Magnesium, natural substances for headaches

Bonnie - it is a pleasure to read about physicians and journals, such as Neurology, coming over to our side!

Nutrients and Herbs for Migraine Attacks
Dr. David Dodick, Mayo Clinic
New York Times

Q. These days I get one or two migraines a month. I used to get migraines much more frequently. At some point, my doctor prescribed niacin for other reasons (cholesterol control), and I decided to do some research to see if that would be a trigger for more. What I found was a short paper from someone at the Mayo Clinic saying that there is anecdotal evidence that niacin can prevent migraines, but no studies had been done. After I started taking niacin (and magnesium) daily, the frequency of attacks dropped radically. So: has anyone gotten around to studying the effects of niacin (or magnesium) on migraines? Thanks. AJ, Berkeley, CA

Q. Does the herbal remedy feverfew help to alleviate some forms of migraines? Cathy, Sterling, Mass.

A. Dr. Dodick responds: Thank you for your questions. Although case reports suggest that the B vitamin niacin is effective in reducing the frequency of migraine attacks, it has not been formally studied in rigorous placebo-controlled trials. Regarding the effectiveness of other nonprescription alternative therapies, new evidence-based guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology, which will be published soon in the journal Neurology, indicate that several nutritional and alternative remedies may be effective.

The guidelines state that Petasites, the purified extract from the butterbur plant, is effective at a dosage of 75 milligrams twice daily and should be offered for migraine prevention. The guidelines also say that several other remedies are “probably” effective and should be considered for migraine prevention. These remedies are magnesium (at a daily dose of 300 milligrams), MIG-99 (an extract of the herb feverfew) and riboflavin (400 milligrams daily).

They say that coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10 (300 milligrams daily), is “possibly” effective and may be considered for migraine prevention.

There is a scientific rationale for why these products were studied for migraine prevention, and a plausible explanation for a mechanism of action that is relevant to the biology of migraine. For example, some studies suggest that the metabolic capacity of the brain cells in migraine sufferers may not be sufficient to meet the demands of a migraine attack. Therefore, nutrients like CoQ10 and riboflavin, which are “metabolic enhancers” that increase the capacity for each cell in the body, and presumably the brain, to manufacture energy more efficiently, may be helpful. In addition, in placebo-controlled studies, several of these therapies were found to be superior to placebo.

It is important to recognize that all of these treatments are meant to be taken daily to prevent or reduce the occurrence of attacks. None of these treatments are effective for the acute treatment of an attack after it has begun.

Bonnie - we have known about butterbur and feverfew for a while now. However, for many of our clients, they can create strong allergic reactions. We find magnesium and B-vitamins to be much safer alternatives.