Some people claim they’ve found a strange but tasty way to fight off a migraine — and it’s not a pill or a fancy health drink. It’s a trip to McDonald’s.Anyone who’s ever battled a hangover knows how comforting a salty order of fries and an ice-cold Coke can be. But fans of this combo say it doesn’t just help with hangovers — it works wonders for pounding headaches too.
For many migraine sufferers, painkillers barely make a dent. That might be why so many are now turning to what’s being jokingly called “the McMigraine cure.”
The idea has taken over TikTok, where users insist that grabbing a large Coke and fries can make migraine symptoms fade surprisingly fast. It’s become such a common claim that people have started calling it the “McMigraine meal.”One TikTok user asked in frustration: “All right, can somebody please tell me the science of why McDonald’s Coke and large fries cures my migraines in a way that no medication ever will?”
Thankfully, Dr. Myro Figura stepped in to explain that there’s a bit of real science behind the trend — and it actually makes more sense than you’d think once it’s broken down.
The ‘McMigraine’ – a large Coke and friesJakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
“There’s actually three reasons. For one, it’s gonna give you a dopamine hit that’s gonna make anyone feel better after anything,” he said, describing how the body responds to that hit of sugar and caffeine.“Two, a large Coke is gonna have 85 milligrams of caffeine – and that is more caffeine than the leading medication for migraines, Excedrin migraine. And if you didn’t know, yes, caffeine can be a relief for a headache, especially a migraine.”
“And three, those french fries are gonna have a ton of salt, which is gonna hydrate you, just like an electrolyte tablet would.”
He added one more reason why this combo can help: “There’s actually a fourth reason, and that is in some people, low blood sugar can provoke a migraine well 140 grams of carbs is gonna fix that real quick.”In other words, that McDonald’s run might be doing more than just comforting your stomach — it’s hitting the same biological factors that can trigger or worsen a migraine in the first place.
Headaches like these can often stem from low hydration, caffeine withdrawal, or a sudden dip in blood sugar. When you think about it, the combination of sugar from the Coke, salt from the fries, and caffeine from the soda checks all three boxes at once.
And it’s not just Dr. Figura saying this. Other medical professionals have also noted that there might be something to the so-called McDonald’s method.Dr. David Walker, a headache and facial pain specialist at Rush University Medical Center, weighed in on the topic when it started gaining attention online.
Speaking to VeryWell, he said: “We know the caffeine can help migraines in the short-term therapy of them. So it isn’t too surprising that the caffeine in Coca-Cola itself is helpful.”
However, Dr. Walker was quick to point out that this shouldn’t become your go-to treatment. While caffeine can temporarily help some people, fried food and high sugar intake might have the opposite effect for others.He explained: “It’s great that this helps certain individuals. I don’t think it should be generalized because on the flip side of things, fried foods can trigger migraines.”
“I think there’s a psychological component going on here. I don’t think this should be ignored.”
