22-02-2010, 03:03 PM
Hi noella
I found out now that caffeine is a vasoconstrictor as well as a vasodilator so you were partly right.
But the pain relief is actually due to another mechanism (which I wasn't aware of up until now). Caffeine has a similar chemical structure as adenosine. It locks into the adenosine receptors in the brain. This way it prevents adenosine to lock into receptors and cause pain. When you drink coffee on a regular basis, the brain counterregulates this effect by creating more receptors which may then result in more head aches when you stop drinking it.
I don't drink coffee on a regular basis but it does help with my head aches every once in a while. But only if I'm feeling cold. Otherwise it usually doesn't work.
Mel, I've tried hot and cold water in the past. Unfortunately it never worked. Maybe it's different applying it on the scalp but I don't think I'm brave enough to try
.
I found out now that caffeine is a vasoconstrictor as well as a vasodilator so you were partly right.
But the pain relief is actually due to another mechanism (which I wasn't aware of up until now). Caffeine has a similar chemical structure as adenosine. It locks into the adenosine receptors in the brain. This way it prevents adenosine to lock into receptors and cause pain. When you drink coffee on a regular basis, the brain counterregulates this effect by creating more receptors which may then result in more head aches when you stop drinking it.
I don't drink coffee on a regular basis but it does help with my head aches every once in a while. But only if I'm feeling cold. Otherwise it usually doesn't work.
Mel, I've tried hot and cold water in the past. Unfortunately it never worked. Maybe it's different applying it on the scalp but I don't think I'm brave enough to try
.