CoQ10 supplements stop migraine headaches

Of course, it also helps to stop eating the foods and drinks that cause migraines in the first place. Especially watch out for MSG (monosodium glutamate) and aspartame, both of which are well known to cause severe migraines in some people.

• For years, Joan Rozen lived on Excedrin pills, too busy as a mother and teacher to bow to daily migraine headaches.
• Daily doses of some prescription blood pressure drugs, antidepressants and anti-seizure drugs can be taken as preventives, but have significant side effects and don't help everyone.
• As a result, a growing number of patients, heartened by emerging research, are embracing prevention using relatively inexpensive over-the-counter dietary supplements, which have few side effects.
• "The bottom line is that there are safe alternatives with a firm scientific basis for preventing migraine for people who don't want to take prescription drugs, that also can be used to complement prescription drugs," said Dr. Richard B. Lipton, a neurology professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, N.Y. Some of these include: Coenzyme Q10: Dr. Todd Rozen, a headache specialist at the Michigan Head Pain & Neurological Institute in Ann Arbor, conducted early research demonstrating CoQ10's potential to prevent migraines.
• Swiss researchers reported April 28 at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting that 300 milligrams daily halved the incidence of migraines, compared with dummy pills.
• "I certainly wouldn't hesitate to put patients on it," said Dr. Robert B. Daroff, a neurology professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, and current president of the American Headache Society.
• Magnesium: Several studies have shown that magnesium prevents migraines in about half of cases.
• Feverfew: This herbal relative of the daisy may prevent some of the blood vessel dilation associated with migraine pain.