With Medical Marijuana, migraine frequency dropped from 10.4 to 4.6 headaches per month.
Rhyne, Danielle N., et al.
Effects of medical marijuana on migraine headache frequency in an adult population.
Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy 36.5 (2016): 505-510
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/phar.1673/abstract
- Recent study found evidence of endocannabinoid failure in chronic headaches:
Sarchielli P, Pini LA, Coppola F, et al.
Endocannabinoids in chronic migraine: CSF findings suggest a system failure.
Neuropsychopharmacology 2007;32:1384–90. - Present study refers to 5 case study where cannabinoids found helpful:
Mikuriya TH.
Chronic migraine headache: Five cases successfully treated with marinol and/or illicit cannabis. 1991.
http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/migrn1.htm - Results are not very elegant but here they are:
- Side effects include:
Comment –
- Here, Marijauna goes for $7-10/gram. One could use 1 gm/day vaporized to 3 gm/day orally. This could be expensive and our Bible Belt province will not cover it even for palliative care patients.
- update:
Cuttler, Carrie, et al. “Short-and long-term effects of cannabis on headache and migraine.” The Journal of Pain 21.5-6 (2020): 722-730.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S152659001930848X
– inhaled cannabis can cut headaches 50%
– “effectiveness appears to diminish across time and patients appear to use larger doses across time, suggesting tolerance to these effects may develop with continued use.”
I will add it to my list of measures for hopeless cases not responding to meds- which includes;
- Ketamine shots:
INTRAMUSCULAR (IM) KETAMINE FOR TREATING MIGRAINE AND NEUROPATHIC PAIN IN THE CLINIC
J. Krusz et al
online poster at: http://www.anodyneheadachepain.com/Research/APS4.pdf - Repeated nerve blocks:
Quick Fix For Headaches – Repeated Nerve Supraorbital, Infraorbital, and Occipital Nerve Blocks – and What To Do For The Very Bad
http://painmuse.org/?p=288 - Botox:
Chronic Migraines – Botulinum Helps. http://painmuse.org/?p=1502
botox into facet joints helps as well - Working neck muscles and joints.
Neck Pains From Atlanto-Occipital Joints
http://painmuse.org/?p=4423Simple Neck Treatment For Headaches
http://painmuse.org/?p=4103
needling lower trapezius for one sided headaches:
http://painmuse.org/?p=4301
I also use an activator front and back to loosen joints - I have recently made up 15% mannitol and 5% lidocaine HCL in alcohol hand sanitizer with some topical relief to localized point occipital nerve pain and frontalis area pains
- I teach patients with a headache to put and press:
– put thumbs immediately in front of ears just above jaw joint (open and close mouth to tell
– have fingers meet at back skull on occipital ridge
-after 6 minutes of pressing 50-100% headaches will remit;
Finger pressure can relieve many migraine headaches.
http://painmuse.org/?p=43 - Stopping opioids is ideal because up to 1/2 of chronic headaches will improve but not feasible in some of my patients.