MONDAY, March 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) – If you decide to try a pot for migraine relief, new research suggests you may be asking for problems.
In fact, marijuana use has been linked to headaches that can occur when pain relievers are overused, scientists found.
“This study shows that there is an association between cannabis use and headache associated with overuse of drugs in people with chronic migraines. However, it is currently unclear whether patients use cannabis to treat headaches associated with overuse of drugs or whether cannabis helps develop Headache from overuse of drugs or both, “said lead researcher Dr. Niushen Zhang. She is a clinical assistant professor of neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine in California.
Many people with chronic migraines self-medicate with marijuana, and some evidence shows that marijuana can help relieve other types of chronic pain, Zhang said.
“We found that people with chronic migraines who used cannabis were six times more likely to have headaches with overuse of drugs, commonly known as ‘rebound headaches,’ than people with chronic migraines who did not use cannabis,” she said .
Zhang’s team examined the medical records of 368 people who had chronic migraines for at least a year. Chronic migraine is 15 or more headache days per month. Among these patients, 150 used pot.
Of those in the study, 212 patients had headaches from overuse of drugs. The researchers found that people who use pot have this headache more often than those who don’t. People who used opioids were also more likely to use pot.
Previous research has shown that both opioids and marijuana can affect the part of the brain that has been linked to migraines.
Dr. Robert Duarte, director of the Northwell Health Pain Center in Great Neck, New York, examined the study and said rebound headaches could be a problem when patients use pot to treat migraines.
“We can’t really draw any real conclusions at this point,” he said, but cannabis works for migraine-related ailments such as insomnia and anxiety.
continuation
However, Duarte said cannabis shouldn’t be the first drug tried to control migraines. “You still want to try the standard drugs that are out there. There are so many new, good, and effective drugs – these should clearly be the first treatments,” he said.
It’s also not known whether marijuana can cause a bad response to these new drugs, Duarte said.
“If you are using marijuana, it is best to use it under the guidance of a doctor who is certified for this treatment,” he said. “Lots of patients use it off the road. Recreational cannabis is clearly not recommended, but I hear stories from patients who tell me it helps calm them down and improve sleep.”
But if a patient develops rebound headaches related to cannabis, it’s best to stop using it, Duarte said.
“Try stopping it and see if that headache goes away,” he recommended. “It can take a while because cannabis stays in your system for a while. So it can take a few weeks or more for you to feel better after you stop using marijuana.”
The results will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual virtual meeting April 17-22. Such research is deemed preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
For more information on migraines, visit the National Headache Foundation.
SOURCES: Dr. med. Niushen Zhang, Assistant Clinical Professor, Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, California; Robert Duarte, MD, director, Northwell Health Pain Center, Great Neck, NY; American Academy of Neurology virtual meeting April 17-22, 2021
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