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From blood sugar to brain relief: GLP-1 therapy slashes migraine frequency

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Re: From blood sugar to brain relief: GLP-1 therapy slashes migraine frequency

#91

Post by oracleclyde »

deegles wrote: post #84
ascorbic wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are currently several hypotheses. Some say that it's just because it helps you lose weight, and obesity increases the risk of so many things. However while this is true, there are lots of examples where there are effects even when you control for weight loss. One of the more interesting theories is that it's down to their anti-inflammatory effects, because chronic inflammation is linked to so many conditions.

but are the GLP-1s reducing inflammation or is it a side effect of the reduced caloric intake? does it matter?

I concur. I too, am on the shots, and after stabilizing my sugars and blood pressure, my chronic migraines have all but disappeared. My migraines have been with me since I was a child, but uncontrolled diabetes and blood pressure were definitely a trigger for mine.

Re: From blood sugar to brain relief: GLP-1 therapy slashes migraine frequency

#93

Post by crooked-v »

Topfi wrote: post #18
mikhailt wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody understands why it all helps, they just noticed it does work for something, quickly pushed it to the market first to get patents and get all the profits from it before generics + derivatives hit their pockets. Now, everyone is studying it because there's all new funding coming in for it and finding other versions of it that they can profit off it. Nobody knows what migraine really is, so this isn't a surprise…

> [...] quickly pushed it to the market first to get patents and get all the profits [...] Beyond what others have commented already, especially on obesity and cardiovascular disease, I have to correct this specifically, because it is a very common and honestly understandable misunderstanding people have about these drugs. While only having appeared in the public consciousness comparatively recently, this class of dr…

Right, at this point it's not "we don't understand what negative impacts it could have", it's "only just now are people realizing that it also has these other positive side-effects".

Re: From blood sugar to brain relief: GLP-1 therapy slashes migraine frequency

#94

Post by crooked-v »

mikhailt wrote: post #11
neom wrote: post #4

Is there any good consensus on what the deal is with this drug yet? I don't know how to think about GLP-1. In the headlines it seems like every month it's a miracle cure for something new, yet we don't really understand it? But it seems like just generally...everyone, including me, would benefit from being on it...? The whole thing makes me uneasy but I'm not exactly sure why outside of it seems weird to have one dru…

Nobody understands why it all helps, they just noticed it does work for something, quickly pushed it to the market first to get patents and get all the profits from it before generics + derivatives hit their pockets. Now, everyone is studying it because there's all new funding coming in for it and finding other versions of it that they can profit off it. Nobody knows what migraine really is, so this isn't a surprise…

> for the rest of their lives

Plenty of people take regular doses of caffeine for their entire lives and we don't moralize at them about it.

Re: From blood sugar to brain relief: GLP-1 therapy slashes migraine frequency

#96

Post by buu700 »

ascorbic wrote: post #54
neom wrote: post #4

Is there any good consensus on what the deal is with this drug yet? I don't know how to think about GLP-1. In the headlines it seems like every month it's a miracle cure for something new, yet we don't really understand it? But it seems like just generally...everyone, including me, would benefit from being on it...? The whole thing makes me uneasy but I'm not exactly sure why outside of it seems weird to have one dru…

There are currently several hypotheses. Some say that it's just because it helps you lose weight, and obesity increases the risk of so many things. However while this is true, there are lots of examples where there are effects even when you control for weight loss. One of the more interesting theories is that it's down to their anti-inflammatory effects, because chronic inflammation is linked to so many conditions.

Aside from fat loss, my guess is that what we'll ultimately find is that the benefits of GLP-1 therapy are primarily due to reduced blood sugar and/or ketosis, either/both of which (along with fat loss) could contribute to improved mitochondrial health and lower chronic inflammation. That could in turn improve all sorts of symptoms, not least of which would be migraine and depression.

Re: From blood sugar to brain relief: GLP-1 therapy slashes migraine frequency

#97

Post by llm_nerd »

throwaway2037 wrote: post #88
llm_nerd wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GLP-1 is a naturally occurring hormone regulating blood sugar, satiety, and gastric emptying. Some people simply don't have enough naturally (which can be a result of diet composition and lifestyle -- there are diet and behaviour modifications to increase your natural production) and artificial supplementation is beneficial. The overwhelming benefits from GLP-1 are courtesy of weight loss and better blood sugar contr…

I need to ask: What is it with HN attracting the "inflammation explains everything" crowd whenever there is a discussion about medical topics? I don't understand it. Is there any hard science behind all these explanations of phenom via the inflammation pathway? Or is this just another seed oil conspiracy theory?

Why in the world did you post this in reply to my comment? Obviously you have some weird hangup, and the fact that I mentioned inflammation quite literally in passing triggered you.

Yes, inflammation is a thing in the medical world. There are actual tests to measure it. Having higher levels is generally considered a negative indicator.

Re: From blood sugar to brain relief: GLP-1 therapy slashes migraine frequency

#98

Post by esperent »

throwfish3000 wrote: post #24
cjbgkagh wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s miracle drug, I’ve been on it for a few years now, it would have been sooner but usage data wasn’t available at the scale I needed before the ozempic craze. I have hEDS and part of that is ME/CFS and uncontrollable weight gain, so naturally I was looking for help with weight loss with the understanding that drugs that help with weight loss could be treating an underlying mechanisms that was causing the weight ga…

Does having uncontrollable weight gain help you get jacked? Being jacked and fat is tons of fun, better than being skinny.

In the same way that CICO (calories in, calories out) is a hard metabolic rule of weight gain, eating lot of complete protein and lifting heavy things is a hard physiological rule of "getting jacked" .

It's conceivable that future drug discoveries could safely reduce the amount of lifting required. But the protein requirements will always remain.

Re: From blood sugar to brain relief: GLP-1 therapy slashes migraine frequency

#99

Post by esperent »

doctoboggan wrote: post #29
neom wrote: post #4

Is there any good consensus on what the deal is with this drug yet? I don't know how to think about GLP-1. In the headlines it seems like every month it's a miracle cure for something new, yet we don't really understand it? But it seems like just generally...everyone, including me, would benefit from being on it...? The whole thing makes me uneasy but I'm not exactly sure why outside of it seems weird to have one dru…

I had just assumed that all these new things this is a cure for are just down stream affects of being overweight, and losing the weight also reduces the incidence of these other issues as well.

As a migraine sufferer who is not overweight, I don't agree. I think it's likely there's a strong connection between inflammation and migraines, but even if that's not the case, migraines have triggers. I've spent years working out what mine are but still when there's an unfortunate combination (a storm/high pressure, plus I worked too much yesterday, plus I drank a tiny bit too much coffee, plus I didn't have time to workout for a day, plus I drank a glass of wine last night etc.) then I will get a migraine.

It's frustrating because if this combination of things doesn't line up, being busy so that I skip a workout and then drink a glass of wine to relax in the evening would be totally fine. But add a couple more variables that are out of my control, then a migraine will hit me and I can't do anything for two days.

I can see that a drug which reduced my craving for things like chocolate, coffee, wine, food - especially at times when I'm stressed and my willpower is low - might have large results on reducing my migraines.

Re: From blood sugar to brain relief: GLP-1 therapy slashes migraine frequency

#100

Post by egberts1 »

Surely some enterprising prediabetic individuals can experiment on these drugs with Bluetooth-glucose monitoring devices.

Anecdotal evidence, anyone?

For me, prechewing pasta thoroughly knocked off 12-16 from my glucose level. (Converting carbs to dextrose in the mouth?).

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