I don't heart rebounds.

February 6, 2009 3:55 AM

Migraine Filter: How often can Fioricet be taken without inducing a rebound headache?

I'm looking for anecdotes from migraine users who've taken Fioricet--or similar drugs, like Fiorinal or Tylenol 3--and kept track of their frequency of rebound headaches.

Books like Heal Your Headache recommend no more than two sessions of abortive migraine drugs per month, but I tend to think that migrainers might be able to get away with more frequent consumption of these. As for other migraine meds, like the triptans, I've tried quite a few (even Topomax). As an abortive for me, Fioricet works. I'm not looking for info on other remedies, but I will in a future post.

In your experience, how often can you take abortive migraine meds and avoid rebounds?

posted by Gordion Knott to Health & Fitness (3 answers total)

I've never had rebound headaches and I've been using Fioricet in a sporadic fashion for about 18 years. The only trouble is keeping it down if it is a really bad headache. I will sometimes go months without using it, then get a series of skull busters, so sporadic is: two months no use, 3 days in a row of taking a total of 6 a day, 4 months nothing, 6 days in a row of taking 2 a day.... If I can swing it, I pop two, eat a piece of cheese or bread (don't take them on an empty stomach) and go back to bed. One time I did try to exercise after, and I felt really strange.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:19 AM on February 6, 2009

According to the NYT article found as a reference on the Fioricet Wiki page, If you constantly use medicines with Bulbital, like fioricet, that this can cause rebound headaches.

I have struggled with migraines for about 9 years now. So far I try to take a prophylactic drug, and if that doesn't work, one lortab 10, and bed rest. What sucks is that it usually knocks me out for the day.

I haven't been prescribed Fioricet, so maybe that will help. I would just be careful when you are taking this to not take to much on a continual basis, but more like Secret Life of Gravy suggested above.
posted by snoelle at 7:13 AM on February 6, 2009

I was prescribed fiorinal at a very young age (14) and it was awful. I was getting 2-3 day-long migraines a week, and my doctor would have kept me on them, except I realised what was happening and got myself off them. There's a reason I haven't had a family doctor for 10 years- I stopped trusting him after finding out how addictive these were and contraindicated for youth. I got 3-4 hour long migraines every 3-6 months or so thereafter, until recently when I stopped taking hormonal birth control and have only had one in the last 12 months.

My mother took them for years after I stopped. I told her they were physically addictive and she didn't believe me. Until her coverage stopped paying for them, and *poof* her weekly migraine turned into a 'once in a while' one. I still don't think she sees the correlation.

Advice from my personal experience is "stay away", of course, YMMV.

In case you're interested, the only miracle drug I've found for my migraines in Axert. Works like a charm. If I don't have any, a couple T3s and a coffee is enough to get me through a few hours of torment.
posted by sunshinesky at 3:06 PM on February 6, 2009