Could a Diabetes Drug Help Your Migraines? Science Says Yes

For the millions of people worldwide who suffer from chronic migraines, relief can often feel frustratingly out of reach. However, in what could be a game-changing discovery, a common diabetes medication has been shown to offer unexpected relief for people suffering from chronic migraines.

In a recent study presented at the 2025 European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress, researchers at the University of Naples “Federico II” found that the drug liraglutide—originally developed to lower blood sugar and support weight loss—cut the number of monthly migraine days by more than half in patients living with both chronic migraine and obesity. That means fewer days spent in dark rooms avoiding triggers, and more days living life.

Importantly, the study found that the benefits weren’t due to weight loss, but rather liraglutide’s ability to lower pressure in the brain, a factor that may play a key role in triggering migraines. “Liraglutide may suppress the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a known migraine-promoting molecule, by reducing intracranial venous pressure,” researchers noted, suggesting a new “pharmacologically targetable pathway” in migraine prevention.

A “Life-Changing” Shift for Migraine Sufferers

That outcome caught the attention of neurologists everywhere, including Luis Tornes, M.D., with Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute.

“My immediate response was cautious enthusiasm,” says Dr. Tornes. “Seeing a diabetes medication cut migraine days in half was exciting. “For someone living with near-constant pain, that can be life-changing.”

The benefit does not appear to stem from weight loss, Dr. Tornes notes—a common side effect of GLP-1 agonists like liraglutide—but from a potential reduction in intracranial pressure. “This opens up a whole new way to think about treating migraines,” he says.

What Is Liraglutide and How Does it Work?

Liraglutide is a GLP-1 agonist that mimics the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1, a natural hormone your body produces after you eat. The drug “activates” GLP-1 receptors in the body that tell your brain you’re full, signal your pancreas to release insulin and slow down digestion to help control blood sugar.

Researchers hypothesize that liraglutide also modulates cerebrospinal fluid production and relieves compression on intracranial venous sinuses, which are part of the brain’s drainage system. They say this disrupts a chain of biological events that often leads to migraine.

Study participants who were given liraglutide experienced an average of 11 fewer migraine days per month. Most participants began feeling better within two weeks, according to the study, and improvements in daily life, including work and social activities, were reported. Mild gastrointestinal side effects like nausea and constipation occurred in slightly more than a third of participants but these were manageable and did not cause anyone to drop out of the study.

Giving New Hope to Migraine Patients

Globally, one in seven people live with migraines, and the World Health Organization ranks it as one of the leading causes of disability. Yet many current treatments come with side effects or have limited efficacy. For those whose lives are interrupted by frequent attacks, new therapies—especially ones that work through a different biological pathway—are critical.

This 12-week pilot study included 26 adults with obesity and chronic migraine who were carefully screened to rule out idiopathic intracranial hypertension as a confounding variable. Although participants experienced slight changes in Body Mass Index (BMI), researchers confirmed that weight loss did not correlate with migraine improvement, strengthening the case that pressure modulation—not appetite suppression—is the key mechanism.

A larger, randomized, double-blind trial is already in the planning stages. Researchers hope to directly measure intracranial pressure and evaluate whether similar GLP-1 medications could offer the same or better results with fewer side effects. While more research is needed before liraglutide or related GLP-1 drugs can be added to the list of mainstream migraine treatments, the initial data offers renewed optimism.

“The results are promising, but this was a small, early study,” cautions Dr. Tornes. “We need a larger trial where patients are randomly assigned to take the drug or a placebo. If all goes well, this could become a whole new approach to treating migraine.”

Luis Tornes, M.D., a neurologist with Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute