Coenzyme Q10 May Offer Migraine Relief

Coenzyme Q10 May Offer Migraine Relief

Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic recently found that coenzyme Q10 can significantly reduce the number of attacks in migraine sufferers.

In an open-label study, researchers treated 32 patients suffering from episodic migraine with 150 mg of coenzyme Q10 a day for three months. The treatment period was preceded by a 1-month baseline phase.

CoQ10 significantly reduced the average number of days patients experienced migraines. At baseline, the subjects suffered from an average of 7.34 days with migraines per month. After treatment, the days with migraines fell to 2.95 days. More than 61% of the CoQ10-treated patients had a greater than 50% reduction in the number of days with migraine. In addition, mean migraine frequency fell after CoQ10-treatment from 4.85 attacks at baseline to 2.81 at the end of the study. CoQ10 did not cause any side effects.

The researchers had decided to see whether CoQ10 was effective because it is crucial to the proper functioning of the mitochondria. Other scientists have theorized that migraines arise due to mitochondrial dysfunction. Since coenzyme Q10 is widely studied for the treatment of mitochondrial disorders, the researchers thought it might be effective against migraines. Even so, because there are few agents that prevent migraines, particularly ones without side effects, the researchers were impressed. The lead study author emphasized that their success with CoQ10 indicates a need for future placebo-controlled trials.

Reference:

Rozen TD, et al. Cephalalgia. 2002;22:137-141.

The information in this article is not intended to provide personal medical advice, which should be obtained from a medical professional, and has not been approved by the U.S. FDA.

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