When you're living with RA pain, you may be more likely to suffer from pounding headaches as well. Here's how to get relief from both conditions.

If you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and experience frequent headaches, you're not alone. According to one report, about 61 percent of people with severe headaches or migraines also have chronic pain conditions, including RA.

Rheumatologist Eric Ruderman, MD, a professor of medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago notes, “We don’t really think about a headache link,” with RA. He does acknowledge, though, that people with RA who have involvement of the cervical spine — the neck region — may have headaches related to RA.

Perhaps the more pressing problem faced by people with rheumatoid arthritis is how to manage headache pain, should it occur. Depending on your RA treatment plan, you could already be taking what seems like a small pharmacy of medications. It is important to make sure that you avoid interactions between the medications you take for RA and anything you want to take for a headache.

“If you start popping aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen on top of a prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, you are overdoing it,” warns Dr. Ruderman. These medications can interact with each other and cause side effects that harm the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. He advises sticking with acetaminophen for your average headache.

Managing Headaches and RA

Here are some other tips for responding to a headache:

• Question your RA treatment. If you’ve taken Tylenol several days in a row and your headache is sticking around, you might want to talk to your rheumatologist to make sure that it’s not a side effect of your treatment or a new symptom (especially if you suspect that your shoulders or neck might be affected by rheumatoid arthritis).
• Consider your stress level. One possible reason that people with complicated health problems like RA also have headaches is stress. Stress management techniques, including appropriate exercise, deep breathing, or meditation, can help cut back on headaches as well.
• Stay hydrated. Independent of RA, you can get headaches if you don’t drink enough fluids during the day. You probably know how important it is to care for yourself, but even the most dedicated patient can forget to drink water when life gets busy.
• Get enough sleep. People who don't get high-quality sleep may also experience more headaches. Because RA pain can interfere with sleep, it may also contribute to headache pain. If you are having a hard time sleeping, let your doctor know. Likewise, any caffeine you may be relying on to get over fatigue can also contribute to headaches.
• Avoid cigarette smoke. For some people, smoking and being around secondhand smoke can trigger headaches — yet one more reason to avoid cigarettes and secondhand smoke exposure!

Rheumatoid arthritis can be tough enough at times — you certainly do not need headache pain on top of everything else you are managing. If your headaches interfere with your quality of life and are not responding to acetaminophen, it’s time to talk to your doctor.