The Impact of Caffeine on Migraines

The Impact of Caffeine on Migraines: Understanding the Good and the Bad, in this blog I will be providing information not only to understand what contains caffeine but also its effects. Caffeine is much more than just coffee. It is a stimulant that is commonly found in many foods and beverages, including coffee, tea, chocolate, and soda. It is important to understand what contains and how much caffeine are we consuming:

• Coffee: my beloved and most popular sources of caffeine. A cup of coffee can contain anywhere from 95 to 200 milligrams depending on the serving size and the type of coffee.
• Tea: Black and green teas contain caffeine, although usually in lower amounts than coffee. A cup of tea typically contains between 20 to 60 milligrams.
• Chocolate: Many types of chocolate, especially dark chocolate. A bar of dark chocolate can contain up to 50 milligrams.
• Soda: Some types of soda, such as cola. A 12-ounce can of cola typically contains 35 milligrams.
• Energy Drinks: Energy drinks, such as Red Bull and Monster, are specifically marketed as sources of caffeine and can contain anywhere from 50 to over 200 milligrams per serving.
• Medications: over-the-counter pain relievers and headache medications, such as Excedrin, Anacin and NoDoz.
• Supplements: Some weight loss, athletic performance and dietary supplements. Look for the labels!

Consuming too much caffeine can lead to negative effects such as insomnia, anxiety, restlessness and rebound headaches. Caffeine is a major trigger for vestibular migraines. So I date to say is best to remove from your diet. I have tried and succeeded for a period of time. Quitting caffeine consumption can be brutal, I will share in a future post the method I used and steps. I have to admit I have been weak and have given into the temptation. I try to manage all other stressors and triggers to allow my favourite morning drink. So here we go the good and the bad about caffeine.

The Good:

• Can be used as pain reliever and can be found in many over-the-counter headache and migraine medications. This is because caffeine can help to constrict blood vessels in the brain, which can reduce the pain of a migraine.
• Can help to enhance the effectiveness of other pain medications, such as ibuprofen, making it a useful addition to a migraine treatment plan.
• Can improve mental alertness and reduce fatigue.

The Bad:

• Consuming too much caffeine can lead to rebound headaches, which are headaches that occur after the effects of caffeine wear off. This is because caffeine can cause blood vessels in the brain to constrict, which can lead to headaches when the vessels dilate again.
• Caffeine can also lead to dehydration, which can exacerbate migraine symptoms.
• Caffeine can also cause insomnia, anxiety and restlessness

In conclusion, I would recommend if you can eliminate caffeine from your daily intake, do it!! I have what I think is a severe caffeine addiction, when the effects of caffeine wear off, the blood vessels can dilate again, leading to rebound migraines. The pain I have experienced the many times I have done a caffeine detox are horrible. Very few times in my life I have experienced such excruciating pain.

Last but not least Caffeine can also affect the level of chemicals in the brain such as dopamine, adenosine, and serotonin. These chemicals are involved in regulating mood, sleep, and pain, and changes in their levels can lead to migraines.

Nothing that causes such massive effects can be good! I am considering alternatives of low caffeine coffee substitutes to start the journey again. Lastly you can read more on Balance Diet to help with Migraine symptoms.