What do you do when prescription medication is not giving you the quick and effective migraine relief you desperately need? According to a new study, you may want to try smoking cannabis.
A study from Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science at the University of Colorado examined the effects of inhaled and ingested cannabis on 121 adults suffering from migraines. The purpose of the study was to observe and describe the effects of medical cannabis on the monthly frequency of migraines.
The participants were studied from January 2010 and September 2014 and 103 of the 121 patients said they had fewer migraines after they began using cannabis; that’s about 85 percent of the participants. Those who said they experienced an improvement, noted their migraines decreased from 10.4 headaches per month to 4.6, on average.
About 19.8 percent of the participants reported that the cannabis was able to help prevent migraine headaches and another 11.6 percent reported that the cannabis stopped the headaches altogether.
According to the study, inhalation methods provided faster relief and were more probable to stop the onset of migraine symptoms. Unfortunately, edible cannabis wasn’t the ideal remedy because it took longer for the effects to kick in and provide relief. Plus, patients reported that the side effects included sleepiness and an intense psychoactive response.
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Related Story: Science: Why More Marijuana May Equal Fewer Migraines
From intense throbbing to nausea, to light and sound sensitivity, the symptoms of migraines, for lack of a better word, suck. They can last anywhere from four and 72 hours and the symptoms seem to worsen with any physical or mental effort. While pain-relieving medications have been readily available for quite some time, they don’t always work for the three million people who suffer from migraines.
So the next time you experience pounding, pulsing, pain, smoking cannabis might provide the immediate relief you need.
