of coffee is the slight raise in metabolism, but you have to drink a really really strong coffee and as I only do decaff I'd get no benefits (it's the caffeine, not the coffee itself).



elvet said:


> Being a migraine sufferer, headaches are a part of my life. I am very gun shy when I get the tiniest tinge of a headace, as it can easily blossom into my usual 6 day stretch of migraine



I'm so sorry to hear of this. I've come across many migraine sufferers over the years and the thought of it chills my blood. To think of a six-day headache is terrifying, let alone a six-day migraine. I'm like you; when I get the slightest tinge across the back of my head, I reach for the blister pack because heading it off at the pass seems to work so much better than bashing it with pills _after_ it's developed.



elvet said:


> I have been dancing recreationally for 15 years at a local studio.



Good for you! I learnt more about myself through dance than anything else in life. Apart from the skills you develop, mentally it brings your relationship with your body to a much more profound level, and with other people, and your kinesphere. And of course there are massive health benefits; I marvel when I see joggers, or people slogging out 45 mins on a treadmill; you could be having so much fun in a dance class (whatever level), Hell, even an aerobics one, learning new skills and making your left/right brain communication far more effective.



Dave said:


> Too little water can also cause headaches as well. Often it is dehydration (and exercise and dancing would do that) so, that the glass of water you drink with the tablet would have cured it anyway.



I think if I'm being honest, this is what I believe is resposible for the majority of non-medical-condition headaches. If I do not drink my 4L a day I feel less (God, I'm trying to find a suitable word here that isn't 'fluid' but it's all I can think of, and I don't mean fluid as in hydrated, just kinda well-oiled engine-y) equable or 'frictionless'; I get a headache, the skin on the sides of my fingers feels 'frictiony' when my fingers move against each other, my fingers seem to 'creak' silently when they bend, my concentration declines, my throat becomes sore, my nose gets blocked - just a few of the symptons that make me realise I know I need to drink water.

On a related note, it astounds me how few people wake up and drink a glass or two of water. You've been perspiring all night, and not had any fluids for at least 6 hours!!! The first thing should be to have a glass before you have your tea or coffee and all bran 



Dave said:


> I haven't read the article but no one should take the same medication for great lengths of time, as the body just adapts to the dose and the dosage inevitably has to increase to compensate.



I really think you should, Dave; it's interesting (and will disabuse you of the generalisation of the body developing tolerance). Tolerance is not experienced with every chemical and certainly not aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen. Codeine, Diazepam, Temazepan, cocodamol, coproxamol etc etc, all of them, but not over-the-counter stuff. I took 60mg of Fluoxetine (it's the active ingredient in what the States calls Prozac) for eight years when I was depressed. Never developed a tolerance. I make this point because I work with many non-Western folk who refuse medication because they fear the elevation of dose due to tolerance, and they end up very sick. It's important to dispell this myth.

Finally, for my own report: I've been painkiller free since yesterday and though I did get a twinge when I finshed class tonight, I have not taken anything and it's just hovering at the back of my head in a low-key Defcon. The article was a real wake-up call for me and I would go as far as to say that even though its only been a couple of unmedicated days - so I can't say with any proof the pills were causing the headaches - I was probably halfway down that slippery slope.

Good times 

pH


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## Danny McG (Apr 22, 2019)

Why aren't there any headaches in the jungle..? Don't worry I won't...I'll leave the Dad jokes to @dannymcg 
______________________
*Because the par-*(no, no, don't say it, resist the compulsion)
*The parro*-(fight it Danny, fight it, man up!)
*The parrots ate*-(stop! stop right now and leave this thread, go and read Book Search)
*Ate 'em*-(just goooo FFS!)


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## Jo Zebedee (Apr 22, 2019)

There are other ways of managing pain I think - mindfulness and the like. I had a friend who had MS for many years whose husband suffered a catastrophic work accident. She maintained that the mess he was in were damaging because he had been given no support in learning pain management but just been shoved into high level pain meds which left him nowhere to go in terms of additional
Relief whereas her pain had built slowly and she had learned techniques to manage and needed less meds.


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## Dave (Apr 22, 2019)

Phyrebrat said:


> [It] will disabuse you of the generalisation of the body developing tolerance). Tolerance is not experienced with every chemical and certainly not aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen. Codeine, Diazepam, Temazepan, cocodamol, coproxamol etc etc, all of them, but not over-the-counter stuff.


