Did you know that CBD helps against headaches? I tested it and tried it directly on my migraine. This is how hemp oil really works for a buzzing head!
What have I already tried everything against migraine. Tablets, drops, a Migraine piercing and much more - all this has so far not brought the desired effect.
Now I've heard that CBD is supposed to help against headaches. It is definitely worth a try. To start the test, I stocked up on hemp oil.
I'll tell you how useful CBD really is for headaches, whether it helped me with my migraines, and what effects I noticed.
Table of contents
Anyone who frequently suffers from a buzzing head knows my problem all too well.
For me, it often goes so far that I have to black out all the windows and sometimes even take strong tablets. I do not want to be so completely satisfied with this solution.
I wonder if CBD oil can really help with migraines and headaches. I have already read about it in quite a bit. In fact, some report that CBD has helped them against headaches.
Not everyone's pain is completely gone, but many report that their headaches are less severe. That sounds very promising.
I want to leave no stone unturned to get my chronic migraine with aura, tension headaches and co under control.
Deciding whether to test CBD for headaches was not a difficult decision for me.
I took CBD oil for migraines every day for a month and now tell you everything you need to know.
But let's start with a few facts.
Does a migraine piercing help against headaches?
What is CBD?
With CBD, many still immediately think of high-making hemp. But you can quickly forget that. Because you will not get high from CBD drops.
CBD is an abbreviation that stands for cannabidiol. The active ingredient is extracted from the flower of the plant Cannabis Sativa.
This plant has nothing to do with smoking pot, joints or anything else. Cannabis Sativa is a legally cultivated and useful plant. It is also used to produce substances and edible oil.
One mistake that often happens is that CBD is confused with THC. THC contains psychoactive and stimulating substances that can get you high.
CBD contains small amounts of THC. Most of the time it is 0.2%. You would have to ingest huge amounts to get high.
CBD oil comes in the form of different concentrations. Depending on the manufacturer, the values range from 3 to 20%.
How CBD works against headaches and migraines
But how can a plant help with headaches? CBD attaches to the body's endocannabinoid system. You can think of it as a guardian responsible for our mental balance.
A small example
When you are very stressed, our body releases anandamide. This ensures that the perceived stress decreases. So we feel better even though we have stress.
Anandamide and its receptors play a role in sleep, pain perception, nervous system, digestion, and inflammatory responses.
And now CBD comes into play. The CBD molecules dock here and ensure that the pain subsides and we are more relaxed.
In contrast to THC, CBD additionally binds strongly to the neurotransmitter serotonin. The serotonin receptors are involved in the development of headaches and migraines. CBD oil from the hemp plant is said to be able to positively influence serotonin levels and dilate constricted blood vessels.
CBD works
- analgesic
- decongestant
- anxiety-relieving
- antipsychotic
- and soothing
However, I could find very few studies on CBD and headaches. The research field is still quite new. There are researches that investigate the combined effect of CBD and THC. I could not find a pure study that treats CBD against migraine.
In forums I came across some reports of experiences. In them, sufferers report that they take CBD to prevent cluster headaches.
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How fast CBD works against headaches
But what is the best way to take it? When you already have a headache or as a preventive measure?
For this, you first need to know how quickly CBD oil unfolds its effect. This depends on how you take the drops.
If you take it with food while eating, the effect will last longer.
The best way to take CBD oil is in the form of drops under the tongue for migraines. It varies from person to person how quickly the effect sets in. Forums report that it can take from 2 to 20 minutes.
You can also apply CBD to the skin. Of course, this takes much longer. Only after up to an hour you can feel an effect.
If you don't like the drops at all, you can take CBD as a capsule. Depending on how much and what you have eaten before, you will feel the effect after 20 minutes to 2 hours.
What do CBD drops taste like?
CBD Drops tastes very intense. Those who have tested hemp products before will already know the typical taste. It can be described as nutty, earthy, somewhat musty.
The higher the concentration of CBD in the oil, the more intense they taste. The drops should remain under your tongue for several minutes, which unfortunately spreads the taste. If this is too intense for you, you can use preparations that are filtered and taste a bit milder.
You can order the oil from all manufacturers in different strengths and have a choice of 5, 10, 15 and 20% CBD content.
Decisive for the taste is the carrier oil that is used. Hemp seed oil tastes a bit nuttier and softens the taste a bit - but I find the resulting taste very unusual. Olive oil distracts somewhat from the typical CBD taste with its tart note.
Basically, it can be said:
- The taste of the drops is strongly dependent on the carrier oil.
- The more concentrated the drops are, the more intense they taste.
