OTC pain relievers

Medication đź’Š
1

Which (if any) OTC pain relievers work for you when you have a headache?

Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen with aspirin
Aspirin
Ibuprofen
Something else?

2

None anymore. All eventually led to rebound headache for me, plus kidney issues (NSAIDS). CBD often helps.

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3

ibuprofen (400mg) and cbd oil, I try not to take them often though.

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4

Ibuprofen but it doesn’t always help.

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5

2-3 aspirin helps a bit, but just laying down in a quiet place and resting for 1-2 hours is the biggest help. Maybe an ice pack if its really bad.

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6

It’s recommended none are taken whilst on preventatives because as @flutters says of the fear of rebound headaches and secondly because taking painkillers and continuing to use caffeine are supposedly the two main reasons preventatives don’t work. Right in the middle of chronic migraine I tripped over a bramble tendril which was lying in ambush in some longish grass and broke my left shoulder. I took very few painkillers, maybe four or five doses total, and I did notice increased dizziness which could have been because they affected the Propranolol although it’s hard to be sure because having an immobilised shoulder held in place by a sling around your arm and neck doesn’t do wonders for the balance of a MAVer who’s 24/7 dizzy at the time anyway. It pulls you any which way all day long! Helen

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7

You can experiment a bit with rebound headaches. I haven’t found any rebounds with occasional use of aspirin or sumatriptan. But yes, if you start using them multiple times a week I think you get into rebound headache territory.

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8

Thanks everyone! I typically use acetaminophen and sometimes the acetaminophen / aspirin combo… they help tremendously but I sometimes fear I am feeding a “rebound” cycle. I’ll aks Dr Goebel when I see him in a couple of weeks. My GP says using these are fine and actually prescribed a “headache pill” which was nothing more than acetaminophen / aspirin with caffeine. Of course, I try to limit the caffeine, so would not take them.

9

Yes, I think @dizzy3 said her consultant had told her to use painkillers no more than n times a month.

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10

yup, no more than 3 times per week the ibuprofen, tylenol. Triptans no more than 7 per month (insurance actually dont pay more than that).

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11

I love aspirin. I used to take 3 aspirins for my headaches.

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