Although medication can be very effective in relieving headaches, you can develop rebound headaches (also called transformed migraine). The symptoms for a rebound headache are often a daily tension-type headache on top of more severe pain like a migraine. Using too many migraine medications is by far the most common cause of rebound headaches, and of a mixed type of headache that combines symptoms of migraine and tension headaches. People can get rebound headaches 15 or more days in a month.

If you have frequent headaches of any type and often take medications to treat them, you are most likely experiencing rebound headaches. A rebound headache occurs once pain medication has worn off, prompting you to take another dose.

This condition can develop with overuse of any acute medicines for headache. It is also caused by caffeine, other medicines such as sinus medication, and drugs for pain. The most common cause of daily headache is daily headache medicines causing a vicious cycle of more frequent headaches. You may actually be causing tomorrow's headache with today's medication.

Remember, you may have rebound headaches if you:

• Have frequent or chronic headaches of any kind.
• Take medicines to treat the pain more than two or three days a week.

To get out of rebound, you need to stop taking the medication on a daily or near-daily basis. Often it is safest to taper off instead of stopping suddenly. Your doctor may prescribe a different sort of medication to help your headaches. There is no magic headache pill. If you don't stop taking the medication that is causing rebound, the new one won't work. Together with your physician, you can stop this cycle.

Learn how to develop a Rebound Headache Action Plan.