- Drops based on hemp oil are very familiar :)
If that doesn't work for you at all, you can also take CBD in the form of chewing gum, capsules, chocolate, cookies, gummy bears and the like. However, it is said to work most intensively in pure form - i.e. as drops.
I have been taking CBD for headaches in the form of drops.
How to take CBD drops correctly
Always shake the bottle before use. Always fill the dropper with new oil.
Now drop the correct number under your tongue.
To catch the right amount, you can either do it in front of the mirror or put the drops on a spoon.
After dropping, hold the CBD under the tongue for about 2 minutes. This way, the substances are absorbed through the mucous membranes and enter directly into the bloodstream.
Only after 2 minutes you may swallow the drops. If you do this too early, they will simply decompose in the stomach and you will get much less active ingredients.
After swallowing, wait for 15 minutes and then you can eat and drink normally.
Try these home remedies for headaches!
My self-test: CBD against headaches
So and now we come to the most important part: my self-test. What you should know: The oil doesn't work the same way for everyone. While for one person it works immediately, another person hardly notices any improvement even after a month.
As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
How I felt the first few days
While CBD is an all-natural remedy, there are a few side effects that you should know about in advance.
To avoid these side effects in the first place, it helps to increase the amount of drops slowly. Do not take a whole load on the first day.
You're giving your body a chance to slowly get used to it.
I started with one drop daily for the first few days. The oil I use has 15%, which is equivalent to 6 mg of CBD.
Before my first drops, I was a bit excited - what will happen? How will I feel afterwards? What happened was - nothing. I didn't notice any difference at the beginning.
I took the drop in the evening in front of the mirror. This is the only way to make sure that exactly one drop is taken - because you don't even notice when the drop comes out.
But then the surprise - in the morning I almost overslept. For the first time in months. I also felt quite tired in the morning, as if I was torn from a deep sleep. So my sleep was really deep - I noticed that over the next few days as well. I took one drop a day for a week.
From the second week I started with two drops in the evening. That's when I also started to notice the effect. I felt a little more relaxed, more calm in the evening. Often I can't really relax and it is difficult to fall asleep. But with the drops, the inner restlessness improved and I could really relax on the couch.
From the third week I increased the dose again - a total of three drops. One in the morning for breakfast, two in the evening. My initial fear that I would then be tired or unmotivated during the day quickly evaporated. I just felt more relaxed and at ease. I did not experience any side effects.
These foods make headaches more bearable!
The most important question - does CBD help me with headaches
This was the most exciting question for me. I have suffered from headaches and migraines since childhood. I have phases where I have maybe 3-4 pain days a month.
And there are phases when I have over 15 pain days and 2-3 bad migraine attacks. Especially during exertion or before my period I suffer from severe headaches up to migraine.
Very annoying, although you learn to deal with it over time. Nevertheless, I am always looking for ways to reduce the headaches and migraine attacks naturally. Thus, I was particularly curious about the effect of the drops.
At the beginning of the treatment, I did not notice any significant improvement in the headache. Probably because I still took too few drops in the habituation phase. I still had mild to moderate headaches every 3-4 days. By week three, I was taking three drops a day and noticed that the headaches had decreased. Was this a coincidence?
And then all of a sudden I got my period. Not that I'm generally surprised, but where was the usual headache? Full of amazement, I realized that this time I didn't get any pain at all as a harbinger of my period. That made me extremely happy. But then came the damper. In the fourth week I had another strong migraine attack, where I had to stay in bed for half the day. I also took an additional drop of the attack, but unfortunately it brought no effect.
In the weeks that followed, I noticed overall that the mild to moderate headaches actually decreased. I already know my body quite well and can tell that a headache or migraine is coming on.
If I then take a headache tablet in time, I can prevent or at least reduce the attack. But in the test phase, I dared to try to replace the headache with the CBD drops. And lo and behold, it worked! In most cases, I was able to prevent a migraine attack with the drops.
Unfortunately, it didn't work out for the really strong one. But any improvement, no matter how small, is a great help to me.
My conclusion
CBD for headaches can be a great thing. As with all remedies, try it out and test for yourself. Every body reacts differently. I have found for me that the CBD drops help me very well, but are not a miracle cure. So I can report the following:
- Overall, pain days have decreased slightly
- During a migraine attack or severe headache the drops do not help me
- However, with the help of CBD drops I can prevent attacks if I take them in time.
- I need fewer pain pills overall
- My sleep is deeper and more restful
- I feel less stressed and calmer overall
So I can only recommend to test CBD drops. Preferably over a longer period of time, because the effect does not unfold from one day to the next.
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