How to Get Rid of Adderall Headache?

Adderall headaches are quite common; as a side effect they have an occurrence higher than 10%. In many cases, there is no instant threat related to an amphetamine-related headache. However chronic headaches, can vary from uncomfortable to debilitating.

Adderall is powerful psychostimulant. It is consisted of four amphetamine salts used for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. If you’re experiencing amphetamine-related headaches, you should speak with the physician that recommends the medication for you. You might likewise think about using prescription to amphetamine.

Hardly ever, amphetamine-related headaches are exceptionally serious. Look for immediate medical attention if your headache:

comes quickly and gets worse within seconds or minutes (thunderclap headache).
occurs with fever or stiff neck, accompanies a seizure, confusion, loss of awareness or personality changes.
begins quickly after laborious workout or injury.

is brand-new and co-occurs with weakness, impaired vision or numbness.

Types of Headaches

Here are the 4 major types of headaches:

Tension-type headache,

Migraine headache,
Chronic everyday headache,
Cluster headache.

Facts About Cluster Headaches

One study suggests that stimulant-induced headaches include noradrenaline (likewise referred to as norepinephrine). Amphetamines increase the activity of both dopamine and norepinephrine. The research study authors include that:

Information verified by the iythealth.com team.

Clonidine substantially reduced headache intensity at 90 days in the typical migraine group.
Clonidine is an α2 adrenergic agonist that treats both migraines and high blood pressure.

Why Does Adderall Cause Headaches?

What causes these types of headaches? There are a few possibilities to think about.

Amphetamine-Related Hypertension

Adderall is a sympathomimetic, which means that it activates the part of the nerve system associated with fight-or-flight responses.

For that reason, Adderall has the tendency to increase heart rate, systolic blood pressure and other cardiovascular criteria (like heart contractility).

Psychostimulants like Adderall can cause a headache by inducing systolic hypertension (teenagers 7% to 35%; dosage associated; short-term).

Cerebral Vasoconstriction

Another cause of amphetamine-related headaches is cerebral vasoconstriction. Considering that Adderall generates the release of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, it tends to cause vasoconstriction (narrowing of capillary).

Cerebral vasoconstriction (narrowing of capillary in the brain) might cause a headache. Paradoxically, some types of headaches like migraines are actually eliminated by cerebral vasoconstriction. For this reason, caffeine is a component in lots of over-the-counter headache medications.

Electrolyte Disturbances & Pseudotumor Cerebri

Chronic Adderall use can lead to clinically significant electrolyte disturbances. Amphetamines, in addition to other psychostimulants, are powerful diuretics.

Adderall may diminish certain solutes, consisting of magnesium, sodium and potassium. Hyponatremia (low sodium) or hypokalemia (low potassium) can cause headaches by interrupting the osmotic balance in the brain.

When extracellular salt concentrations fall, water diffuses into neurons (brain cells), triggering them to swell. This may cause total brain volume to briefly increase and increase pressure in the cranial vault, resulting pseudotumor cerebri.

Magnesium Deficiency

Adderall’s diuretic activity can result in excretion of magnesium. Under physiologic conditions, the divalent cation magnesium occludes the pore of the N-methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (NMDAR), avoiding calcium increase unless a depolarization occasion presses the ion far from the channel.

For this reason, magnesium acts like a weak endogenous NMDAR villain and has been administered intravenously in emergency circumstance to assist protect the brain against injury. For that reason, magnesium may help moisten extreme neural activity, alleviate anxiety and reduce the frequency and seriousness of headaches.

Related article: Best Magnesium Supplement for 2024.

Rebound Headaches

Particular kinds of headaches are in fact relieved by vasoconstriction (narrowing of capillary), and intensified by vasodilation. Recall that Adderall has the tendency to induce vasoconstriction by means of activation of the understanding nervous system.

This is called the “extracranial vascular theory of migraine.” Vasodilation outside the intracranial vasculature, in particular the extracranial terminal branches of the external carotid artery are significant sources of pain in migraine.

After using Adderall (e.g., during inter-dose withdrawal), the circulatory system may overcompensate triggering capillary to dilate which might add to headache pain.

Stress and Neck Tension

Neck stress and stress are thought to be contributory to headaches. Adderall boosts focus by augmenting the activity of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain.

Dopamine is also involved in the policy of motion and muscle activity. Hence, excessive dopaminergic signaling may increase muscle rigidness, which can cause stress in your neck and shoulders, providing you a headache.

These tips are anecdotal, and not always evidence-based. Supplements that seem to relieve amphetamine-related head pain:

Cacao— dilates capillary and safeguards the brain from insult and injury.

Melatonin— operates at night by moistening the impact of catecholamines.
L-theanine– promotes a subtle sense of relaxation.
Rhodiola Rosea– reverses the negative impacts of chronic stress.

Ashwagandha– adaptogenic herb that works likewise to Rhodiola Rosea.
Lavender – has actually been understood to reduce anxiety and promote a state of relaxation.
Vitamin C— may help promote the clearance of Adderall.

Phenibut– this is not the best method long-term, however it works.

How to Get Rid of Adderall Headache?

What treatment methods are available to treat amphetamine headaches? Consider the following lifestyle recommendations:

Find out how to better handle the amphetamine crash; this can indirectly eliminate headaches.

Practice relaxing your posture and lowering neck strain given that Adderall may cause muscular rigidity.
Replenish electrolytes with Gatorade or another beverage that is isotonic to blood.
Manage Adderall associated hypertension. Limiting intake of sodium, cholesterol, and trans-fats, supplementing potassium, and preparing food yourself are a few methods to assist ease hypertension. Niacin (vitamin B3) also dilates capillary and might reduce hypertension.

Take breaks, keep excellent sleep hygiene and workout a number of times a week.
Stopped cigarette smoking and restrict caffeine consumption. Co-administration of psychostimulants (e.g., caffeine + Adderall) will intensify side effects like headache.
Practice relaxation techniques (body massage), which can ease muscle tension, a cause of Adderall headaches.

Medications That Relieve Headaches

The medication with a beneficial cost-benefit ratio for the treatment of Adderall headaches is the beta-blocker propranolol. Propranolol blocks beta-adrenergic receptors, which can eliminate Adderall-induced hypertension and promotes pain relief. Propranolol’s beta receptor blockade offsets a lot of the unhealthy results of Adderall on the cardiovascular system.
Stop pain with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), consisting of aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen. NSAIDS may particularly secure the brain from the possibly hazardous impacts of Adderall.
Excedrin (acetominophen-aspirin-caffeine) is used as an abortive treatment for headaches, however exercise caution since caffeine is a psychostimulant and can exacerbate the adverse impacts of Adderall.

Antidepressants, including tricyclics (TCAs) and selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to avoid frequent tension-type headaches. Significant interactions exist in between Adderall and antidepressants, nevertheless, so tread thoroughly.
Inhalation of 100% oxygen through a face mask (reliable for cluster headaches).
Triptans, calcium channel blockers and glucocorticoids (Prednisone) are effective preventive treatments, though they might be contraindicated by Adderall use.

Related article: Best and Strongest Painkillers.

When You Should See a Doctor Right Away

Treating these problems by yourself requires a specific level of risk, as nobody outside the medical neighborhood is generally versed enough in the research to understand the real threats and benefits of making changes to an Adderall prescription.

If migraines or headaches choose not to go away for a prolonged period of time, then look for medical help. In addition, discover a doctor if experiencing hallucinations, muscle twitches, increased high blood pressure, seizures, or chest pain.