Migraines and Caffeine

Caffeine was formally identified as a possible migraine
trigger in a study published in the well respected Lancet
in 1979. Since then a variety of theories about caffeine
and other substances found in caffeine containing products
have been explored.

However, as with many other food intolerances, one person
will have no reaction to a food while the next can suffer a
severe reaction to the same substance. Consider the
shellfish - a killer for some, a healthful food for someone
else.

Caffeine is a double edged sword when it comes to
migraines, as many believe it causes them - yet it is a
major ingredient in many headache medicines as well. Many
studies have been done on the efficacy of caffeine when
used to relieve migraines; as a natural vaso-constrictor,
it would seem that caffeine might help rather than
intensify migraine pain. Several studies have shown that
when caffeine is included as an ingredient in migraine
medications, relief is faster and more complete(1).

In other cases, however, evidence would seem to suggest
that the problem of migraines and caffeine hinges on a
borderline addiction. Weekend headache or Sunday migraine
often occurs when the usual daily routine is disrupted - or
in other words, when a person sleeps in and misses their
6am, 7am and 8am cups of coffee. The body goes into
withdrawal mode, and a migraine begins. Upon caffeine
intake, the headache disappears.

In a study on the subject at the Princess Margaret Migraine
Clinic, London in 1992, a set of migraine sufferers was
chosen that showed a marked tendency towards high caffeine
use during the week. Among the 151 patients, 33 were
identified as having weekend migraine. Of these, every
single one reported sleeping in late on weekends, and all
consumed an average of 734 mg/day of caffeine.

In contrast, of the remaining 118 patients only 43% slept
late on weekends, and of these the average caffeine was
only 362 mg/day(2). This lends credence to the idea that it
is the withdrawal from dependency that is the trigger
rather than the coffee or tea being the cause.

Soda seems a slightly different story - a study done on
adolescents who drank a liter of cola a day and suffered
from daily migraines showed a marked improvement across the
board when cola was cut from the diet. This led to the
recommendation that children with daily recurring headache
be researched as to caffeine intake(3).

The scientific studies are fascinating and useful, but
however much we enjoy it, caffeine is a substance we can
live without. The simple way to discover if it's a problem
for you is just cut it out for a few weeks. If you suffer
enough with your migraines, you might find the exclusion
brings relief. However, do be aware that you're very likely
to suffer an increase in headaches to start with due to the
possible "withdrawal syndrome" discussed above. Consult
your GP or health professional if you are concerned.

For coffee, tea and cola drinkers, instead of complete
elimination, a gradual lessening of daily caffeine
consumption may be the best way to remove the possibility
of the excess or lack of it triggering a migraine. Speaking
personally, I was a heavy consumer of coffee and suffered
badly with migraines. I rarely get a migraine now and enjoy
one cup of coffee per day, having found this an acceptable
level which doesn't cause any me problems.

(1) Stephen J. Peroutka; James A. Lyon; James Swarbrick;
Richard B. Lipton; Ken Kolodner; Jerome Goldstein Headache:
The Journal of Head and Face Pain, Volume 44, Number 2,
February 2004 , pp. 136-141(6)

(2)EGM Couturier, R Hering, and TJ Steiner, Weekend Attacks
in Migraine Patients: Caused by Caffeine Withdrawal?
Cephalalgia 12(2):99-100 (Apr 1992)

(3) Hering-Hanit R, Gadoth N. Caffeine-induced headache in
children and adolescents. Cephalalgia 2003;23:332-335.

----------------------------------------------------
Joy Healey qualified as a nutritionist in 2000, at the
prestigious Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London. Her
dissertation topic was migraine. For immediate delivery of
an ebook full of further recommendations for natural,
alternatives approaches to treat and prevent migraine visit:
http://www.natural-migraine-alternatives.com

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