Preliminary study reveals drawback of using cannabis for pain.
A preliminary study found that migraine sufferers using cannabis are six times more likely to experience rebound headaches, compared to those who don’t use the drug. The study by Zhang and colleagues further states that “there is some kind of association between CBD use and medication-overuse headache in people with chronic migraine.”
The research, however, is still in its initial days. “It is unclear at this time whether patients are using cannabis to treat medication-overuse headache or if cannabis is contributing to the development [of] medication-overuse headache, or both,” Zhang said. In addition, the study does not specify the types of CBD products used by the patients. Therefore, it is still not quite known whether certain products have a higher correlation with rebound headaches.
Rebound headaches are also referred to as medication overuse headaches.
The headaches worsen in people who already have a headache disorder because of a frequent use of medications. This means taking anti-migraine medication more than twice or thrice a week. The current study is a “first of its kind to assess the risk of medication-overuse headache in chronic migraine patients who use cannabis”.
The drug binds to receptors in the body and regulates the perception of pain. Moreover, the new study builds a correlation between drugs and rebound headaches. Although, there is a need for more research in this area till anything definitive can be said.
References
Link found between cannabis and rebound headaches after migraine https://www.livescience.com/cannabis-use-rebound-headache-migraines.html