Can coffee cure migraine pain? Neurologist sheds light

It is an age-old question – is coffee good or harmful for migraine pain? Migraine – a type of headache – is usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. For most people, migraine is felt as a throbbing pain in one side of the head. Migraine pain is sometimes triggered by hormonal fluctuations, stress and by certain food items. With certain medication, migraine pain can be managed. Drinking coffee for managing migraine pain is a way used by many – however, it is not a prescribed method to cure pain.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Sheetal Goyal, Neurologist, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central, said, “Drinking coffee is not a standard treatment option for migraine headaches. In some cases, consuming coffee may trigger migraine headaches. Occasional use of caffeine may provide short-term, modest relief from migraine headaches. However daily or near daily consumption develops tolerance to caffeine containing coffee and no benefit is noticed in migraine.”

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How coffee acts in brain to relieve pain in some people:

Shedding light on this, Dr Sheetal Goyal said, “High level of adenosine, which is a naturally occurring brain substance, trigger migraine. Adenosine can produce many effects including less brain electrical activity, temporary widening of blood vessels, and control of some aspects of sleep and movement. Adenosine acts by sticking to specific receptor molecules on the surfaces of some brain cells. Caffeine can block the action of these receptors, and, thereby, stop the effects of adenosine. Thus, caffeine results in acute anti-migraine and pain relief in some patients.”

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What is the regular healthy intake of coffee?

“Caffeine products like coffee should be limited to no more than two days per week, if at all specially for patients with chronic migraine,” commented Dr Sheetal Goyal. She further mentioned that too much caffeine consumption can lead to medication-overuse headache. Hence, caffeine should be consumed in moderation – not more than two times per week.

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