Migraines & Caffeine

Caffeine, found in chocolate, some soft drinks, non-herbal teas, coffee and certain medications, may help relieve migraine pain. However, you may find that consuming too much caffeine can trigger migraines, making it important that you solicit your doctor's recommendation before using caffeine as a way to relieve your painful migraine headache.

Definition

Migraine headaches often cause you to experience a throbbing sensation in one part of your head. The "Journal of the American Medical Association" fact sheet published in June 2009 indicates that migraines may cause you to feel nauseous, and become overly sensitive to both light and sound. Women experience migraine headaches more frequently than men. The causes of migraines may include stress or anxiety in your life, hormones, fatigue from sleep deprivation, preservatives in foods or hunger. While scientists are unsure as the root cause of migraines, the JAMA article indicates that inflammation of your brain's blood vessels may trigger the pain that results in a migraine headache.

Caffeine's Effects

Caffeine may help your migraine because the caffeine helps reduce the inflammation in your blood vessels, which can reduce your pain, according to scientists at the National Headache Foundation. Some over-the-counter pain medications include caffeine and the Headache Foundation indicates that addition of caffeine to pain relievers often helps improve the effectiveness of common pain relievers such as aspirin and acetaminophen. If you just use over-the-counter pain medication in an attempt to combat your migraine, drinking a cup of brewed coffee, which contains about 95 mg of caffeine, may help you avoid taking stronger, prescription strength medications.

Caffeine Drawbacks

Just as caffeine may help relieve your symptoms, some people experience migraine headaches when they consume caffeine or withdraw from caffeine use, according to a January 2002 article published online in the journal "Cephalalgia." Half the participants who withdrew from caffeine completely experienced headaches, which were relieved after taking caffeine. Headache medication containing caffeine may cause a dependence on the medication, which may be difficult to break without professional intervention, according to a study published in the September/October 2002 edition of "L'Encephale."

Considerations

While caffeine may be just mildly addictive, use caution before relying on caffeine to relieve your migraines. If your doctor asks you to eliminate caffeine in your diet in an effort to pinpoint the cause of your migraine, withdraw from caffeine slowly to avoid withdrawal headaches. The National Women's Health Information Center recommends using stress-relieving techniques, relaxation exercises, counseling or physical exercise as non-medicinal techniques to combat migraine pain. As with any disorder, always follow the advice of your health care provider before using over-the-counter medications to treat your migraine headache.