Craigo Posted Tuesday at 08:38 AM Posted Tuesday at 08:38 AM In lieu of a recent article I wrote exploring the literature that may support dysbiosis in cluster headache (check general board), a number of parallels were cautiously drawn from emerging migraine literature, which I thought worth sharing in one place here on the migraine board. These recent studies explore the emerging role of dysbiosis as a causative factor in migraine pathogenesis, exploring potential links via the gut-brain axis, microbial imbalance and therapeutic interventions like probiotics or faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Whilst I don’t suffer from migraine myself, having read this body of work, if I did I think it would be a fair and reasonable question to be asking: “Do I have dysbiosis, and if so, what can I do about it?” None of the papers below explore the role of optimised nutrition in detail, nor do they touch on two of my favourite patient-led protocols that are known to reshape the gastrointestinal environment and microbiome - high-dose vitamin D and psilocybin - but the door remains open for those avenues to be investigated (and hopefully discussed here). Happy reading – welcome your comment and you’ll find a NotebookLM audio summary generation below if you’d rather listen to a podcast rather than read studies. I have offered the links to the articles and a short generated summary snippet - any of the articles are behind a paywall and you’d like me to shoot you off a copy please reach out via DM. Gut microbiota dysbiosis enhances migraine-like pain via TNFα upregulation Published January 2020 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-019-01721-7 Yuanyuan Tang, Sufang Liu, Hui Shu, Lora Yanagisawa, Feng Tao Key finding: Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis and germ-free status markedly worsen nitroglycerin-triggered migraine-like pain in mice through TNFα-mediated trigeminal sensitisation; probiotics reverse the effect. The association between migraine and gut microbiota: a systematic review Published April 2023 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-025-02779-y Alon Gorenshtein, Kamel Shihada, Liron Leibovitch, Tom Liba, Avner Goren Key finding: Consistent reduction in anti-inflammatory genera (especially Faecalibacterium) and increased Veillonella in migraineurs; overall picture of dysbiosis and reduced diversity. A causal effect of gut microbiota in the development of migraine Published July 2023 https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-023-01609-x Qiang He, Wenjing Wang, Yang Xiong, Chuanyuan Tao, Lu Ma, Junpeng Ma, Chao You, and The International Headache Genetics Consortium Key finding: Mendelian randomisation evidence of causal links from multiple bacterial taxa (including Bifidobacteriaceae) to migraine, migraine with aura, and migraine without aura. Making migraine easier to stomach: the role of the gut–brain–immune axis in headache disorders Published 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.15934 Marissa Sgro, Jason Ray, Emma Foster, Richelle Mychasiuk Key finding: Narrative review emphasising that a diverse, healthy microbiome is required for optimal brain health and that dietary manipulation is a logical therapeutic lever. Migraine as a Disease Associated with Dysbiosis and Possible Therapy with Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Published 14 August 2023 https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11082083 Ágnes Kappéter, Dávid Sipos, Adorján Varga, Szabolcs Vigvári, Bernadett Halda-Kiss, Zoltán Péterfi Key finding: Explicitly proposes fecal microbiota transplantation as a future therapeutic option for migraine on the basis of restored serotonin signalling and reduced neuroinflammation. Linking Migraine to Gut Dysbiosis and Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases Published 11 October 2023 https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15204327 Manuela Di Lauro, Cristina Guerriero, Kevin Cornali, Maria Albanese, Micaela Costacurta, Nicola Biagio Mercuri, Nicola Di Daniele, Annalisa Noce Key finding: Places gut dysbiosis at the centre of a bidirectional relationship between migraine and cardiometabolic disorders; advocates nutritional and lifestyle approaches to restore eubiosis. Lipopolysaccharide, VE-cadherin, HMGB1, and HIF-1α levels are elevated in the systemic circulation in chronic migraine patients with medication overuse headache: evidence of leaky gut and inflammation Published 2024 https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-024-01730-5 Doga Vuralli, Merve Ceren Akgor, Hale Gok Dagidir, Ozlem Gulbahar, Meltem Yalinay, Hayrunnisa Bolay Key finding: First human evidence of raised circulating LPS and leaky-gut markers in chronic migraine + medication-overuse headache, directly implicating intestinal hyperpermeability. The Brain, the Eating Plate, and the Gut Microbiome: Partners in Migraine Pathogenesis Published 11 July 2024 https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16142222 Parisa Gazerani, Laura Papetti, Turgay Dalkara, Calli Leighann Cook, Caitlin Webster, Jinbing Bai Key finding: Strong call for personalised dietary and pre/probiotic interventions; highlights bidirectional influence between diet, microbiome, and migraine susceptibility. Oral and Gut Dysbiosis in Migraine: Oral Microbial Signatures as Biomarkers of Migraine Published 2025 https://doi.org/10.1212/NXI.0000000000200437 Soomi Cho, Yeonjae Jung, Hyun-Seok Oh, Jungyon Yum, Seungwon Song, JaeWook Jeong, Woo-Seok Ha, Kyung Min Kim, Won-Joo Kim, Min Kyung Chu Key finding: Oral dysbiosis is even more pronounced than gut dysbiosis in migraine; specific oral microbial clusters predict migraine status with high accuracy and correlate with headache frequency. Unravelling the gut–brain connection: a systematic review of migraine and the gut microbiome Published 3 April 2025 https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-025-02039-7 Caroline W Mugo, Ella Church, Richard D Horniblow, Susan P Mollan, Hannah Botfield, Lisa J Hill, Alexandra J Sinclair, Olivia Grech Key finding: Synbiotic and combined probiotic–synbiotic regimens consistently reduce attack frequency, severity, duration, and analgesic consumption in randomised trials. Gut microbiota, probiotics, and migraine: a clinical review and meta-analysis Published 12 September 2025 https://doi.org/10.22514/jofph.2025.043 Olga Grodzka, Izabela Domitrz Key finding: Meta-analysis of RCTs confirms probiotics significantly lower migraine frequency; effect on severity approaches significance despite limited trials. Quote
Craigo Posted Tuesday at 08:50 AM Author Posted Tuesday at 08:50 AM Notebook LLM Audio Summary Podcast Generation (AI generated). Leaky_Gut_Causes_Chronic_Migraines_and_Pain.m4a Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.