Toria Little, a 43-year-old mother from Newtownards, Northern Ireland, turned to medical marijuana to manage the severe migraines she had suffered from since childhood.
With prescription drugs costing as much as 350 pounds ($366) a month, Tria's case highlights how access to alternative treatments for chronic pain in the UK remains a challenge, according to Fox 54 News.
See also: Does Marijuana Help with Migraines? Chronic Pain Associated with MS? New Clinical Guidelines Coming
Living with chronic migraines
Tria has suffered from migraines since she was nine years old, and her symptoms worsened after doctors diagnosed her with a benign brain tumor three years ago.
Despite the diagnosis, her migraines did not subside, leaving her with years of sleep problems, pain and difficulty living a fulfilling life. “I've had terrible migraines my whole life, but no one ever explained to me why I was having them,” Tria said.
Before turning to medical marijuana, she was prescribed various painkillers, but none of them relieved her symptoms and often made them worse. Desperately searching for a solution, Tria consulted her doctor in September 2023 and decided to try medical marijuana.
Converting to medical marijuana
After consulting a specialist at AlternaLeaf, a private medical cannabis clinic, Tria received a monthly prescription for 30 grams of THC-containing cannabis. She now vapes two to four times a day, depending on the severity of her symptoms. She describes the change as dramatic.
“Medical marijuana has helped me to live again,” she says. “The world is brighter because I no longer fear the next migraine. And because I feel so much better, I'm a lot more fair to those around me.”
Although cannabis did not completely eliminate her pain, her condition improved significantly, allowing her to sleep through the night and be active during the day.
“The pain hasn't gone away completely, but it's bearable now,” she added.
Cannabis study confirms effectiveness for migraine sufferers
Meanwhile, a study presented at the 2023 American Headache Society Annual Meeting demonstrated the effectiveness of cannabis for migraines, mirroring the life-changing pain-relieving effects Little experienced.
The study, led by Dr. Nathaniel Schuster, found that the combination of THC and CBD significantly reduced migraine symptoms within two hours of use.
Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 6% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an 11% mixture of THC and cannabinoids (CBD), 11% CBD, or a placebo cannabis treatment.
“The dose we used is probably lower than most people would use themselves, and a higher dose doesn't necessarily mean it's more effective,” Schuster said. “The patients in the study didn't feel very high, with a subjective high rating of between 2 and 4 out of 10.”
Migraines affect 47 million Americans, 75% of whom are women. A splitting headache is one of the symptoms of a migraine, but migraine attacks can also include visual disturbances, nausea, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, a lightheaded feeling, and debilitating pain.
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