Migraine Headaches Support Group

Migraine is a neurological disease, of which the most common symptom is an intense and disabling episodic headache. Migraine headaches are usually characterized by severe pain on one or both sides of the head and are often accompanied by photophobia (hypersensitivity to light), phonophobia (hypersensitivity to sound) and nausea.

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Brain & Nervous System
/ Migraine Headaches Support Group

rebound migraines

casamom
casamom
I'm assuming that a rebound headache is because you've taken too many meds for your migraine, right? Can you get them from taking an imitrex injection...once a day but for like six days in a row? And how do you stop that cycle? I think that's what's going on with me, simply because I'm on my 6th straight day of a migraine and if I didn't take the imitrex, I would have been in the ER. Thanks for any comments.
shelleyaz
shelleyaz
You might want to read my new post about 14 days of migraines
casamom
casamom
Shellyaz, I did, thank you very much. Is there a test to find out if your adrenal glands are not functioning correctly?
deleted_user
deleted_user
Yes, if you take 6 days of Imitrex, you will get rebound migraines. Contact your neurologist that gave you the imitrex injections. My insurance provider only allowed approximately 4 or 5 per month so if I used them every day like you, I would be out for the entire month.

You can only use two (as directed and not at the same time) and then have to stop and for me I have to wait about 2 days.

Your doctor needs to know that the imitrex did not work and should have correctly talked to you about the use of them.
22Lynn
22Lynn
Cardamom, you get your cortisol levels tested. They do a blood test first. Then their are two other adrenal tests, the saliva test and the AC TH test. Endocrinologists generally will order these tests. Sometimes your primary care doctor will order them for you.
YvetteK
YvetteK
rebounds can occur with triptans as well as pain medicine. As stated above, you can take migraine medicine 2x per week MAX. Anything more than that can result in a rebound headache. So technically, if you take something on a sunday and then a monday, waiting 2 days isn't enough. You then should not take anything again until the following Sunday night.

To stop the rebound migraines, I'm afraid to say, is stopping the medicine and basically dealing with it. Perhaps your doctor would give you something to help you through it, but you still have to go through it.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I used to do the Imitrex injections and could use more than two per week. As to the Imitex tablets, I take the generic Imitrex and am permitted to take up to 200 mg. in a 24 hour period, but I rarely have to.

I did read this below about Imitrex:

"Frequent Imitrex Use and Overuse Headaches

Using Imitrex two or more days a week for more than 3 months can cause medication-overuse headache, a dull or migraine-like headache that is present at least 15 days per month. You can prevent medication-overuse headache by not using Imitrex as often (per attack, per week and per month) and starting preventive treatment when necessary"

http://migraine.com/migraine-treatment/imitrex/special-warnings
YvetteK
YvetteK
AsTimeGoesBy- I should clarify. Every headache specialist I have seen has said someone can take pain meds 2x a day, for 2 days max. So yes, if you are on imitrex, you could take 200 mg in a 24 hours, or 400 in 48 hours, but then no more until the next week. That is, if you take it for two days in a row.

I think some doctors are more liberal about how often they let their patients use medicine, and then there are doctors who are basically drill sergents. I have the latter, and I'm very glad for that. Rebounds are a bitch!