All About Aspirin, Migraine, and Headache

Why Is Aspirin Good for Migraine Treatment?

Aspirin has several benefits in the treatment of migraine and other types of headaches, the National Headache Foundation (NHF) says. This is because the pain associated with many headache types — including migraine — is chemically based.

Specifically, when you experience a headache, your body is overproducing a hormone called prostaglandin. Prostaglandin is one of the many neurotransmitters that send pain signals to the brain.

Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, aspirin blocks the activity of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) that helps your body make prostaglandin. By blocking the effects of COX-1, aspirin reduces the levels of prostaglandin your body produces.

Even though aspirin circulates throughout the entire body after you swallow it, the drug acts only at sites where prostaglandin is being actively produced. When the production of prostaglandin is impaired, the pain signals sensed by the brain stop. No more pain signals, no more headache.

In addition, aspirin’s role as a platelet inhibitor, or antiplatelet drug, can also help with migraine. Aspirin reduces the ability of platelets to aggregate or stick together, according to the NHF.

In migraine, platelets aggregate, causing them to release serotonin into your bloodstream. This eventually leads to the vascular actions and other effects of migraine.

How Many Aspirins Can I Take for a Migraine Attack?

Aspirin can be purchased in various strengths. Chewable, flavored aspirin typically contains 81 mg (low-dose aspirin).

Each pill or capsule of regular-strength aspirin typically contains 325 mg of the drug, while the extra-strength version is 500 mg. For headache pain, the recommended adult dose of aspirin is 325 to 650 mg every three to four hours as needed, up to six times per day.

Research suggests low-dose aspirin (one tablet at the 81-mg dose) taken daily can help prevent migraine with aura, while other studies indicate high-dose forms of the drug (up to 1,200 mg, or two or more tablets daily) can relieve painful headaches and other symptoms of migraine attacks.

Although aspirin is available over the counter and without a prescription, talk to your doctor before starting aspirin therapy for migraine, as it may interfere with other medications you’re taking. In addition, your aspirin dose should be tailored to your migraine symptoms.

Can Aspirin Make Your Headache Worse?

While aspirin has been shown to help alleviate acute migraine pain, it shouldn’t be used more than 10 days per month for this purpose. This is because rebound — or medication-overuse — headaches can occur, according to the AMF.

It is possible to overdose on aspirin. This can occur if you take too much at any one time, or have a long period of consistently heavy aspirin use.

While too much aspirin may cause temporary side effects such as nausea and vomiting, more severe health complications can occur with an actual overdose. These include hallucinations, seizures, coma, and even death due to cardiac arrest.

Other side effects can also occur after taking aspirin, including:

• Heartburn or indigestion
• Stomach and abdominal cramping or discomfort
• Bruising
• Peptic ulcer disease, in which painful sores develop in the lining of the stomach or top section of the small intestine
• Heavy bleeding, particularly gastrointestinal bleeding
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing sound in the ears

Side effects that are more serious and require prompt medical attention include loss of hearing, bleeding, and allergic reactions, such as difficulty breathing, skin rash, and swelling of the lips, mouth, and throat (a severe reaction known as angioedema).

Even though children can experience migraine attacks, aspirin shouldn’t be given to those under age 12 or to any children or teenagers who display symptoms of the flu or chicken pox. This is because aspirin can cause a condition called Reye syndrome, which affects the nervous system and the liver and can be lethal, notes KidsHealth.

Despite its possible side effects, aspirin is a mainstay of headache relief, as legions of headache sufferers can attest. In a world of seemingly countless new medications, good old aspirin remains widely used.

If you turn to aspirin to soothe a headache, just be sure to use it sensibly: As with any medication, take the lowest dose of aspirin that is effective for you to avoid unwanted side effects.

Additional reporting by Brian P. Dunleavy.