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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Rebounds? input needed please -->
        
(Message started by: Cooked Brain on Feb 25^th, 2005, 11:04pm)

Title: Rebounds? input needed please -->
Post by Cooked Brain on Feb 25^th, 2005, 11:04pm

Hi all!

Have been doing a lot of cathing up with reading the board lately. From what I read in several (seperate) threads I am now confused about the rebounds. I looked for a recent topic on these, but couldn't find one.

I used to get a lot of 'rebounds' last year. Always thought of it as an extended version of the last h.a. Usually I have blasts of 1-1,5 hour,which could run up to 3 or even 5 hours with what I thought were rebounds. Just when I would think the pain was on its way down, that the end was in sight BOOM suddenly it would take off again. No telling how I looked and felt after those dances...

Now when I take off the oxygenmask too soon, within minutes the pain continues where it was before putting the mask on.

So now I am not sure:

- What/ when exactly is considered a rebound?
- Is this a whole new blast, or is it an extension of the one you were having? (important for the h.a. diary)

Any input would be greatly aprreciated!

Pfd 2 all.

Title: Re: Rebounds?
Post by Lost_in_cluster on Feb 25^th, 2005, 11:49pm

Do you have shadows in between. I get them also. I think well maybe the meds are helping and then get hit again. But in between I have sharp stabs here and there. That is a good question. [smiley=huh.gif]

Title: Re: Rebounds?
Post by Cooked Brain on Feb 26^th, 2005, 12:24am

Usually I do have shadows yes, but not in between a VERY long blast. Seems to be one big h.a. with the pain becoming less for a few minutes before exploding again and taking me through the same kind of dance all over again...

Title: Re: Rebounds?
Post by rcw134 on Feb 26^th, 2005, 12:29am

Hi - I'm new to the community and feel so blessed to have found people who know the hell of CL and migraines.

I've always been told that percodan and others cause rebound HA, my GUESS is that it has something to do with the body becoming relaxed, causing the blood vessels to expand, which causes more blood flow to the brain and then the blood vessels swell around the nerve endings causing the blinding pain. I look forward as do you for some posts on this subject.

Take care

Ray

Title: Re: Rebounds? input needed please -->
Post by Mach on Feb 26^th, 2005, 5:57am

As it was explained to me by a Neuroligist
The body has Endorphins which are the bodies natural way to fight pain
When the pain is greater than what the Endorphins can control, we reach for painkillers.
When we take painkillers they reduce (eat away ) the amount of Endorphins that we have
When the pills wear off or when we need painkillers the next time we have less Endorphins to fight this pain
So we take painkillers sooner than perhaps we would have if we would have our regular amount of Endorphins.
So we are taking painkillers quicker than usual .
The headache has returned and seems stronger than before
From what I understood , if we get off the painkillers for a period of time the Endorphins will replenish themselves
The other name for Rebound Headaches would be Analgesic Headaches
Hopefully this information is correct and also gives you a better understanding of rebound headaches
Later
Mach

Title: baRe: Rebounds? input needed please -->
Post by jasckorohod on Feb 26^th, 2005, 6:33am

MACH has given a good explanation of rebounds. Essentially, use or overuse of a pain killer, usually narcotic, for a headache will result in a kind of overkill of the pain and when the narcotic wears off, the pain rushes back (like it was stored in a dam and then the dam burst). When I first had CCH, rebound headaches were suspected, so I was taken off all pain medications (in hospital) for one week. That was enough time to have all of them leave my system (usually they stay max. 72 hurs) and my headache remained and got worse (by headache I mean pain in and around my left eye); thus were the doctors convinced that I was not suffering from rebound headaches, for if that were the case I should have been pain free at the end of the week. You might want to check with your physician about this.

Title: Re: Rebounds? input needed please -->
Post by Bob_Johnson on Feb 26^th, 2005, 8:08am

A bit dated but still a good article. Your local library can get a copy for you.
---
Rebound headaches. "Rebound Headaches--A Review", Au. John S. Warner, M.D., in HEADACHE QUARTERLY, 10:3(1999). (There is some confusion on the board about the meaning of "rebound". There appears to be an emerging consensus in the medical literature to define "rebound" as a headache which is caused by the overuse of any medication used to abort a headache or relieve pain. "Recurrence" [of a headache] is being used to refer to the redevelopment of an attack when its "normal" duration is longer than the useful life of the medication which has been taken. That is, the medication effectiveness is reducing before the headache has come to an end; the pain redevelops.)

Title: Re: Rebounds? input needed please -->
Post by Cooked Brain on Feb 26^th, 2005, 8:18am

Thanks guys, it had become a little clearer, but what I still don't understand is:

I was having a lot of rebounds/ recurrences when I was NOY on any medication [smiley=huh.gif]

Title: Re: Rebounds? input needed please -->
Post by Cooked Brain on Feb 26^th, 2005, 8:19am

Thanks guys, it had become a little clearer, but what I still don't understand is:

I was having a lot of rebounds/ recurrences when I was NOT on any medication [smiley=huh.gif]

Title: Re: Rebounds? input needed please -->
Post by BarbaraD on Feb 26^th, 2005, 10:12am

Sometimes Excedrin (if I get to it soon enough) and black coffee will abort a bad attack, but I've learned to take it sparingly because too much will cause rebounds.

Seems we take something that works and when they hit again, we take more to stop it next time. The explanations you've gotten here are accurate. The more we take the more we get hit.

Then we don't know if we're getting hit or if we're having rebounds. It's a vicious circle. And when you're hurting, you don't really worry about the next one.

Just be careful what you take. Maybe your doc can put you on some preventatives instead of aborting meds.

O2 is still (for most of us) our lifeline to sanity.

Good luck... Hugs BD

Title: Re: Rebounds? input needed please -->
Post by Cooked Brain on Feb 26^th, 2005, 12:06pm

on 02/26/05 at 10:12:25, BarbaraD wrote:

It's a vicious circle. And when you're hurting, you don't really worry about the next one.

frankly, I do sometimes... :'(

Title: Re: Rebounds? input needed please -->
Post by Bob_Johnson on Feb 26^th, 2005, 4:47pm

By definition, a rebound is a headache caused by the overuse of a med. If you are having attacks and not on a med, then it's not a rebound.

In the article I cited, rebound headaches are not different in quality from a "normal" headache. The Dx for rebound is to stop using the suspect med and, if the frequency of attacks is reduced, then some of them were likely "rebounds".

Title: Re: Rebounds? input needed please -->
Post by Cooked Brain on Feb 26^th, 2005, 6:25pm

Tnx people! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Title: Re: Rebounds?
Post by TonyG1 on Feb 28^th, 2005, 8:46pm

on 02/25/05 at 23:49:53, Lost_in_cluster wrote:

Ditto. I went PF for 12 days... thought maybe the verap was doing its thing.... yesterday got maybe a kip 4-5 in the a.m.; however, it was strange in that it was mostly at the base of my skull vs. ripping the whole left side of my head off.... Took the trex and it went away; however, I've had sharp stabs after the main HA went away both yesterday and today ... be sitting at my desk PF one moment and the next a stab through my left temple [smiley=eek5.gif] then it is gone just as quickly... weird stuff...