Does Caffeine Cause or Remedy Migraines?

Migraines can be caused by a variety of triggers, including hormonal changes, skipping meals, alcohol, stress, bright lights, and some foodstuffs, including aged cheeses, chocolate, nuts, dairy, eggs, tomatoes, onions, wheat products  and food additives such as MSG.

Some medications can cause migraines, while, surprisingly, a variety of medicines used to treat migraines contain caffeine.

Caffeine doesn’t cause headaches, but it can trigger what’s known as caffeine rebound or caffeine withdrawal headaches. This occurs when you consume too much caffeine and subsequently experience withdrawal from it. Each person reacts differently to caffeine, you may be able to drink a daily cup of coffee and be fine, whereas someone else could get rebound headaches from having one cup of coffee a day. The side effects can be severe, sometimes even worse than a typical headache or migraine.

Studies have found that people who discontinued the use of caffeine, experienced a significant reduction in the intensity of their headaches/migraines. Pay attention to how much caffeine you consume and how it affects you. Keep a headache diary, including what seems to help or hinder them. If you have frequent headaches, consider slowly reducing your caffeine intake and consuming it in moderation.