Millions of people who suffer from chronic headaches will reach for pain-relieving medications. However, for many of them, these medications will trigger subsequent headaches that are worse in duration and severity as a result. These are called “rebound headaches.”

According to Dr. Seymour Diamond from the National Headache Foundation (www.headaches.org), two million Americans will suffer from rebound headaches.

Dr. Diamond points out that caffeine, found in Excedrin Migraine, acts as a vasoconstrictor. This means that it constricts blood vessels to relieve headache pain.  However, when the caffeine wears off, the pain comes back stronger than it was originally.

People generally view over-the-counter pain relievers as harmless, and use them more often. But, the usage of a pain reliever at least three times a day can cause the rebound effect.

There are classes of prescription medications that can also produce the rebound effect. These include Esgic and Fioricet; Cefergot and Ergomar; Zomig and Imitrex. Other non-prescription medications that may also cause the rebound effect include acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin.

Why do these drugs cause the intensified headaches?  It’s because taking these drugs too often decreases serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain that controls a person’s mood. When serotonin is decreased, it generates an increase of even more painful headaches, and creates the possibility of migraines.

Those suffering from migraines should stop using the medications listed above, and should consider using Migravent, a dietary supplement that helps prevent and relieve migraines.