Rare Headaches May Be More Common after Weight-Loss Surgery

Some people may develop headaches after weight-loss surgery, a small study suggests. The study included 338 people with a rare condition known as spontaneous intracranial hypotension. They had low blood pressure in the brain. This caused headaches. Eleven people in this group (3.3%) had prior weight-loss (bariatric) surgery. Researchers compared this group with 245 people who had headaches from another cause. People in this group had a weak spot in a blood vessel in the brain. This is called intracranial aneurysm. A large aneurysm in the brain can cause headaches. Only 2 of those in the aneurysm group (0.8%) had prior weight-loss surgery. On average, headaches caused by intracranial hypotension began more than 4½ years after weight-loss surgery. Before headaches began, people had lost an average of 116 pounds each. Treatment relieved headaches for 9 of the 11 people.