Migraine and headache sufferers commonly turn to marijuana for relief. But it could also bring them on or make them worse. Thankfully, there are methods for alleviating and avoiding future marijuana problems.
Why Do I Get Headaches When I Use Marijuana?
Both intoxication and withdrawal from marijuana can result in headaches. It’s also possible that the strain of medical cannabis you use affects whether or not you have headaches.
Effects of Smoking Too Much Cannabis
In the morning after consuming alcohol or marijuana, you may feel the effects of a hangover. A headache is a common symptom of a cannabis hangover. Similar to how alcohol may mask the effects of dehydration, water can help relieve headaches caused by the latter.
Cannabis Dependence and Withdrawal
Intense or long-term marijuana usage can lead to a moderate type of withdrawal, frequently referred to as Medical Cannabis withdrawal syndrome, if the user suddenly stops using marijuana. Migraines and other forms of head pain are a common symptom of withdrawal. Headaches were experienced by 23% of patients in research who were going through Medical Cannabis withdrawal.
Headaches associated with medical marijuana withdrawal tend to peak in the first week after quitting, and then gradually subside over the next 10–20 days.
Rebound headaches, often known as “medication overuse headaches,” can occur in persons who use Medical Cannabis to treat headaches and migraines then suddenly stop doing so.
Possible Headache-Causing Strains of Medical Cannabis
Consumption of THC-rich goods might trigger short-term headaches and migraines. Hashish and concentrates are two common kinds of this.
A common side effect of smoking medical marijuana is a hacking cough caused by the ash left behind. Ash inhalation and coughing both have the potential to bring on a headache. Some people may experience a worsening of sinus headaches when they smoke or vape.
Although it’s not very frequent, some people who use CBD products report getting headaches.
Cannabis-Induced Hangovers Vs. Those Caused by Alcohol
When waking up with a cannabis hangover, you could feel:
- Negative effects on mental acuity, including
- You could also feel sick to your stomach, have trouble remembering things, have a headache, and have dry eyes and a dry mouth.
- Alcoholic hangover symptoms are generally the same as those of a drug hangover. Alcohol hangover symptoms include severe nausea and vomiting, dehydration, headaches, impaired memory, problems focusing, anxiety, and light-headedness.
- Although both alcohol and cannabis can cause hangover-like symptoms, their physiological effects are distinct. The effects of a marijuana hangover are often less severe and easier to bear than those of an alcoholic one. Medical cannabis is not a poison, and neither are the effects of an alcohol hangover on the liver.
Symptoms
Depending on the nature of your headache, the symptoms of a Medical Cannabis headache may manifest differently. Keep in mind that a hangover or Medical Cannabis withdrawal can both produce headaches.
Acute Cluster Headache
Medical Some people have cluster headaches when they use cannabis. These headaches typically occur on one side of the head, near one eye.
Cluster Headaches
The medical marijuana treatment has been linked to either exacerbating or triggering migraine attacks. Migraine symptoms can include discomfort, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and even momentary loss of vision.
Sinus-Related Headache
Sinus headaches are another potential side effect of using medical marijuana by smoking or vaping. Pressure around the eyes, cheekbones, and forehead is a common symptom of these.
How to Alleviate a Marijuana-Induced Headache
When marijuana usage results in headaches, there are a few options available. In the end, a solution that helps one individual may not help another. Treatments from more than one of the following categories may be necessary in some cases.
It’s important to drink water.
Dehydration is associated with headaches, even if Medical Cannabis doesn’t cause it directly. If you have a headache, drinking a few glasses of water may help ease the pain.
Medications available over-the-counter can help alleviate headache pain. Aspirin, paracetamol, and ibuprofen are examples of them. If you decide to utilise medicine, it is crucial that you adhere to the recommended dosage and get advice from a medical practitioner if you have any questions.
Try Some Thing
If you use medical marijuana and wake up with a hangover, it’s extremely crucial to eat something. Breakfast should consist of complex carbs, lean protein, and a healthy fat.
Caffeine
If you’re suffering from a headache, try drinking some coffee. However, some people find that coffee makes their headaches even worse, so moderation is key.
Use a Cold Compress and Massage Technique
Headache discomfort can be relieved by massaging your head and temples. Placing a cold compress on your head might be helpful as well.
Prevention
You may easily avoid Medical Cannabis-related headaches by not using it. However, if you want to keep taking Medical Cannabis, there are steps you may do to lessen the likelihood of these side effects occuring.
You may reduce your risk of experiencing unwanted side effects from taking medical cannabis by doing the following:
- Select less potent strains: Selecting medical cannabis strains with a lower THC content or utilising products with an optimal ratio of THC to CBD may be useful for avoiding headaches.
- Alter your usage: Since smoking and coughing are both known to contribute to the development of a cannabis hangover, opting for a route of administration other than smoking Medical Cannabis may be helpful.
- If you find that taking medical cannabis regularly is giving you headaches, you may want to try reducing your dosage or the frequency of your doses. Do not use medical cannabis daily or even frequently.
- Drink plenty of water. Hydration can help avoid headaches and ease those that have already started. Water should be consumed before, during, and after Medical Cannabis use.
- Do not combine alcohol with medical cannabis. Both a hangover and a headache can be avoided in this way.
Summing Up
Some patients use medical cannabis to alleviate headaches and migraines, but for others, the day after using cannabis, they get headaches because they were coughing up Cannabis ash, they were experiencing withdrawal from chronic or heavy usage, or they were just plain drunk.
Drinking water, eating food, massaging your temples, placing a cold compress on your head, and, if necessary, using an over-the-counter pain reliever are all effective ways to alleviate a headache.
Finally
We know you might be curios to find out more information and discuss medicinal cannabis uses, or where to get legal medicinal cannabis products in Australia, who is authorised to prescribe medicinal cannabis products to you, and we know lots of people are also worried about the use of medicinal cannabis.
For all these inquiries; including most medicinal cannabis products available on the market, prescribing medicinal cannabis, information about smoked cannabis, how to bring medicinal cannabis product on a travel, medical conditions that can be cured by medical cannabis products, recreational cannabis, other general use of cannabis, you should schedule a consultation session today with our experts at Chronic Therapy to get medical professionals advice about any of the above mentions.
Related: Symptoms of Chronic Pain in the Foot