So, dear fellow migraineurs, there's another nutrient that can help us: CoQ10.
You've heard of it being used to lower blood pressure and as an aide to cardio vascular health in general, but did you know it can help prevent migraines?
The migraine trust website (www.migrainetrust.org) cited a study done on migraine sufferers. According to the trust: "The study
showed the effect of CoQ10 began after
the first month and was most effective
after three months. The frequency of
migraine attacks was reduced by 50%
in the active group by month four as
compared to a reduction by 14.4% in the
placebo group."
Other organizations have done similar studies with positive results.
The Life Extension Foundation website had this to say:
"Migraine headaches are a debilitating, all-too-common affliction. Because mitochondrial dysfunction may play a role in migraines by limiting oxygen metabolism, researchers recently explored the use of CoQ10 in preventing these headaches. Published in the February 2005 issue of Neurology, the research describes a placebo-controlled trial of 42 patients in Switzerland.2
Patients who had suffered migraines for a year or more, with two to eight attacks per month, were randomly assigned to receive either 100 mg of CoQ10 or placebo, three times daily. At the end of the three-month trial, the CoQ10-treated group had lower attack frequency and fewer headache days and days with nausea than did the placebo group. The mean number of monthly migraine attacks dropped from 4.4 to 3.2 in the CoQ10 group, compared to a negligible decrease from 4.4 to 4.3 in the placebo group.2
In this study, supplemental CoQ10 reduced migraine frequency by 27%."
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The recommended dose for migraine prevention is 100 mg, 3 times a day.
As my readers know by now, I'm very sensitive, so I started with 60 mg, once a day at breakfast.
However, it wasn't until I added another 60 mg at suppertime that I started to see a difference.
The severity of attacks diminished dramatically.
I'm about to increase my dose to 60 mg, 3 times a day.
One thing to watch for is that CoQ10 does have a blood pressure lowering effect. So if you are on blood pressure medication or have naturally low blood pressure (as I do), then it would definitely be wise to consult your doctor before trying this supplement.
Not everyone reacts the same, but since CoQ10 is considered safe, it might be worth a try if your doctor agrees that it would be safe for you.
Hope this helps!
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