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clear search termsMigraine Relief AND Prevention
Migraine is the most common type of neuro-vascular headache. And it can be extremely debilitating to our clients.
Unfortunately, the most common drugs used to “treat” them can have major, long-term side effects in the GI tract which tend to create disease elsewhere. And over-use of drugs (too long OR too much) can actually cause the very headaches they are trying to relieve! Your patients and clients are HIGHLY unlikely to realize this fact – and thus realize the importance of addressing their headaches in other, truly healing ways.
I want to share with you some key pearls about migraine right now. Below is a specific set of remedies I have seen work many times in providing ongoing migraine prevention. Fewer headaches. Less intense. Shorter. And in some cases: full relief. They can take 2 or 3 months to achieve full effectiveness, so it’s important for your clients to be consistent and committed (and be sure to set their expectations properly!). Of course, we want to be practicing in the true spirit of functional medicine! Use this type of remedy for Rapid Relief while you delve into bio-individuality and support each unique patient or client in exploring and identifying their specific Root Causes of migraines beyond a need for these key nutrients.
- Riboflavin. The lowly Vitamin B2 is a powerful remedy for migraine, activating the MTHFR enzyme needed for methylation and directly supporting cellular metabolism. You will need 400-500mg once daily which is a therapeutic dose (and yes, an admittedly high one). There is excellent research into this dynamic here and here.
- Magnesium. Consider 300-400mg twice daily with food, but build up one dose at a time. The glycinate and malate forms are easy to find, easily absorbed, and effective, without over-stimulating bowels. Learn more about magnesium from Dr. Mark Hyman here! This minerals is so effective that IV magnesium is used for treatment of acute migraine in care facilities. (Note that these doses are contraindicated in those with kidney disease).
- CoQ10. An absolutely critical enzyme for energy generation in our mitochondria (the little energy factories in every cell of our body; especially the heart and the brain). For migraine, consider 100-150mg twice daily with food. Be sure to use the ubiquinol or other enhanced absorption formula, especially for those over ~40 y/o (some of us lose our ability to convert ubiquinone to the reduced ubiquinol form as we age). This has also been studied.
For real-time migraine relief, it’s important to take action as soon as the first inklings of one appear. Help your clients to choose to honor their body’s needs and slow down the process by lying down in a dark, quiet room and practice vagus-triggering breathing (e.g. box breathing). A combination of lavender and peppermint essential oils can be quite powerful if used quickly and repeatedly to prevent a “spiraling-up” migraine or at least reduce the intensity. Aromatherapy sounds weak to many people, but it’s been shown to be quite effectively. In non-sensitive individuals, you may also dilute both with a carrier oil and apply topically (to the head and pulse points as well). If you are interested in research findings about these oils, check out this and this as a starting point.
I hope this quick, clinical tip serves you and your clients!
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20 Questions for “Migraine Relief AND Prevention”
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11.1
Many reputable brands are available on the market, and their sentiment is dynamically changing. Thus, we avoid recommending any specific brands and offer suggestive doses. Please note that those are by no means guidelines but starting points for orientation where one could begin.
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Himanshi Kashyap says:
Can surgery such as hysterectomy along with oophorectomy lead to migraines?
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Yes, it can. Here are couple of publications on this topic that may be of interest:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26283296/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7798669/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6755575/
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Marilyn Dellit says:
I know how crucial magnesium is for many processes within the body, and it is often recommended in SAFM posts. I am wondering when you suggest a combo Mag + Calcium, as this is often found in supplements with clients.
For example, would you recommend a combo Mg/Ca for clients above a certain age rather than Magnesium on it’s own?
Thank you!-
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It will always depend on the client and what are they truly wrestling with. We always emphasize the forms of minerals to choose those that are best absorbed and there is a lot to explore in the calcium-magnesium topic. Here are further posts that may be of interest to you:
https://schoolafm.com/ws_clinical_know/client-relief-magnesium-to-the-rescue/
https://schoolafm.com/ws_clinical_know/rheumatoid-and-osteo-arthritis-autoimmune-activation/
https://schoolafm.com/ws_clinical_know/from-3-drugs-to-none-hypertension-gone%e2%80%8f/
https://schoolafm.com/ws_clinical_know/myths-and-truths-about-plaque/
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Jessie says:
How would you address constipation in elderly (80s)with kidney disease where they can not take Mgcitrat
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There are many reasons why one may be constipated. Feel free to explore our free clinical course on this topic:
https://schoolafm.com/ws_clinical_know/curing-constipation/
The link is at the bottom of the article.
