Brief Answer:
Medication overuse syndrome as a PROMULGATOR

Detailed Answer:
Good evening. I'm sorry to hear that you're having such problems with ongoing headaches for the past few weeks and a stiff neck. It certainly doesn't appear that a good solid of antibiotic round solved your problem and if you've been to the Urgent Care Center I'm certain they've already considered and discarded the possibility of a meningitis.

One thing that must be pointed out right away is a very COMMON but POORLY UNDERSTOOD phenomenon referred to as MEDICATION OVERUSE SYNDROME. A more antiquated name for this is ANALGESIC REBOUND or MEDICATION REBOUND HEADACHE. Now, we simply refer to headaches as MEDICATION OVERUSE because that is what we believe is generating a good percentage of the headaches that don't seem to be responding to any treatment....that is to say, your regimen of constant and alternating use of ibuprofen every 4-6 hrs with acetaminophen is just far too too much and though you may not right away understand or even believe that this regimen could cause any of the headaches you are experiencing then, let me tell you that headache experts agree on a MAXIMUM amount of OVER THE COUNTER medications (and even prescription medications) that should be used in terms of headache treatment...is NO MORE THAN 10-15 DOSES OF analgesics for headaches PER MONTH....not per week...certainly not per day.......but PER MONTH! You are far exceeding those limits from what you have written and therefore, 1 very large risk factor you have for your ONGOING problems rallies around this phenomenon of MEDICATION OVERUSE SYNDROME. I am very sensitive to the fact that your headaches started before with a low grade fever and some neck stiffness BEFORE you started taking all this medication. And I'm only aware of the fact that it was not you but the ER/URGENT CARE docs who recommended this regimen.....not something headache experts such as myself would necessarily want to see you do for the reasons I explained above. Also, IBUPROFEN has a well known TOXIC EFFECT on the stomach lining and so if you are taking it that frequently then, I can understand why eating is accompanied by some regurgitation effects with phlegm/mucus, etc.

The only treatment I have ever found that really and truly works for headaches that are propagated in the fact of so much analgesic is TO STOP THE OFFENDING MEDICATIONS IMMEDIATELY and allow the body to wash out of the plethora of chemicals and the interactions that are being forced on your system by these reactions that are continually going on without much benefit to describe.

I am also wondering if the BP medication you are taking could be contributing to your headaches (especially if this is a new medication you may have started any time within the last 4-6 weeks and perhaps shortly before these miserable headaches actually started. The class of medication that this medication represents is well known for HEADACHES as a common side effect. Here are a list of the most common side effects of the blood pressure medication:

runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, cough;
back pain;
joint pain;
stomach pain, diarrhea;
headache, dizziness; or.
tired feeling

If you go through this list carefully I believe you will see why the Urgent Care center thought you might have some type of respiratory infection (runny/stuffy nose, sore throat, cough). You have choking and coughing up with eating (stomach pain), HEADACHE--- well there that is, and feeling "mostly tired (i.e. tired feeling).

In my opinion, if these headaches are only brand new to you for the past few weeks and so is the medication Candesartan (maybe a few weeks or even a few months older than the symptoms) then, I believe there is more than compelling evidence to ask for a change of medication.....and PLEASE.....not to just a different medication in the same class.....make sure they give you completely outside the class from where candesartan comes...otherwise, there is clearly a chance the same thing could be repeated.

And definitely, STOP TAKING ALL THAT OTC ANALGESIC...it's really very bad for your blood chemistries, your liver, and your kidneys...among other organs.....the treatment for these headaches must be directed at the cause which very well may be medication related. Please talk to your doctor right away about the chance that this medication could be the culprit. I see this medication and others from the same class of ACE INHIBITORS as being one of the most commonly offensive drugs to precipitate NEW DAILY HEADACHES or to exacerbate headaches already at baseline to cause near migraine episodes.

But please do not just COLD TURKEY that medication at this time. You must speak to your doctor and share with him the rationale I've provided and allow him the opportunity to recommend a way to slowly cut back on that medication to see what happens to the headaches. Stop the ibuprofen and the acetaminophen.....for certain...
Do not forget to contact me in the future for anything.

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