The Mindful Migraine

OK – first up:

Disclaimer – I am not a doctor or scientist – so anything that I write here is my best guess at understanding a complex medical subject – please speak to your own healthcare provider about your condition and do NOT take medical advice from this post!

Right then, now that that is cleared up, here we go.

A short while ago, a lovely reader called Diane reached out on the CONTACT page to send me a link to Twitter-X about a potential cause of migraines: mitochondrial disorder – here’s the link:

Brandon Luu, MD on X: “🧠 Mitochondrial dysfunction may be a key driver of migraines.

Super curious, I’ve spent some time trying to track down information and understand Dr Brandon Luu’s thread so that I can share the information with you. I’ll do my best to simplify it, but no guarantees I’m getting it right, so again, talk to a trained medical professional if you want medical advice!

According to Dr Luu, “the brain has a high energy demand, consuming 20% of the body’s glucose despite being only 2% of its mass” – in other words, it’s energy-hungry.

The Biology Dictionary says that “Mitochondria are organelles within eukaryotic cells that produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the main energy molecule used by the cell. For this reason, the mitochondrion is sometimes referred to as ‘the powerhouse of the cell’” – and – “The amount of mitochondria in a cell depends on how much energy that cell needs to produce. Muscle cells, for example, have many mitochondria because they need to produce energy to move the body. Red blood cells, which carry oxygen to other cells, have none; they do not need to produce energy.”

In this lovely graphic which makes a cell look like an aquarium, the mitochondrion are the little, oval, green “fish” floating in the cell’s cytoplasm:

[Image source EduRev.in: Cell: Structure and Functions Class 8 Notes Science Free PDF]

Dr Luu says that “Impaired mitochondrial ATP production in neurons may result in a brain energy deficit—a potential trigger for migraines” – and – “This energy deficit is linked to oxidative stress, overproduction of reactive oxygen species, and hypersensitivity in the brain. Together, these create a vicious cycle that can worsen migraines.”

[I’ve got another post – here – about oxidative stress and metabolic migraines for more information.]

In other words, flunky fish, means low energy in the pond, leads to low energy levels in the brain… leads to migraines… which trigger more problems… which trigger more migraines.

Makes sense. If we’re all highly-tuned-machines (or pond-eco-systems) then the failure of a cog (or illness of the fish) can topple the delicate balance and collapse the whole.

The Cleveland Clinic says that there are several types of mitochondrial disorders, most with long Latin names and apparently all genetic. Symptoms you might have include poor growth, muscle weakness, fainting, vomiting, diarrhea, problems breathing, seizures… and migraines.

Dr Luu’s thread says there are two supplements that can improve mitochondrial function: Coenzyme Q10 and Riboflavin (B2).

According to Wikipedia, Coenzyme Q₁₀ (also known as ubiquinone), is a naturally occurring biochemical and antioxidant produced by the human body which can also be obtained from dietary sources, such as meat, fish, seed oils, vegetables, and dietary supplements.

Meanwhile, Riboflavin (also known as vitamin B₂), is a vitamin essential to the formation of coenzymes which are involved in energy metabolism, cellular respiration, and antibody production, as well as normal growth and development. Natural sources of riboflavin include meat, fish and fowl, eggs, dairy products, green vegetables, mushrooms, and almonds.

The thread in Dr Luu’s post suggests that in a trial of migraine patients, improvements were seen after 3 months for the patients that were taking the supplements to improve their mitochondrial function. He ends by saying that more tests are needed, but that the results were promising.

When I read the comments at the end, it was also noted that mitochondrial (and metabolic) dysfunction is often passed down through maternal genetics, and that exercise can help. I also read comments that both supplements had been tried and sadly, did nothing for the individual migraine patients.

In one of my very first posts (which I didn’t even sign!) I noted that I didn’t think supplements did anything for me. I still try them from time to time, and still don’t think they do much except give me expensive, bright yellow wee!

On the other hand, they don’t seem to do any harm either, and reading this recent information makes me realize that improvements don’t seem to be seen until month 3 – so maybe I need to be more patient and give the supplements more time to “kick in”.

Let me know if you have tried any supplements, and if they made a difference to your migraine-brain-health.

Take care taking care, Linda x

PS – reminder – DON’T add or subtract medications or supplements from your daily routine without talking to a doctor first – only they can advise you of the risks or benefits of how your medications and supplements might influence each other and how they might work in combination.