GLP-1 Meds Could Ease Migraines Without Adding New Side Effects

1 Big Thing

Early clinical data hint that GLP-1 medications, like liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide may reduce migraine days in people with obesity and chronic migraine.

Why it matters

Migraines are a major cause of disability. If a widely used class of medications helps without adding new side effects, many people could benefit.

Between the lines

Benefits in a pilot study didn’t seem tied to weight loss, pointing to a possible brain-pressure pathway rather than the scale.

Go deeper

What the study showed

• Adults with high-frequency or chronic migraine plus obesity received daily liraglutide for 12 weeks as an add-on to usual preventives. Monthly headache days fell from about 20 to 11. Disability scores improved meaningfully.  
• Weight change was small and not statistically significant, and changes in BMI didn’t explain the headache improvement.
• Side effects looked familiar for GLP-1s: mostly mild GI symptoms such as nausea and constipation; none led to stopping treatment.

How might GLP-1s help migraines?

Researchers suspect GLP-1s lower intracranial pressure by reducing cerebrospinal fluid secretion via receptors in the choroid plexus. That could reduce trigeminal sensitization and CGRP release, both central to migraine biology.  

Where the other GLP-1s fit

• Iiraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide: No migraine-specific randomized trials yet, despite interest.  
• Exenatide: In idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a randomized trial showed lower intracranial pressure and better headaches, supporting the same pressure pathway that may matter in migraine.

Safety and side effects: what’s typical vs rare

• Common, usually temporary: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and sometimes headache during dose changes; hydration, regular meals and symptom tracking can help.  
• Uncommon but important: Pancreatitis or gallbladder disease require urgent care if severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting or jaundice occur.
• Rare outliers: A published case described near-daily hemiplegic migraines while on an injectable GLP-1 for weight loss, which improved after stopping. Personalized risk-benefit matters.

Big caveats

This was a single-center, open-label pilot with 31 participants and no control arm. It can’t prove cause and effect, and results may not apply to people without obesity or with episodic migraine. Larger randomized trials are needed.

What this means for you

If you live with chronic migraine and obesity and haven’t responded to standard preventives, GLP-1 therapy is an option to discuss as an add-on within a broader plan. It’s not approved for migraine, and supervised care is essential while stronger evidence is built.  

References

1. MedLink Neurology. “From blood sugar to brain relief: GLP-1 therapy slashes migraine frequency.” News release summarizing pilot data and mechanistic rationale.
2. Northside Hospital News Center. “GLP-1 drugs show promise for migraines, study finds.” Q&A on study limits, safety and clinical context.
3. Braca S, Russo CV, Stornaiuolo A, et al. Effectiveness and tolerability of liraglutide as add-on treatment in patients with obesity and high-frequency or chronic migraine: A prospective pilot study. Headache. 2025. Primary clinical data on efficacy, disability, weight change, and adverse events.
4. Modestino EJ, Bowirrat A, Lewandrowski KU, et al. Hemiplegic Migraines Exacerbated using an Injectable GLP-1 Agonist for Weight Loss. Acta Sci Neurol. 2024. Single-patient case report noting worsening hemiplegic migraine on liraglutide.
5. Torrance Bariatric Institute. “Does GLP-1 Cause Headaches? What You Should Know.” Overview of headache as a potential side effect and mitigation tips.