UK: Painkillers 'make a million people's headaches worse'

7zark7

7zark7

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[size=+1]Painkillers 'make a million people's headaches worse'[/size]
A million headache sufferers who take common painkillers on a regular basis are actually intensifying their pain by making their brains ‘immune’ to the drugs’ effects, doctors warn today.

They are aggravating their symptoms by relying on medications like aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen on an almost daily basis. Five in six of them are women.

Instead of taking these over-the-counter drugs to combat symptoms when they flare up, sufferers should try treatments that help prevent headaches in the first place - including acupuncture - according to official advice from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice).

It is launching new guidance today to help doctors better diagnose and treat different types of headache, which can be difficult to tell apart.

Almost everyone experiences occasional headaches but almost 10 million people - a fifth of the adult population - suffer from much more serious and debilitating types.

Of those, some seven million suffer from migraines, and another 1.5 million or so develop intense ‘tension’ type headaches on most days.

A few - perhaps 50,000 to 100,000 - have excruciating 'cluster' headaches that swiftly come and go with no warning.

But another million have what doctors call ‘medication overuse headaches’, due to becoming over-reliant on drugs supposed to help with tension headaches and migraines.



Full article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/h...s-make-a-million-peoples-headaches-worse.html
 
I used to get bad cluster headaches. My doctor prescribed fiorecet or I would take over-the-counter ibuprofen. Sometimes I would get "rebound" headaches the next day mostly after using the prescription. So the "medication overuse" makes sense to me.
 
Ibuprofen, aspirin, Tylenol, naproxen, etc. are all totally obsolete. They're all toxic and less effective than ingestion of large amounts of the enzymes bromelain and papain, both of which do a similar thing as the NSAIDs but without any potential toxicity and with more efficacy.
 
T. Calderone said:
I used to get bad cluster headaches. My doctor prescribed fiorecet or I would take over-the-counter ibuprofen. Sometimes I would get "rebound" headaches the next day mostly after using the prescription. So the "medication overuse" makes sense to me.
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I still suffer from migraines. Fioricet (and later the version without caffeine) or ibuprofen or naproxen worked but after a while they stopped. Doctor switched me to sumatriptan+naproxen (Treximet) and it works 90% of the time. I originally thought this would be about OTC codeine headache formulations that are available in the UK. Anybody who's had a real migraine will tell you that most opiates don't to anything to touch the pain. I once had a headache that didn't respond to a double dosage of my sumatriptan so I went to the emergency department. They gave me an IV of Demerol and orphenadrine and even after that my head still hurt so much I wanted to just slam it against the wall.
 
There are some medications that can help during the prodromal syndrome but it's a mixed bag. None of them worked for me.

Acupuncture can cure headaches and migraines that are already in progress. It's the only thing that worked for me. And now that I actually practice acupuncture in my medical profession, I know how beneficial it can be.

Over half the people I've treated for migraines say that pain killers don't work.

My friend once received an ergotamine IV for her migraine and it stopped it instantly, but the ergot derivatives are mostly outlawed now. LSD can also prevent migraines but it won't stop one in progress.
 
NeighborhoodThreat said:
I still suffer from migraines. Fioricet (and later the version without caffeine) or ibuprofen or naproxen worked but after a while they stopped. Doctor switched me to sumatriptan+naproxen (Treximet) and it works 90% of the time. I originally thought this would be about OTC codeine headache formulations that are available in the UK. Anybody who's had a real migraine will tell you that most opiates don't to anything to touch the pain. I once had a headache that didn't respond to a double dosage of my sumatriptan so I went to the emergency department. They gave me an IV of Demerol and orphenadrine and even after that my head still hurt so much I wanted to just slam it against the wall.
Click to expand...

Why don't you get sumatriptan instead of Treximet and pop your own naproxen? Saves a boatload.
 
Coolio said:
Ibuprofen, aspirin, Tylenol, naproxen, etc. are all totally obsolete. They're all toxic and less effective than ingestion of large amounts of the enzymes bromelain and papain, both of which do a similar thing as the NSAIDs but without any potential toxicity and with more efficacy.
Click to expand...

Really?
a) Aspirin is toxic? And
b) Bromelain and papain work that well?
 
I only take APAP, or OTC NSAIDs when I start feeling a migraine actually coming on (if you get migraines, you know the tell tale signs that tell you that within 10-45mins your head will explode in pain). I try to never preemptively take them, or take them for minor issues. I rarely take NSAIDs for sprains, bruises, or other light pains. Sadly people assume anything OTC (just like things advertised as legal highs), has no health consequences and aren't taught harm reduction for their use, so they end up having liver damage (APAP), intestinal issues (NSAIDs), etc. Just like running to the doc for anti-biotics every time you get sick with something. Sometimes you just have to feel a little under the weather, and not take any medication. If it gets worse, that its extremely debilitating or shows serious signs, then yes, see a doc and take meds.

APAP and OTC NSAIDs really are not dangerous unless taken like an idiot. If you dont take them often and only when you really need them (if you don't have other medical issues that these drugs could make worse), they shouldn't cause any problems at all.
 
Yeah i,ve read that that taking painkillerz to often for headaches does make them worse not good.Maybe people should try that forehead which you roll on your forid and it heats up and sort of distracts you from your headache.I,ve used it and it can be effective its helped me a couple of times now!!!!
 
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