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Kimberly Kopetseg says:
What is the mechanism of action for Evening Primrose oil (omega-6 fatty acid/anti- inflammatory prostaglandin) to cause a headache as a side effect since it is meant to help with PMS symptoms, hot flashes, etc.
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Headache, nausea, and diarrhea are the occasional effects related to evening primrose oil. Alas, the mechanism is not very well understood.
You may be interested in these articles that go more in-depth into the variety of EPO functions, effects on the body and potential minor side effects:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31497576/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20000302/
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fitoru says:
thanks for sharing your insights. More power
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Wendy Silva says:
How long is it recommended they stay on these supplements? Is it short term to help while you look for the root cause of the migraines?
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Indeed there is no ‘set-in-stone’ protocol for supplement use – some people will need a combination of the support listed in the article and some may need only one or two. Some will take these supplements for 2-3 months and feel great and some may need the support for a longer time. Thus, remembering and honoring the client’s unique body and situation, and going after the true root cause of the migraines is paramount and that’s what we teach at SAFM.
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Claudine says:
A client has suffered with migraines for years. She is using Thorne B basic and Thorne magnesium malate which have helped her. She went to her neurologist appt and they diagnosed her with occipital neuralgia. Do you know what that is and what causes that? They prescribed her with 100 mg of gabapentin and are scheduling her for an MRI.
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SAFM Team says:
This may be helpful to you: https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/headache/occipital-neuralgia-healing-horrible-headaches/ . In the end, we are talking about inflamed and irritated nerves, so the mindset of addressing and finding root causes of neuropathy could be a helpful framework for your thinking (e.g. insulin resistance, insufficient nutrients, toxicity). Consider too sources of pinched nerves e.g. tight muscles (stress?), insufficient magnesium, poor sleep)? Perhaps a need for chiropractic or osteopathic alignment support? There are also similarities between this and other types of neuralgia; you may find some help here as well: https://schoolafm.com/ws_qa/trigeminal-neuralgia/ (enrolled students will be able to see this).
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I didn’t realize you all worked with migraine headaches. I am a Board Certified Health Coach (AADP) and this is my area of expertise.
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Welcome, Lynne! Yes, SAFM offers courses on a wide variety of topics, and the membership database includes hundreds of posts on a rich variety of case studies covering many more. Our students include a wide variety of practitioners including many health coaches but also nurses, nurse practitioners, therapists, physicians, etc.. Your expertise is well needed – good for you!
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You are right. It is a much needed area. I love to help people incorporate some holistic methods into migraine therapy.
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Yes, I believe the other specific supplements recommended on this page are fine for an otherwise-healthy 14 y/o girl. Of particular note in this case is whether the migraines originated actually coincident with her menses. Be sure to consider this, as migraines can be a fairly prominent symptom of estrogen dominance. And certainly to your point, xenoestrogens such as those found in personal care products, household cleaning chemicals, and pesticides/herbicides (as well as conventionally raised beef products and dairy foods) can play a substantial, exacerbating role. I believe these exogenous hormone sources are a major player in the epidemic of overall hormone-mediated challenges we see in today’s teenagers (e.g. very heavy menses). I would encourage regular, daily intake of cruciferous vegetables, especially broccoli or perhaps (even better) broccoli sprouts. Also daily evening primrose oil and omega-3 essential fats and also a high-quality multivitamin that includes B vitamins to support hormone detoxification. Make sure there is no constipation. It is critical that we educate young people about the power of their choices early on in their lives!
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Because it is easy to access, I often recommend Jarrow’s “QHAbsorb” which includes the ubiquinol (reduced) form of CoQ10. This form is often needed for maximum utilization in our clients in their 40s and older, so I recommend it to be sure of efficacy. If a client needs a form without binders/fillers due to impaired digestion/absorption, I usually recommend Thorne’s “Q-Best” which is liposomally encapsulated for optimal absorption (but this latter does contain soy).
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Regarding the supplements recommended for migraines and their dosing, do you have any specific brand recommendations? Im having a hard time finding options for the coq10 and b2 that would be consistent with this dosing. Thanks!!