We inform women about how to use cannabis instead of medical drugs, which sometimes have very unpleasant side effects. This time: cannabis and migraines.
Two million Dutch people suffer from migraine, the majority of whom are women. Drinking more water, ibuprofen, acupuncture, sports, medicine, mindfulness, a piercing through your earlobe or even a can of Coke: anyone who (sometimes) suffers from migraine probably knows the tips. But drugs often come with side effects, and recommend Coke (especially for children)? Nah, family.
What is Migraine?
Migraine is a neurological disorder and can cause multiple symptoms: intense headache, nausea, vomiting, difficulty speaking, and light and sound tolerance, or even facial paralysis that can make a migraine attack feel like a heart attack. Migraines often run in families.
What causes migraines?
There are usually several causes. It may be due to an imbalance in serotonin levels, inflammation may be the culprit, there may be a link between that inflammation and certain nerve pathways, which makes you feel the pain more intensely, or estrogen plays a role.
Migraines in women
If you hear more often from your friends that they are flattened by migraines, and not so often from your friends, it is not surprising. Women and people with a uterus are three times more likely to suffer from the headache type than men. The reason? Estrogen. This hormone is a major factor in migraine attacks.
In women, migraine usually manifests itself in episodes: at certain points in the cycle the headache looms and then disappears for a while. If you have an autoimmune disease, it can also trigger migraines.
Cannabis and Migraines
It is important to first know what your migraine triggers are: is it your hormones, is it bright light, is it something else? One type of migraine is not the other. And for one strain, a certain strain of cannabis may work, but it doesn't have to be. Cannabis (THC and CBD) has an anti-inflammatory effect, a property that can make all the difference in migraine. If the migraine is stress-related, CBD and THC also work well because cannabis calms the nervous system and helps to restore your natural balance (homeostasis). Cannabis can also help reduce seizures.
CBD and Migraines
CBD is a natural anti-inflammatory. If you take CBD regularly and preventively, this will help attenuate your migraines. Are you having an acute attack? Then extra cannabis in the form of the right kind of weed (THC) can help take the sharp edges of the migraine. Do you normally lie down for three days after a migraine attack? Then preventive CBD use can ensure that you only need 6-7 hours to recover.
inhale
Smoking cannabis when you have a migraine is a mini massage for your head. Give it a try! You can smoke both CBD weed and 'regular' weed, and that usually contains a lot of THC. You get high from THC weed, but not from CBD. Inhalation is the best method of ingesting cannabis for acute migraines. It works very quickly that way, and you absorb a lot into your bloodstream.
Bonus Tips
– Experiment: everyone reacts differently to CBD and THC. Maybe you go really well on CBD weed or you just need THC. Test different types of weed, such as indica and sativa strains. For migraines, we recommend CBD strains such as Harlequin or Pineapple Haze, White Widow and Headband.
– Be mindful: using too much CBD does not happen quickly, but using too much weed (THC)
yes, and that can actually make the headache worse. Stick to small doses, three to 5 puffs of a joint or vape is enough.
– Keep a migraine journal: Keep track of exactly what you take and how you react to it.
– Take CBD daily: Start on time with CBD: take CBD preventively and daily, if you are just starting it is recommended to take the drops for at least 21 days in a row so that your body can get used to the CBD.
– Find your favorite consumption method: vaping and smoking has the fastest effect. Drops under the tongue work after about twenty minutes. If you use a vaporizer and can set the temperature yourself, set it to 390 degrees.