Taking an ibuprofen/tylenol when having a headache?

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  • yweight2020
    yweight2020 Posts: 591 Member
    edited August 2021
    MargaretYakoda wrote: »
    I am fortunate and rarely get headaches.
    My body is an utter train wreck in almost every other department. 😂

    If we (my partner or myself) do happen to get a headache we go through a kind of checklist.
    1) Have we caffeinated?
    2) Drink a big glass of water.
    3) Have we eaten? Especially a bit of protein?
    4) Try a hot shower on the neck.
    5) Nap if possible.

    If we still have a headache after that checklist, then we take a Tylenol or aspirin or maybe ibuprofen, and assume we’re ill. Because by that point, if nothing else worked, we probably are.

    Having headaches that often isn’t typical.
    Do they start in the morning? And do you snore? Even a little bit? Because headaches can be a sign of sleep apnea. Which can be helped with a CPAP.

    I like this check list and advice about maybe sleep apnea, who knew. Thanks for sharing.
  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,188 Member
    Hollis100 wrote: »
    I'm very prone to headaches. I get them with changes in the weather, when I suddenly stop drinking coffee, or when I get dehydrated.

    FYI, about Advil. Years ago, I would get frequent severe headaches and treat them with Advil and/or aspirin. The headaches grew worse to the point where I would get them every week. I went to specialists to try to find out why -- I even had an MRI to see if I had a brain tumor (I didn't). The doctors couldn't tell me anything. Finally, I read the back of the Advil bottle. It said do not take longer than 2 weeks. I stopped all over the counter meds, had a giant headache -- and then all the headaches went away.

    Google "rebound headaches." If you are headache prone, and regularly take over the counter meds, your body can become addicted to the med, and then get a headache when the med wears off, so you take another med to treat it and get into a terrible cycle.

    No normal healthy person should have headaches all the time. Continue to look into the why. Good luck.

    I went to a migraine clinic a couple of years ago. Like you, I would get periodic migraines, which are unbearable and for which I need to take something stronger, but would also regularly get less severe headaches. I used to take normal painkillers for those but they advised me not to because the pain medication over a long period of time can actually result in rebound headaches. Now I save it for migraine only.
  • vanmep
    vanmep Posts: 406 Member
    I used to get severe migraines. The doctor’s advice at the time was to take pain medication at the first sign of a headache as “it is easier to kill a baby than an adult”. 😳🧐. Not sure how I felt about my doctor using that analogy lol but the advice was spot on.
  • tracybear86
    tracybear86 Posts: 163 Member
    vanmep wrote: »
    I used to get severe migraines. The doctor’s advice at the time was to take pain medication at the first sign of a headache as “it is easier to kill a baby than an adult”. 😳🧐. Not sure how I felt about my doctor using that analogy lol but the advice was spot on.

    I received the same advice from my neurologist sans the analogy. I have found I have fewer severe migraines going this route.

    OP - Also look into possibly adding a magnesium supplement. My migraines have improved significantly since I started taking one daily. Could be coincidence but it is easy and less side effects than pain relievers.
  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
    edited August 2021
    I take tylenol. I do not take any nsaid's. I (accidentally!) gave myself a nice case of asprin poisoning once. I know not all nsaids are the same, but... I'm averse now.
  • leonadixon
    leonadixon Posts: 479 Member
    Taking too much of either can cause rebound headaches. You may want to look that up. I get chronic migraines. Before it was diagnosed, I was taking a lot of Tylenol that caused rebound headache. I had to stop all pain meds for a long while. It's no fun! You may want to see a neurologist about preventative medications.
  • OnceAndFutureAthlete
    OnceAndFutureAthlete Posts: 192 Member
    Hello. I feel your pain - literally! And I also found Advil to be the best. Also scratching my scalp for some reason!

    I used to get regular, last for a few days, sometimes morph into migraines, headaches. Years ago, I went to the doctor and he said "reduce stress." lol, like I wouldn't have already if I could!

    I did figure out that it was no one thing but some combination of things that would put me over some brain threshold and trigger a bad headache. Those things were:
    1. Dehydration
    2. Going off my caffeine schedule
    3. TOM/Hormones
    4. Not getting enough sleep
    5. Stress!