If that is what the science says, I'll have to stand corrected. I have heard people say that their painkillers no longer work. However, as Jo just posted, there are others who can build up a great tolerance to pain over time, and then there are others who can stand much more pain than others from birth, and even people who feel no pain at all (not just Bond villains - there was a woman on BBC Breakfast a couple of weeks ago.) I guess more research is required.


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## Phyrebrat (Apr 22, 2019)

Must admit to being flummoxed by your approach to this, Dave. 

I think there’s been plenty of research. Long term prescriptions would otherwise be increased constantly. True for some chemicals but not for all. 

pH


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## picklematrix (Apr 22, 2019)

Phyrebrat said:


> Why aren't there any headaches in the jungle..?  Don't worry I won't...I'll leave the Dad jokes to @dannymcg
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I live in the UK, but in the last decade I have only been to the doctor to register after moving house and changing to a different GP. That And I've watched the occasional episode of 'GPS behind closed doors'! 

Judging by your experience, they must have gotten more overworked since I was a child, as I recall my childhood GP having much longer conversations with my parents and being much more attentive. Ten minutes seems a little short, if someone's has a genuine need to see a doctor, especially for someone who had multiple issues.


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## Phyrebrat (Apr 22, 2019)

picklematrix said:


> I live in the UK, but in the last decade I have only been to the doctor to register after moving house and changing to a different GP. That And I've watched the occasional episode of 'GPS behind closed doors'!
> 
> Judging by your experience, they must have gotten more overworked since I was a child, as I recall my childhood GP having much longer conversations with my parents and being much more attentive. Ten minutes seems a little short, if someone's has a genuine need to see a doctor, especially for someone who had multiple issues.



My assumption came from your terminology  I should have checked 

I think probably it’s down to me living in London couples with a huge rise in population in the U.K. From 2009 (61793692)  to 2019 (66083824); this has put unbearable pressure on the NHS; like you I recall my childhood GP being invested (I should say having more time to invest probably) than those overworked ones these days. And that was on the outskirts of London so not particularly rural, but the man seemed to know everyone’s conditions off by heart! And with a name like Doctor Silk, who wouldn’t be a suave charmer... 

pH


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## nixie (Apr 22, 2019)

Over the last few years my intake of painkillers has increased a lot, this is mainly due to the onset of arthritis, next operation is just a week away.
Since being diagnosed with thyroid problems I've noticed an increase in headaches not sure if this is a coincidence or a side effect of medication.
The arthritis is fine if I don't sit for to long but the nature of my job means I'm stuck to my desk the majority of the day and my joints stiffen up, I do try and stand and pace but others find it distracting so I don't do it often enough to help.
If also found if I feel a niggling headache coming on  sipping water infused with mint normally stops it.
Doctors never seem to pay attention, 10 minutes per patient is the target. One patient going over increases the delay.
I've a tendency of ignoring things till they go away doesn't always work resulting in long term problems. I'd rather see the practice nurse, she was the one who sent me for tests for thyroid  after months of feeling I was wasting the doctors time and imaging the fatigue and pain.


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## Dave (Apr 22, 2019)

Phyrebrat said:


> Must admit to being flummoxed by your approach to this, Dave.
> 
> I think there’s been plenty of research. Long term prescriptions would otherwise be increased constantly. True for some chemicals but not for all.
> 
> pH


I'm accepting what you say about painkillers. Sorry, I meant more research into pain itself, as a thing. The woman that feels no pain at all can injure herself very easily, and if you are born that way you will naturally take more risks. It is useful to prevent injury or death. Nonetheless, someone who is in constant pain every hour of every day, they would be envious of her ability. For those people, can we turn pain off completely?


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## Mouse (Apr 22, 2019)

Phyrebrat said:


> I think probably it’s down to me living in London...



Probably, as I have no trouble going to the docs for blood tests. Have to go regular as I'm often anaemic and have CD so have yearly tests anyway, but sometimes if I've a feeling I'm getting anaemic again I go for a blood test and it's no problem. (Getting my address changed, on the other hand, appears to be hugely problematic to the point where the receptionist told me to just carry on using my old address! Um, yeah, ok then...)

I do get headaches quite often. I don't like taking pills so tend to put up with it (often give in though).


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