“People with migraine are thought to already have a sensitive brain, if you will,” says Regina Krel, MD, director of the Headache Center at Hackensack University Medical Center in Paramus, New Jersey. “This makes them more susceptible to having a headache recurrence or rebound.”
Rebound attacks are also known as medication overuse migraine attacks. When you take pain medication repeatedly for migraine, your brain starts to expect — and rely on — the medication. “This can lower the threshold for another headache to come on and eventually make the medication less effective,” says Dr. Krel. “It triggers another headache on top of the underlying migraine disorder.”
As frustrating as rebound attacks are, understanding the cycle can be the first step in helping you break it.