Posted on October 4, 2007
Nausea, heartburn, cramps, diarrhea and ironically enough, headaches are some of the side effects of one of the most commonly used over-the-counter medications for head pain - Ibuprofen.
Studies show that the overuse of common pain medications, over-the-counter and prescription, cause people to be hit by analgesic rebound headaches, according to the National Headache Foundation.
More commonly known as medication overuse headaches, rebound headaches are the cause of half of chronic migraines and up to 25 percent of all headaches, according to MedTrackAlert.
Medical Director of the University Health Center Stephen Rodgers said overuse is defined as taking common pain medications more than two times a week.
Rebound headaches can feel similar to tension headaches but may be as severe as light sensitive, migraine-like headaches, according to NHF. Once a person suffers from rebound headaches, all other medications will most likely have no effect in treating their malady.
At any moment, three million Americans, failing to know that they are using pain medications too often, are left with a medication overuse headache, according to MedTrackAlert.
“I think most people do overuse drugs like Advil because in our society, it has been like if you have a headache, just take some medicine,” sophomore Megan Black said.
Both Black and sophomore Alexis Bergen said they only take medication for their headaches if it interferes with their ability to concentrate.
Studies show that caffeinated over the counter medications, such as Excedrin, and prescription drugs containing butalbital increase a person’s risk of medication overuse heaaches, according to NHF.
Prohibited in Germany but still used in the United States, both Fioricet and Fiorinal often cause medication-related headaches due to their butalbital make-up, according to About.com.
If used correctly, the most effective over the counter headache medications are Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen and Aspirin, Rodgers said. If used incorrectly, however, all three can produce extremely severe side effects.
“Acetaminophen can cause permanent liver damage,” Rodgers said. “Aspirin causes a condition called acidosis but can be treated. Ibuprofen may cause gastric ulcers, even in regular doses.”
The only way to treat rebound headaches is to completely discontinue the use of all pain medications, but in some cases improvement may not be seen for up to two months, according to NHF.
Despite medication overuse, one of the biggest initial causes of headaches for college students is stress, Rodgers said.
“We have so much to worry about and a lot of changes are going on around you and you’re trying to find out what you want to do with your life and have a social aspect and it stresses you out and that causes headaches,” Bergen, who used to get headaches at least twice a week, said.
Once stress becomes frequent, so will tension headaches and for most, over the counter medications will be the answer that will result in a problem.
In order to prevent medication overuse headaches, the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research instructs you to use pain medications less than twice a week, stay hydrated, get lots of rest and learn how to manage your time to avoid stress and the headaches that follow it.
The viscous cycle of medication overuse headaches can be a complicated one, but to some the solution seems simple.
Bergen said, “If you have a slight headache, instead of taking medicine, you should take a nap.
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