Marijuana for Migraine?
April 30, 2008 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
With all the talk of using marijuana to manage chronic pain, how useful could it be to help manage migraines?
Migraine pain can be devastating and debilitating. Many migraineurs have tried anything and everything that can help relieve pain without finding relief. I find it particularly interesting, that I can find very little information about studies or anything on the use of medicinal marijuana in treating migraine. 
I was able to find a study published in the journal Headache in 1987 – we’re talking 21 years ago – that suggested there may be a role for marijuana in preventing migraines. More recently, in the journal Pain, an article reviewed the use of marijuana in the early 1900s for the relief of migraine pain.
At the beginning of that century, Sir William Osler, considered one of the fathers of modern medicine, said that marijuana was effective for both prevention of migraine, as well as for treatment. Yet, pot was declared an illegal substance in the United States in 1937, despite opposition from the American Medical Association.
In 1999, Dr. Ethan Russo, often considered a “pot pioneer,” made an application with the FDA to study the effects of pot on migraines. While finally approved (after many tries), the study still couldn’t go on because in February 2000, a supply of marijuana was refused.
Image: Newscom
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If you are interested in the topic of medicinal pot, I will be interviewing the author of a book on medicinal marijuana. We will also have, in the next few weeks, a copy of the book to give away.
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First Things First – thank God I haven’t touched that “stuff” for almost 19 years!
Secondly – from personal experience (look up “paraquat”), medicinal might be one thing but street marijuana NEVER helped any physical headache I had, only made them worse. Then… you get to experience all the “other” headaches that come with the “territory.”
My feelings would be that those “experts” are wrong.
Experts have nothing to do with it.
Testimonials from migraine sufferers should be the base criteria.
Why are you knocking pot? People love it.
It kills my girlfriend’s migraines almost instantly.
Pot is not a crime… criminalizing medicine is!
What about other countries where it’s not illegal? My first impulse would be to agree with Mark, but the hypothesis should be tested in a scientific environment rather than letting the gubbermint make a decision regardless of factual evidence. (On the other hand, why break with tradition?
Mark, do you think that if the pot was a controlled substance, meaning it was manufactured in such a way that we knew what was in it – with no extra “stuff” – that would change your mind?
Merry, your last line made me literally laugh out loud.
I haven’t touched “pot” in years and don’t plan to return to it, but it really is silly that it’s illegal. That being said I have to take a second to marvel at the fact that a blog post was made on the issue of medical marijuana and a comment argument hasn’t erupted yet!
***looks outside for snow in April***
Well Marijke… I don’t think I can really say
I would imagine that THC in a purer form, i.e., produced under strict guidelines, might have the same effect as what we smoked from off the street.
I still think, and again based on experience, that the better the quality, the heavier that “thumping” in the brain might be. Or, the lower the quality or… oh heck, no, I don’t think it would help but I’m simply one person with one experience.
I just remembered – we’d always search for a “higher” high. I.E. we moved from Vietnamese Red to Mexican to Hawaii Electric etc. etc. but the headaches always came, for me.
And now that I’ve romanced it, I’m going to a meeting – later!
I have friends who swear by marijuana for preventing and treating their migraines. It never made much of a difference for me.
Hey Joey – there was just a big snowfall in western Canada last week.
I myself have used marijuana for my migraines and pretty much 90% of the time it has worked fabulously. No residual leftover in the morning like I have with my migraine medicine and no rebound of the headache. It doesnt always work immediately but while I am sleeping it seems to do the trick.
Hi Kristina – do you have any trouble getting hold of it or are you in a state where it is possible?
Hi,
I unfortunately am not in a state where it is legal but I am able to get it quite easily through friends. More people use it more than one would think for various reasons. It is almost as common as alcohol and I and my friends are in the 35 and above range. The funny thing is my father, who is in his 70’s, read an article where it helped a man with MS and chronic headaches, and he recommended it to me. Never thought in my life my father would be telling me to smoke pot. LOL, but it worked and I dont use it very often just when the headaches get stuck in my head and my abortives dont work.
