According to new preliminary data from a study, a link has been found between cannabis and rebound headaches after a migraine.
People with chronic migraines who use cannabis products are much more likely to suffer from “rebound headaches” said the study.
The study’s authors told Live Science that though a link has been uncovered, it’s unclear whether the plant directly triggers these rebound headaches.
The study also did not specify what types of marijuana products had been used by the patients and it is unknown if certain products show a greater correlation than others to the headaches.
Rebound headaches affect about 1% to 3% of people in the general population and nearly one-third of the patients who seek treatment for headaches at specialized clinics, such as the Stanford Headache Center, study author Dr. Niushen Zhang said to Live Science.
Zhang is a clinical assistant professor and director of the Headache Fellowship Program at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Zhang and her colleagues found that people with chronic migraines appear six times more likely to experience rebound headaches if they use cannabis.
This is compared with migraine patients who don’t use the drug.
The scientists will present this unpublished research at the American Academy of Neurology’s 73rd Annual Meeting in April.
“This study shows that there is some kind of association between cannabis use and medication-overuse headache in people with chronic migraine,” Zhang said.
“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.
