I often take painkillers (acetaminophen aka paracetamol), but I’ve noticed that it’s much more effective if I take them TOGETHER with my ADHD medication (ritalin aka methylphenidate) + my morning coffee. If I don’t take them AT the same time, the painkiller is far less effective.
I do not exceed the maximum dosage of painkiller (1gram per intake, mornings), but alone this would barely suffice to kill my morning headache.
My hypothesis is that since the LIVER has to convert all three, I am effectively overdosing on either substance (painkiller or ADHD meds), and damaging my liver in the process.
I know, but I’ve headaches since I was about 10 (now almost ~30), and the only causes for this that I can seriously come up with is: being sensitive af in general, which then leads to being (subconsciously) easily stressed, which then, results in headache. This happens during the day, but I also (more) frequently wake up with a headache for no reason. This even happens in the summer, when I’m not doing ANYthing (no school, university, work). I am generally perfectly healthy. I am hydrated, eat healthy, etc. I don’t exercise an awful lot, but when I do (for months), I barely notice any difference.
Being “sensitive” (whatever that means exactly) is the only weird but plausible explanation. Reading the other comments, though, like sleep apnea, I’m curious if that’s anything…
Migraines come during sleep like that, but if Paracetamol works no way is it a migraine. That stuff literally does nothing for any pain I’ve had, ever.
I agree with everyone here, this seems like a lifestyle thing - if your body is indeed sensitive to stress and relaxation, you are not doing it any favors with the paracetamol. Likely too stressed in day, too relaxed at night, the sudden change a trigger. Obviously you don’t want to fix that by being tense while asleep, so tackling the day stress responses make more sense. Do you exercise?
What happens if you just have either coffee or the Adderall in the morning, without the painkiller drug?
Not tested excessively, but quite sure it’s not relieving the headache whatsoever.
I do not exercise. Usually I cycle to uni about 40mins a day, 4 times a week. I’ve exercised more rigorously in the past, running each day, but the effect is not significant… So unfortunate. But exercise is quite wearisome
Have you seen a neurologist or headache specialist or only a GP? If there is a cause maybe it can be treated and you can find relief. I do get migraines, but not every day, not even every week. My other guess is allergies, but in any event, keep a good record of what you are doing and feeling, and bring the information to a doctor! I don’t think it’s wrong at all to post and ask though, you get more ideas and that will help.
Running doesn’t help me as much as a vigorous yoga class, the “flow” kind that is more athletic and movement based, then moves to static poses at the end. Or dancing, that works too. The cycling sounds like enough, honestly, anything that is regular and kind of exhausting, will relax your mind.
But did you talk about it with a medical trained person ? In the end its just a damaged nerve in your neck or sonething that can be easily fixed with proper care.
Another hypothesis is bruxism (teeth grinding). Some people have it during the day, others (like me) have it during sleep. Stress and anxiety makes it worse. I only discovered I had it because people heard me biting my teeth against each other while asleep. I went to a dentist, she made me a mouth guard that I use every night before going to sleep, and the morning headaches stopped since then.
Ok, follow up question. If you don’t take a painkiller in the morning, how does the headache progress?