"Cannabis and Migrains"

A migraine is a primary headache disorder characterized by recurrent headaches that are moderate to severe.

Typically, the headaches affect one half of the head, are pulsating in nature, and last from a few hours to 3 days.

Associated symptoms may include nausea,vomiting & sensitivity to light,sound or smell.

A surprising fact is that cannabis and tinctures have been used to treat headaches and migraines for hundreds and possibly even thousands of years.

Some of the prevailing theories about how cannabis can help with migraines and headaches have to do with its potent and proven properties as an analgesic (pain reliever), and antiemetic (preventing nausea and vomiting), and due to its powerful anti-inflammatory effects.

The good news is that studies centering around the effects on headaches and migraines have shown a lot of promise and it may be just the solution you’ve been searching for.

How Do Migraines Work?

Migraines are one of the most studied physical phenomena. Scientists study migraines to find effective and reliable therapies to reduce the intense and recurring pain and debilitation that those who experience migraines suffer from.

The current prevailing consensus about what causes migraines is that it is a result of over-stimulation to your sensory nerves. As this overstimulation occurs, there is a greater amount of inflammatory agents released, which contributes to more overstimulation – basically, the process continues until a full-blown migraine occurs.

It often feels like an intense pain that throbs or pulsates in one side of the head. The pain is disruptive and oftentimes completely crippling – resulting in nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.

Migraines are sometimes set off by triggers including stress, changes in sleeping patterns, hormones, or environmental/sensory cues like flashing lights. Many people can predict when their migraine is about to occur thanks to a so-called “aura” that can appear as flashing lights, zig-zag lines in their vision, or even temporary loss of vision altogether.

Anandamide: The Missing Link

The EndoCannabinoid System (ECS) is our bodies’ largest system that controls your homeostasis or the balance of the body. The ECS has been shown to play a contributing factor in everything from pain to appetite.
This brings us to Anandamide, which is one of your body’s most valuable EndoCannabinoids.

In 2006, a groundbreaking study found that regular migraine sufferers had below average levels of anandamide and this has led some researchers to believe migraines are caused by an endocannabinoid system deficiency.

Dr. Ethan Russo is one of the foremost has been using this evidence along with other studies to further his “Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency” theory.The theory states that a lack of natural endocannabinoids can cause an array of health problems, including migraines and fibromyalgia.

What Studies Say...

-A 2018 study looked at 2,032 people with migraine, headache, arthritis, or chronic pain as a primary symptom or illness. Researchers tryed to identify patterns of cannabis treatment in migraine and headache, as compared to arthritis and chronic pain, and to analyze preferred cannabis strains, biochemical profiles, and prescription medication substitutions with cannabis.

Of 2032 patients, 21 illnesses were treated with cannabis.Pain syndromes accounted for 42,2% overall.Chronic pain 29.4%, arthritis 9.3%, and headache 3.7%.

Across all 21 illnesses, headache was a symptom treated with cannabis in 24.9%. These patients were given the ID Migraine™ questionnaire, with 68% giving 3 “Yes” responses, 20%, giving 2 “Yes” responses (97% and 93% probability of migraine, respectively). Therefore, 88% of headache patients were treating probable migraine with cannabis.

Hybrid strains were most preferred across all pain subtypes, with “OG Shark” the most preferred strain in the ID Migraine™ and headache groups.

Many patients substituted prescription medications with cannabis (41.2–59.5%), most commonly opiates/opioids (40.5–72.8%).Prescription substitution in headache patients included opiates/opioids (43.4%), anti-depressant/anti-anxiety (39%), NSAIDs (21%), triptans (8.1%), anti-convulsants (7.7%), muscle relaxers (7%), ergots (0.4%).

-In 2017, a  review examines the historical guidelines for cannabis treatment of headache,the available clinical data on the use of cannabis for headache, and preclinical literature on the role of the endocannabinoid system in headache pathophysiology.

Researchers on this review concluded that  although clinical trials are still needed to appropriately determine efficacy, it appears likely that cannabis will emerge as a potential treatment for some headache sufferers.

-In 2016, a study wich published in Pharmacotherapy concluded that patients using cannabis for migraine  reported a statistically significant decrease in the number of migraine per month. Almost all patients used cannabis daily for migraine prevention.

Inhaled forms were commonly used for acute migraine treatment and were reported to abort migraine. Overall, more positive than negative effects were reported with medical cannabis use.

Edible cannabis was reported to cause more negative effects compared with other forms.

-Finally in 2012, the aim of a study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of nabilone in reducing pain and frequency of headache, the number of analgesic intake and in increasing the quality of life on patients with long-standing intractable Medication Overuse Headache(MOH). 

30 patients were enrolled at the University of Modena’s Interdepartmental Centre for Research on Headache and Drug Abuse, in a randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, crossover study comparing nabilone 0.5 mg/day and ibuprofen 400 mg.

Nabilone was more effective than ibuprofen in reducing pain intensity and daily analgesic intake and was the only drug able to reduce the level of medication dependence (−41%) and to improve the quality of life.

Conclusion...

Although cannabinoids have been used as painkillers for centuries, there is little evidence-based information available on their use. At low doses, they have few psychotropic side effects, which disappear rapidly in patients with chronic headache.At daily doses, medical cannabis would appear beneficial for patients suffering from migrains in reducing the intensity of pain and the analgesic intake and appeared to be significantly more efficacious than ibuprofen.

Of course starting any new treatment regimen for migraines could have risks. If you think to try CBD or medical marijuana for your migrains or headaches, is something you should discuss with your doctor first.