• Those that are used for other illnesses and have headaches among their side effects. (An example is nitroglycerine, which is used in heart disease).
• Those that are intended to treat headaches but may be overused to the point that they produce rebound headaches. Rebound headaches often occur when a headache rescue medication is used more than twice a week on a regular basis. This is especially true with combination medications, such as the common over-the-counter headache remedies.

A good treatment plan needs to reduce the need for frequent interventions with these types of medications. The ideal situation involves using preventative medications to reduce the number of attacks.