    If any 3 of these things were going on at once, BAM!
    Once I figured out this "formula" it really helped me modify my life and/or take action when I felt one coming on, and they've become so much rarer.

    Your trigger elements may be different - food allergies? medications? any of the other things mentioned here.
    I'd just advocate: 1. not worrying about what your friends say about taking OTC meds, and 2. think about this compound cause thing like I had and see if that matches in any way for you. Again, your list may be completely different but the theory might still hold.

    Best of luck to you.
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
    edited August 2021
    I have no problem taking medication when I need it. I found out though food/chemical sensitivity MRT testing that I'm sensitive to acetaminophen, so I haven't tried it since then and stick to NSAID'S (not sure how accurate it is, but still).

    Having said that, as someone who has tinges of headaches, muscles aches and pains frequently, I don't take them at every ache and pain. The only time I take something right away is one I feel a migraine coming on, as those are almost always preceded by visual aura. I often try other things first and to determine what the root of the problem is. In my case it's almost always neck/shoulder tension, so I try to do some self- trigger point release or massage first. I've also discovered that I'm sensitive to caffeine. I haven't given it up completely, but have definitely cut back to find my "happy" amount, which amounts to one small iced coffee or homemade cold- brew per day. I've found that even a tall Starbucks cold brew had too much caffeine for me now, hen I used to drink a grande plus whatever coffee I had already had in the morning. I've also discovered that I get more headaches and aches in general before TOM, so that's when I may be more likely to take something for it.
  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    I went to bed with a slight headache last night and woke up with the same pain, it eventually went away as I resisted the temptation of taking an ibuprofen.

    From now on unless I have a migraine i'm not taking any medication.
  • viajera99
    viajera99 Posts: 252 Member
    Anecdotally, I've known quite a few migraineurs who swear by Excedrin Migraine, which is tylenol, aspirin, and caffeine. The warnings about the risk of rebound headaches with regular use still apply, but for occasional use it might be worth seeing if you're a responder.
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,124 Member
    I get headaches occasionally, and usually don't take anything, because different pain relievers can cause kidney or liver damage. I already have kidney damage, so I won't take Motrin, or any other Ibuprofen containing pain meds. I do tough out tension headaches - I don't see the need to take something when I can just deal with the pain. But headaches and migraines are two totally different things. I had migraines for a while when I did a drastic diet change, and definitely needed something for that, but for just a headache, I just deal with it.
  • vanmep
    vanmep Posts: 406 Member
    “Taking too much of either can cause rebound headaches.”

    I had always understood that rebound headaches were a result of using Tylenol with codeine. Codeine being the problematic ingredient. Also, I’m pretty sure that only narcotic pain killers create dependency
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
    When my chemical sensitivity was a lot worse I used to get headaches all the time and got into the habit of avoiding environmental triggers rather than treating the symptoms.

    Ex: mold, new paint, new carpet, really new lots of things - these go outside to offgas, artificial fragrance, neighbor's use of fabric softener, etc.

    When I had what turned out to be the tick-borne illness Anaplasmosis, I had awful headaches that nothing touched, including my DIY version of Excedrin Migraine, so I'm back to not taking anything for pain. (Haven't had headaches since, but have had pain elsewhere. Went to physical therapy for that.)
  • leonadixon
    leonadixon Posts: 479 Member
    vanmep wrote: »
    “Taking too much of either can cause rebound headaches.”

    I had always understood that rebound headaches were a result of using Tylenol with codeine. Codeine being the problematic ingredient. Also, I’m pretty sure that only narcotic pain killers create dependency

    It can be any over the counter pain medication. Mine was with acetaminophen specifically.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
    vanmep wrote: »
    “Taking too much of either can cause rebound headaches.”

    I had always understood that rebound headaches were a result of using Tylenol with codeine. Codeine being the problematic ingredient. Also, I’m pretty sure that only narcotic pain killers create dependency

    Rebound headaches are not just from Tylenol with codeine:

    https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/medication-overuse-headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20377083

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