Migraine Headache

Please see the student research poster #82 on migraines produced in 2004!

In addition, the following report was sent to me. I have not verified it.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Mar 2003 - Daily coenzyme Q10 supplementation is well tolerated and reduces the frequency of headaches in migraineurs, according to a report in the February 22nd issue of Neurology.

"Riboflavin, which improves energy metabolism similarly to coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), is effective in migraine prophylaxis," Dr. Peter S. Sandor, of University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, and colleagues write.

In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, the team tested CoQ10 versus placebo in 42 migraine patients between the ages of 18 and 65 years. The patients received placebo for a 1-month run-in, and then were randomly assigned to receive CoQ10 (100 mg) or placebo three times daily. Participants were asked to complete a migraine diary.

The main outcome measure was the change of attack frequency in month 4 compared with the run-in period. Patients in the CoQ10 group had a more pronounced change in attack frequency (p = 0.05). Only CoQ10 patients had a continuous decrease in attack frequency between month 1 and 4, and had a higher 50% responder-rate for headache frequency than placebo patients.

Secondary measures included reduction of migraine days, mean duration/day, mean severity/day, days with nausea/vomiting, and mean number of units of acute anti-migraine medication/migraine day.

"The number of headache days was different between month 4 and 1 (p = 0.04) in the CoQ10 group only," Dr. Sandor's team reports. "The change between baseline and month 4 in the number of days with nausea was different between the groups," they add. "Also, the evolution of mean severity differed between groups."

The number-needed-to-treat for 50% responder-rate was 3, the investigators calculated.

One patient in the placebo group withdrew due to intermittent pyrosis, and one CoQ10 patient withdrew because of cutaneous allergy.

"Because of its excellent tolerability," Dr. Sandor and colleagues comment, "CoQ10 is a candidate for children and women of childbearing years."

Neurology 2005;64:713-715.