Headaches in the Hospital

Headaches: a variety of causes and a variety of treatments
For some reason this morning I feel inclined to say a few words about headaches in the hospital.  Over the years, I have seen many patients dealing with headaches in the hospital.  A patient might come to the hospital because of a severe headache, and it can be very serious. Other times, a headache is one of several symptoms related to a high blood sugar level, infection, or other condition. Treatment for headaches vary depending somewhat on the cause. Treatment might be as simply as starting hydrating IV fluids and insulin for high blood sugar, and range to narcotics for a headache caused by meningitis. But there is one type of headache that I often see treated in a manner that I consider to be overly aggressive, and that is the headache I want to talk about here.
The NPO Headache - otherwise known as caffeine withdrawal
When patient are admitted to the hospital, they are often made NPO, which means they aren't allowed to have anything to drink or drink - "nothing by mouth" we say.  Patient who are used to drinking coffee first thing in the morning, or tea throughout the day, or Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, or other drinks that contain caffeine are likely going to experience caffeine withdrawal, which usually incudes a throbbing headache. Some patients who don't necessarily drink anything that contains caffeine, might also have a headache from sugar withdrawal.
Treating a caffeine-withdrawal headache
If a patient has a headache in the hospital, they might want to ask themselves if it could simply be a caffeine-withdrawal headache.  I have seen patients receive IV morphine or oral narcotics for such headaches, when Ibuprofen or Tylenol would likely be effective. Those headaches can be pretty painful, but fortunately, they don't last more than a day or so. If someone is going into the hospital for surgery, it would be a good idea to go off the caffeine before surgery and avoid the withdrawal headache.  There is a way I have found to prevent them, and it has worked well for me.
Preventing a caffeine-withdrawal headache

• On the first no-caffeine day, drink more water than usual to help flush your system
• That night, before you go to bed, take two Ibuprofen (200mg. each) (I happen to prefer Ibuprofen over Tylenol, but it's just a personal preference)
• Upon waking the next morning, take two more Ibuprofen
• If you start to feel even a hint of a headache as the day progresses, take two more Ibuprofen

I have found that this will prevent a caffeine-withdrawal headache for me. My headache never starts until the second no-caffeine day.  If you know yours start earlier, then you can take the headache remedy sooner, before your headache would usually start.  We are all different, so it might not work for everyone, but this is the process I would use if I knew I had surgery coming up and would be NPO for a period of a day or more. (I've also done this a number of times when I have sworn off those darn colas!)
NOTE: I am certainly not a medical doctor, so I can only say that the process I follow is safe for me.