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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffThe following tips can help you prevent rebound headaches:
- Take your headache medication exactly as prescribed.
- If you have to take headache medication more than twice a week, contact your doctor.
- Avoid the use of medications that contain butalbital or opioids.
- Limit your use of simple analgesics to less than 15 days a month.
- Limit the use of triptans or combination analgesics to no more than nine days a month.
Taking good care of yourself can help prevent most types of headaches.
- Avoid headache triggers. If you're not sure what triggers your headaches, keep a headache diary. Include details about every headache. When did it start? What were you doing at the time? What did you eat that day? How did you sleep the night before? What's your stress level? How long did it last? What, if anything, provided relief? Eventually, you may begin to see a pattern — and take steps to prevent future headaches.
- Get enough sleep. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day — even on weekends. If you're not tired at bedtime, don't fight it. Read or watch television until you become drowsy and fall asleep naturally.
- Don't skip meals. Start your day with a healthy breakfast. Eat lunch and dinner at about the same time every day.
- Exercise regularly. Physical activity causes your body to release chemicals that block pain signals to your brain. With your doctor's OK, choose activities you enjoy — such as walking, swimming or cycling. To avoid injury, start slowly.
- Reduce stress. Get organized. Simplify your schedule. Plan ahead. When the going gets tough, try to stay positive.
- Relax. Try yoga, meditation or relaxation exercises. Set aside time to slow down. Listen to music, read a book or take a hot bath.
- Quit smoking. If you smoke, talk to your doctor about quitting. Smoking can trigger headaches or make them worse.
References
- Zaza K, et al. Medication overuse headache. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports. 2009;9:115.
- Dodick DW, et al. How clinicians can detect, prevent and treat medication overuse headache. Cephalgia. 2008;28:1209.
- Vanderhoff BT, et al. Neurology. In: Rakel RE. Textbook of Family Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/158911670-2/883980954/1481/600.html?printin. Accessed Sept. 5, 2009.
- Kaniecki R. Headache assessment and management. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2003;289:1430.
- Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/headache/detail_headache.htm. Accessed Sept. 8, 2009.
- Dodick DW, et al. Evidence-based understanding of medication-overuse headache: Clinical implications. Headache. 2006;46:S202.
- Rappaport AM. Medication overuse headache: Awareness, detection, treatment. CNS Drugs. 2008;22:995.
- Sun-Edelstein C, et al. Complementary and alternative approaches to the treatment of tension-type headache. Current Pain and Headache Reports. 2008;12:447.
- Pandor SS, et al. Nonpharmacologic treatment of migraine. Current Pain and Headache Reports. 2005;9:202.
- Taylor FR. Headache prevention with complementary and alternative medicine. Headache. 2009;49:966.
- Garza I (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 13, 2009.
- Swanson JW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 10, 2009.
- Bigal ME, et al. Acute migraine medications and evolution from episodic to chronic migraine: A longitudinal population-based study. Headache. 2008;48:1157.
- Smith TR, et al. Medication overuse headache from antimigraine therapy: Clinical features, pathogenesis and management. Drugs. 2004;64:2503.
- Young WB. Should Butalbital-containing analgesics be banned? Yes. Current Pain and Headache Reports. 2002;6:151.
- Silberstein SD, et al. Butalbital in the treatment of headache: History, pharmacology and efficacy. Headache. 2001;41:953.
