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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Rebound Headache?
        
(Message started by: JoeKen on Nov 13^th, 2005, 5:16am)

Title: Rebound Headache?
Post by JoeKen on Nov 13^th, 2005, 5:16am

:)
Good Morning all - (it's Sunday morning where I am).
My GP, I suspect, has only me as a CH patient. He is as helpful as his budget will allow him to be but not very knowledgeable about CH. On Friday morning he gave me a scrip for Maxalt melts, (quick acting 10 mg doses of Imigran). Being the cautious type I used half of one of these at mid afternoon the same day and it worked like magic - in a few minutes I could feel the CH fading and it had gone completely within 20 minutes - wonderful result !!
The next day I woke with a very bad HA like no other HA I have ever had - (I am a conniseur (sp?) of HAs. having CH, migraines and just plain HAs all my life).
This HA was high on the brow, about hairline level, all across the brow and seemed to be located just under the skull. Oxygen had no effect, and not knowing what it was I let nature take it's course. It stayed with me at the same level (say Kip 6 or 7), until mid afternoon and then faded away.
Questions: -
1) was this a rebound HA from the Maxalt Melt?
2) if so, how do I stop a 'cycle' from developing (Maxalt, rebound, Maxalt, rebound etc.,)?
3) has anyone else had a similar experience?
Thanks for your interest.
JoeKen

Title: Re: Rebound Headache?
Post by JoeKen on Nov 13^th, 2005, 7:29am

Hi again,
My wife has just reminded me of another possible cause of the rebound (?) HA that I refer to above. Included in the list of ingredients to the Maxalt Melt medication is Aspartame, with no indication of quantity or percentage. I strongly suspect that I am sensitive to Aspartame (phenyl alanine), having suffered very bad HAs after known intakes of drinks containing this substance, but the HAs were 'normal', nothing like the one described in my earlier posting.
From a bit of web surfing this morning I learn that people with sensitivity to Aspartame are often also sensitive to MSG. If this is the case, and if this applies to me, it might well explain how I have become a connoiseur of HAs over the last 60+ years. In this day and age, how the hell does one avoid the intake of MSG, given it's many and various guises under which it appears in our food and drink?
Seriously, any practical advice on how to minimise the intake of Apartame and MSG would be greatly appreciated.
JoeKen.

Title: Re: Rebound Headache?
Post by BarbaraD on Nov 13^th, 2005, 9:08am

Avoid foods containing the stuff (read labels). Excedrin causes rebounds in me (I also have CH along with migraines and post traumatic concussion HAs). Maxault makes me sick to my stomach, so I avoid it. I really don't think one dose will cause a rebound.

You didn't say what else you're taking. Have you tried Black Coffee and O2 at the onset of CH. That usually works for me within a few minutes (if it's going to work and if I get to it before it hits about a 5 or 6 -- after that it's cafergot and phenergan).

Check out a migrain site and see what foods to avoid for migraines (and there's a bunch of them).

Hugs BD

Title: Re: Rebound Headache?
Post by CHTom on Nov 13^th, 2005, 11:34am

Can anyone direct me (and others) to scientific sources (articles written by physicians) that describes and confirms the existence of rebound cluster headaches? I've searched the internet and have yet to find anything that proves the existence of this phenomenon. I've found anecdotal reports but have not been able to find any scientific data that confirms that rebound cluster headaches exist. I've been able to find are articles about rebound "normal" headaches, caused by overuse of analgesics and they go away after stopping the use of whatever medication is used to take care of the original headache. My current physicians state that such a phenomenon does not exist for clusters. Many years ago my physician at that time thought that I had rebound headaches instead of clusters, so I did not use any analgesics for a period of two weeks (a very painful two weeks), not even aspirin and my clusters kept coming. Thanks

Title: Re: Rebound Headache?
Post by chewy on Nov 13^th, 2005, 11:51am

A rebound is not a full blown CH.

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/66/79577.htm

Title: Re: Rebound Headache?
Post by CHTom on Nov 13^th, 2005, 12:04pm

I've read that article but it doesn't mention cluster headaches though it does mention other types; I also checked the cluster headache info on that site and it didn't mention the rebound phenomenon-thanks for the info. anyhow.

Title: Re: Rebound Headache?
Post by chewy on Nov 13^th, 2005, 12:27pm

http://www.clusterheadaches.org/library/medications/imitrex_rebound.htm

Title: Re: Rebound Headache?
Post by CHTom on Nov 13^th, 2005, 1:03pm

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my posting, Chewy, but both articles that you referred me to had to do with migraine headaches. I've always thought that what some people refer to as "rebound cluster headaches" are perhaps suffering from a prolonged CH, from which whatever medication that they are using decreases the pain for a short period of time and then the CH returns. It is possible that they exist, but I just haven't found any scientific studies that show that they do exist. Once again, I apprecite your efforts. PFDANs.

Title: Re: Rebound Headache?
Post by chewy on Nov 13^th, 2005, 1:06pm

Substitute Cluster for Migraine.

Same principle.

Title: Re: Rebound Headache?
Post by pattik on Nov 13^th, 2005, 1:06pm

Chewy, DO NOT respond to CHtom---

He is a troll, and should be ignored

Title: Re: Rebound Headache?
Post by chewy on Nov 13^th, 2005, 1:15pm

Oh. I'm new here. Didn't know.

BAD CHTOM! BAD !

Title: Re: Rebound Headache?
Post by CHTom on Nov 13^th, 2005, 1:40pm

I guess that I must be bad if what's her name says so; anyhow, I don't think that one can substitute "cluster" for "migraine" as they are two very different types of headaches, but, as what's her name said, I'm a troll so what do I know? Silly me-I would imagine that if rebound HAs occurred with clusters then the articles would have said so. Thanks again, Chewy, even if I am a bad boy troll or whatever :o! If Patticake can produce an article, I'd like to see it-or if anyone else can for that matter. Bad troll, bad troll!
P.S.: I guess that asking for scientific backup is a bad thing-sorry. Oh, I feel a rebound headache coming on!

Title: Re: Rebound Headache?
Post by chewy on Nov 13^th, 2005, 1:47pm

Quote:

Oh, I feel a rebound headache coming on!

Lie down in a dark room and cover your head with a wet wash cloth. Do you have any Excedrine handy?