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What is what is the overuse of pain relievers for headaches??
3 December 2025
This refers to the prolonged and continuous use of medications to treat or relieve migraines or headaches that often occur daily, especially in the morning, and disappear when the person stops taking the medication.
The cause of headaches from the overuse of pain relievers, or rebound headaches as they are also called, is unknown, but clinical studies indicate that they may be due to the type of medication and its action in the body, as these include:
- Common analgesics (pain relievers).
- Combination analgesics.
- Anti-migraine drugs.
- Opioids.
The prolonged abuse of these medications and the daily consumption of caffeine or carbonated beverages can trigger migraines.
Among the risk factors that can lead to the overuse of pain relievers for headaches are:
Symptoms: Overuse of Pain Relievers
The symptoms differ in each person, depending on the type of analgesic consumed and the frequency of use, but generally include:
- Difficulty remembering.
- Pain.
- Constipation.
- Irritability.
- Nausea.
- Nervousness.
- Concentration problems.
- Sleep disorders.
- Vomiting.
- Suffering from migraines or chronic headaches.
- Taking simple or combination analgesics daily for three months or more.
- Alcohol or drug use disorders.
Diagnosis and Treatment: Overuse of Pain Relievers
Once your doctor analyzes your symptoms and medical history, they will perform a physical examination and, if deemed necessary, will request a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan to rule out any other pathology of neurological origin.
Treatment consists of restricting the consumption of pain relievers or gradually lowering the dose, as the pain may worsen for a few days or even weeks when the dependency on these drugs is broken. Therefore, your doctor may prescribe:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
- Corticosteroids.
- Botox injections.
- Psychotherapy.
- Changes in diet and lifestyle.
At the Department of Internal Medicine of the ABC Medical Center, we provide medical care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological conditions, both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.
Related centers and departments What is the Overuse of Pain Relievers for Headaches?
Fuentes:
- headaches.org
- tmcaz.com
- topdoctors.mx
- cun.es
- medlinesplus.gov
- msdmanuals.com
- mayoclinic.org
- middlesexhealth.org
- medigraphic.com
- Fallas SC, Quesada SAH, Porras VAG. Cefalea por abuso de medicamentos. Revista Médica Sinergia. 2023;8(03):.
How can we help you?
The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.
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