At Pass Health Foods, we are not against doctors or conventional medicine. I’d been experiencing an increase in migraines, and finally went to a doctor about it. I was diagnosed with chronic migraines and was given three prescriptions. While I am not against pharmaceuticals when needed, when I did some research on the migraine prescriptions, I was nervous about some of the side effects. One of the drugs had a frequent side effect of confusion and memory loss, which obviously worried me, so I decided to try an intensive supplement regimen to see if I could make things better before resorting to the medications since I was really nervous about the side effects.
The doctor recommended taking 400mg of vitamin B2 and magnesium glycinate. I had been taking magnesium in a different form, but switched to magnesium glycinate, and also added B2 (one 300mg pill and one 100mg B-Complex). I also began going over any research studies involving migraines, and added several other supplements that had been shown to help, which I’ll list below. It’s a long list, which might be excessive for some, but I wanted to share it since after a few weeks, my migraine frequency was extremely reduced, and I was very happy with the results.
Everyone is different, and just because I had luck with the supplements below doesn’t mean they’re a cure all, but they are supplements that have shown benefit for migraine in research studies. I think the high dose B2 supplement and magnesium glycinate are the most important, but I think the others have helped me as well.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 400mg
I’d recommend doing one 300mg pill of B2 and then a B-100 complex as well since B vitamins are best absorbed when they’re taken together. If you choose this route, take the B complex at a slightly different time than the B2 for maximum absorption (your body can only absorb so much of one thing at a time). Taking high doses of B vitamins has the odd side effect of making your urine bright yellow, FYI.
Magnesium Glycinate 400mg
Magnesium glycinate is a very well absorbing form of magnesium. It’s been found in research that most American’s diets are magnesium deficient, so supplementing is especially beneficial. In addition to migraine and headache prevention, magnesium is also useful for bone health and calcium absorption.
CoQ10 200mg
CoQ10 is most commonly used for heart health, but has also been shown beneficial for migraines. The studies actually used 150mg of CoQ10, but since it’s usually available in 100mg increments, I just take 200mg instead. CoQ10 is best absorbed when taken with food.
5-HTP 200mg
5-HTP, or 5-hydroxytryptophan, is an amino acid that boosts serotonin in the brain and is most commonly used as a natural mood booster, though there is some research that it can also help with migraine prevention since low serotonin levels are linked to an increase in migraines. Do not use 5-HTP when on prescription anti-depressants since it works similarly to classes of anti-depressants known as SSRIs and can cause an excess of serotonin which can be detrimental. For best absorption, 5-HTP should be taken with food.
Melatonin 3mg
Melatonin is most commonly used as a sleep supplement, but there is some research linking it to migraine prevention. Interestingly, new research has also come out showing melatonin possibly being beneficial as a preventative for COVID-19, so it’s not a bad thing to take. Melatonin should be taken about 30 minutes before bedtime for maximum effectiveness.
Vitamin D3 2,000IUs
We’d recommend vitamin D for everyone since it’s so great for the immune system and for bone health, especially during the winter since we’d outside so much less. Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin since it is made in the body when our skin is exposed to sunlight. Research has also found that vitamin D can help with headache and migraine prevention, so it’s definitely a great supplement to take, and should be taken with food for best absorption.
This is a long list of supplements, and generally, we recommend taking just a couple of new supplements at a time so you can see what’s really helping, though it’s not bad to start a new regimen either (as long as you stick with it). For migraine prevention, we’d recommend using them for several weeks (most studies are usually 6-12 weeks) to see the full benefits, though personally, I feel like I saw relief faster than that.