The Mindful Migraine

A quick web search for ‘what are the best vitamins for migraines?’ reveals recurring answers: vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Magnesium and Coenzyme Q10 (an antioxidant).  Additional ones that appear on some sites but not others include vitamin D, Melatonin, Feverfew (a daisy) and Butterbur (a marsh-land shrub).

When I asked my pharmacist about vitamin supplements for migraines, he sold me a bottle of tablets that he said other patients swear by.  They were labelled ‘for migraines’, were locked in a cupboard and they weren’t cheap – I was encouraged.  The list of ingredients seemed to include what was suggested (including feverfew), as well as B6, B12 and Calcium. 

When I got home, I read the label more closely: “reduces the recurrence of mild migraines”.  Mild migraines?  Did they mean not particularly painful ones or occasional ones?  Either way, I realised I had probably just bought myself some bright yellow urine and potentially not much else.

It’s impossible to know whether the supplements I take (the ‘special’ migraine multivitamins, or the Magnesium, vitamin D and B2 I also have jars of) are working.  I only take them when I remember, and I haven’t noticed anything like a withdrawal when I forget them for a week, or a run of pain-free days when I’m consistent.   

Overall, I’m not convinced they’ve made a big difference.  Aside from the cost, however, there also hasn’t been a big downside in taking them.

The reason I’m writing about this today, is that an article was published yesterday in an Australian newspaper that basically said ‘too much of a good thing is bad for you’.  The article wrote that otherwise healthy people were being ‘poisoned’ by excessive use of Vitamin B6 or ‘overdosing’ on magnesium. 

It’s a timely reminder that even small changes to your diet and lifestyle can have consequences – so keep your doctor(s) in the loop if you’re thinking of trying something new, especially in regards to allergies, intolerances, or the effect vitamins might have on other medications you are taking.