I’ve suffered from migraines for most of my life and cannabis has helped me manage the pain better than anything I have tried so far. My assumption, since you are asking for a strain, is that your preference is to smoke. In my own experience, I have found that I layer different products to help manage the migraine before I get it and to manage the pain during the migraine itself.
In terms of strains, it is highly dependent on how your body and your own endocannibinoid system is wired and what your body wants and needs. The cannibinoid receptors in your brain become active when you ingest marijuana and this seems to have a positive impact on migraine headaches. A 2007 animal study found that increased activity within the endocannibinoid system led to reduction in pain signals for instance.
Researching strains you will find some people prefer Sativa and others insist only Indica works. For me only a CBD dominant strain does the trick. Below I will give you a popular & easily found Sativa, Indica, a Hybrid and my personal favorite a CBD dominant strain which I use often.
Sativa: Sour Diesel & Harlequin
Indica: Purple Kush &
Hybrid: Girl Scout Cookie & Lemon OG Kush
CBD dominant: ACDC (non psychoactive)
As I mentioned above, I layer my products. It is important for me to catch a headache before it becomes full blown. I use a CBD dominant sublingual spray of 8 parts CBD to 1 part THC as soon as a I feel a headache coming in. Cannabidiol (CBD) is both an analgesic and an anti inflammatory. I carry an ACDC vape pen with me. I also use a topical cream on my neck-my personal favorite in California is called Sweet Releaf. I will also use a mild THC tincture (low in milligrams) which seems to relax me.
As a precaution, I take CBD on a daily basis to keep inflammation under control. I also do daily doses of both vitamin B6 and B12 which in studies has shown to reduce migraines two fold for patients after taking it for 6 months. I also take a magnesium supplement daily as people with migraines have shown lower levels than average.
Cannabis is not a silver bullet for migraines, but it got me off of migraine meds and Vicodin. Everyone is different and my suggestion is to start low and slow and micro dose with anything that is new to you. Lastly, some people find that edibles help with their migraines, but I do not seem to tolerate them well.
I hope this helps!
pamelahadfield
I also suffer with migraines and I have studied migraines extensively. My migraines did not start until I was 33 years old and began after a spinal injury, I thought I had a brain tumor! My spine injury was caused by a doctor so I had no desire to go to a doctor to find relief for my migraines and I struggled for years.
Migraines are actually a genetic snp (Single nucleotide polymorphism) on the X chromosome making one very chemically sensitive. It is necessary to eliminate all the chemicals from your diet and your environment in order to be completely successful in eliminating migraines.
Migraine sufferers are so chemically sensitive they can suffer a migraine in their emotions that manifests as anxiety, irritability or depression after breathing chemicals like cigarette smoke or the chemicals used in a nail salon.
Migraine sufferers tend to get irritable bowel syndrome when they eat foods that trigger this allergic reaction, especially cow dairy. One of the most pronounced pains with migraines, is the pain in the neck with the muscle spasms and it can notify you that the migraine is coming and it is essential if you get the muscle spasms that you treat the spasms immediately with topical cannabis salve.
I knew that cannabis helped me but I did not like the psychoactive effect because I need to work so I love the high CBD cannabis tincture, Jayden’s Juice, and take it regularly to stop my migraine events.
If you have a migraine, drink a large glass of water, use the cannabis salve on your neck, take a dose of D-ribose (available in the health food store) to support your RNA and take your CBD cannabis but depending on your pain level, you might find the 4:1, CBD : THC sub lingual spray gives great relief.
Once your migraine has started to resolve, You need to ask yourself, "What did I do to myself?" because the quicker you realize your migraine triggers the quicker you can eliminate your migraines if you will avoid those triggers.
More migraines will be precipitated if you allow your vitamin D serum level (25- OH D) to fall to low (below 50 ng/ML) so do consider taking approximately 10,000 international units of vitamin D3 with food daily as long as your kidney function is normal.
drolson