Krisitna
I dont know why it is not legal and belive it should be. It baffles me that cigarettes are legal and it kills people – My dad is one of its many victims. I am a hard working 9 to 5 american and instead of drinking a beer (Not knocking it)or smoking a cigarette I kick back and relax with a little smokums. I have suffered with migraines for years and every pill I ever took made me feel worse and sick in different ways with all the side effects- smoking however, has taken the pain away. I sleep better at night and I am in a better mood. I dont do it all the time, just once in a while and its awesome. I am healthy and happy and alot of other hard working americans would be too if the US of A would only make it legal. what a happier, calmer country this would be and it would help on other fronts too such as using it for developing gas, taking the power away from thugs and into the hands of american people, help sick people in physical pain, hey PETA would probably love if the fashion industry adopted it for making clothes instead of fur… Think of the money saved from growing something natural than making a pill in a lab… We dont hate tea that we drink why should be hate on this?? there are so many good things that come from this natural plant that God/mother earth gave to us… Make it legal and all you poeple who complain – try some clean good stuff again, froma good source or grow it yourself and try it one more time – then make your oppinion. Even if there are people who doesnt like it, I can understand- I strongly believe the majority of the population does it and loves it. Make it legal USA! Save the MJ save the USA!
I started getting Hemiplegic Migraines 2 years ago, and have tried EVERYTHING to no avail. After being told to prepare myself for Oxycotin I found a doctor who suggested I take just 1-2 hits of pot, I have NEVER done it before and never thought I would. But I have to say that it was gone within a couple of minutes both times I’ve tried it. I just started using and for now only use it for a rescue although I have heard of it being a good preventitive. I’m a recovering alcoholic so this is a slippery slope for me, but Oxycotin would be far worse. I had no life before I started this, I couldn’t work anymore and had to have help with my daughter, I would have bouts of paraylsis for hours at a time and the pain is just indiscribable. The last 2 years have been spent at least 80% in my bed. After pot I have my life back, I feel wonderful and no negitive effects. The only side effects I get are welcomed, my fear and anxiety go away (I’m a tightly wound person) I also get a sex drive (that has been a problem sence my hysterectomy 4 years ago) it treats not just the pain of my migraine but so far my one sided weakness, nausia (instant, before I exhale) I haven’t had paraylsis yet so I can’t say on that one but I can guarentee I was headed there last time, the signs were there. It was just a matter of time. I understand that some people this makes them worse, others no effect, but I know of a few that it has given them their life back and I’m one. This has changed my past views on pot completely, at least for medicinal use.
i have severe migraine attacks since i was 7 years old, i am now 21 years and i have tried hundreds of medicines that didnt give me enough hope to eliminate the pain. only 2 yrs ago i read an article about marijuana and its minimal side effects and its power to heal migraine, and guess what, now i only use marijuana to prevent and treat my pain. It doesnt only take away the pain but it gives me a happy and peaceful state of mind. the best prescription for migraine attacks is 2 small joints at day and 2 at night. only when i have migraine. As for the treatment i found that a joint everydays is enough to prevent migraine attacks.
Legalize the HERB
I am 35 and have suffered from migraines since age 5. They have lately gotten nearly daily. I quit smoking nearly 3 years ago, due to probation. When I used to smoke I had very few migraines. Now I have many. Since I am near the end of my probation and pretty well in the clear I have smoked some to see how it effects my daily migraines. Well, they went away. When I smoke I have no chronic daily migraine. I wonder, why can’t this be my medicine (I live in Illinois). Instead I am forced to take very strong medicine such as imitrex way more than I should, but without them I am literally disabled. Prescription drugs kill how many people a year? And what about tylenol, the #1 cause of liver failure in US now in case you didn’t know. So, after probation… They can keep all their $30 migraine pills, which add up to over $500 a month.
And, I’ll stick to my smoke again.
But, stay away from METH! It will steal your medicine away from you.