Migraine can turn your life upside down. It can affect your life. Some people suffer from it daily. They wake up with a headache and go to bed with a headache. Some can function well with migraine, while others lie in bed with a bucket beside them and the curtains closed. Can CBD oil help with or against migraine? In the following blog article, we will explore this in more detail.
What is migraine?
People who do not suffer from migraine may find it hard to understand what migraine is. They often see it as just a regular headache. However, the difference is huge. Migraine is a condition characterized by attacks that cause dilation of blood vessels. This is often followed by a spontaneous temporary narrowing of the blood vessels. This can lead to a severe, throbbing headache that can be experienced as very intense. Something you cannot compare to a ‘regular headache.’ The pain of migraine is hard to endure and can feel like it lasts forever. It is a throbbing, pounding pain that can persist for a long time. The pain is only one of the unpleasant symptoms of migraine. If you have ever had migraine, you can confirm that it is more than just a strong headache.
During a migraine attack, you often feel the headache on one side of your head. This does not always have to be the same side. For most people, it is impossible to hold a normal conversation or do anything. Most prefer to lie down in a dark room.
The symptoms associated with migraine include:
- Nausea
- Sensitivity to light
- Sensitivity to sound
- Poor and strange vision
- Tingling fingers
- Reduced muscle strength in arms or legs
- Severe headache
The nausea people experience can be accompanied by vomiting. The annoying thing is that there is no clear cause for the nausea, and it can sometimes last for hours. You prefer to lock yourself in a dark room with no light or sound. Light can intensify the physical pain. Sounds can also influence the pain. Some people have no or poor vision during an attack. This can be accompanied by seeing spots or stars.
Migraine and CBD oil
Every body has an endocannabinoid system. This natural system can be out of balance, causing you to feel stress, headaches, insomnia, or other ailments more easily. By using CBD oil, you can restore this system to balance. CBD comes from the cannabis plant but is not comparable to weed or THC oil. THC is a substance that can make you feel stoned and is commonly found in weed oil or regular weed. Therefore, we advise absolutely not to use weed oil if you have migraine or to smoke a joint. This can only worsen the pain.
CBD oil contains less than 0.05% THC and is therefore negligible. We know many CBD users who use CBD oil to get rid of their migraine. Most take CBD oil daily to reduce the attacks. There are also users who take CBD oil when they feel an attack coming on or when they have a severe migraine attack.
CBD oil dosage for migraine
We wrote a blog earlier about the correct CBD dosage. The body needs to get used to CBD. The endocannabinoid system absorbs CBD slowly, and it can take 8–12 weeks before you really see results. When using CBD, it is important to know that the effects are not immediately noticeable and the first results can sometimes take up to 2 months.
Depending on the severity of the complaint, you choose the right percentage of CBD oil. For example, ProHemp offers several CBD oils, with the lightest being 5% and the strongest CBD oil 30%. The 5% is often used for pets or children. If you suffer from migraine, the complaint is already quite severe. If you have never used CBD oil before, we recommend starting with CBD oil 10%. In this case, start with three drops three times a day. Increase the dosage by one drop every three days until you reach six drops per dose. When the 10 ml bottle is finished, move on to CBD oil 20%. It is important to halve the dosage in this case. CBD 20% contains twice as much CBD. If you are taking six drops of 10% CBD oil three times a day, you start with three drops of 20% CBD oil three times a day. From there, you gradually increase the dosage by one drop every three days.
It is important to listen carefully to your body. We recommend keeping a diary. Write down how often and how long you have migraine attacks. Then see if and how this changes in the weeks you use CBD oil. Record the dosage (number of drops and strength of CBD oil) per day.
We have a team of specialists ready to tell you more about the correct dosage. We only provide advice and cannot give medical advice. If you want to use CBD but also take medication, always contact your general practitioner or specialist.