Can Magnesium Pills Counteract Recurrent Headaches?

People who suffer recurrent headaches may find themselves in a bind. Taking medication day after day can actually lead to rebound headaches if the dose is missed. No wonder people would like to know how to control these headaches without medication, if possible. One reader shared a supplement regimen recommended by the doctor. Another one discovered the value of magnesium supplementation by accident. Also, a person wonders why their doctor did not tell them about magnesium for migraines.

Magnesium Pills Do Double Duty:

Q. I suffered from migraines from the time I was 12 years old. As an adult, I suddenly began to suffer from constipation as well.

To try to manage the constipation, I started taking chelated magnesium every night before bed. No more constipation, but better yet, I have not had a migraine in months!

In the rare event that I wake up in the morning with a twinge of an incipient migraine, I take a BC Powder. You have to be careful with that because it can lead to rebound headaches if you take it too often. Then I dab some peppermint oil on my temples and the pain goes away immediately. I hope this information helps other people with recurrent headaches or migraines.

Magnesium for Migraines:

A. Your accidental discovery that magnesium helped prevent migraine headaches is confirmed in the medical literature. A review of “non-pharmacological” approaches “…such as riboflavin, coenzyme Q10 and magnesium and acupuncture, are used for the management of migraine” (Open Medicine, Nov. 23, 2022). Do keep in mind that magnesium supplements are not advisable for people with reduced kidney function. The kidneys might not be able to handle the burden.

If you would like to learn about both medications and other non-drug approaches, you may find our eGuide to Headaches & Migraines of interest. This online resource discusses migraine triggers and cluster headaches as well as treatments.

Why Didn’t Doctor Speak Up About Magnesium?

Q. I suffered from migraines for over 25 years. When Imitrex became available, it helped stop headaches in progress, but it didn’t prevent them.

A friend showed me an article suggesting magnesium might be helpful. As suggested, I started with 400 mg daily and then tapered to 250. My migraines ceased.

When my neurologist asked about my headaches at my next visit, I told him what I had taken and the result. He spun around and pulled a book off a shelf. He opened it and copied a page from it, which indicated that magnesium and vitamin B2 could be beneficial in reducing migraines. If he knew this all along, why had he only mentioned drugs like Imitrex?

A. The first reference we found to magnesium as a migraine therapy dates to 1973. Since then, numerous other publications have suggested a benefit from this mineral (Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, March 2009).

We cannot understand or explain why some doctors overlook this inexpensive approach to migraine prevention. People with kidney disease must avoid extra magnesium, however.

Supplements to Stop Recurrent Headaches:

Q. My neurologist recommended magnesium glycinate, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and CoQ10 as a preventative for migraines. Long story short, I have not had a migraine since shortly after I started this regimen.

A. In a review of nutritional supplementation to prevent migraine, the authors list riboflavin, magnesium and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) along with thiamine, niacin, carnitine, folate, pyridoxine, cobalamin and lipoic acid (Nutrients, Dec. 10, 2021).  A meta-analysis of six studies found that CoQ10 supplements reduced the frequency of migraine headaches compared to placebo (BMJ Open, Jan. 5, 2021).

What’s the Story on CoQ10?

Every cell in our bodies uses CoQ10 (in its active form, ubiquinol) in mitochondrial energy production.

As a dietary supplement, CoQ10 is available without a prescription. ConsumerLab.com recently tested several products. Noting that CoQ10 is generally better absorbed with a meal that contains some fat, the organization found that high-dose Kirkland (Costco house brand) also had the lowest cost per 100 mg. Puritan’s Pride Q-Sorb and Spring Valley also came off well. ConsumersLab.com subscribers can access the entire report.

Coenzyme Q10 does not seem to cause frequent side effects. Some people experience digestive upset, and occasionally people react with a rash or insomnia. This supplement may not be appropriate for people on warfarin (Methods in Molecular Biology, 2010).

Managing Recurrent Headaches:

Q. I have had a lot of trouble with headaches. Someone told me that magnesium tablets could relieve headache pain. Is this true?

Are You Deficient in Magnesium?

A. Some research shows that magnesium deficiency is fairly common among people who suffer repeated migraine headaches (Journal of Neural Transmission, May 2012). Correcting such a deficiency with magnesium supplements seems to be helpful in preventing them (Expert Review in Neurotherapeutics, March 2009). Magnesium seems to be especially helpful in preventing menstrual migraines (Neurological Sciences, June, 2010). Again, this suggestion should be followed only by people whose kidneys work well.

The evidence that magnesium can relieve acute headache pain is inconclusive, although a review found it “probably effective” (Headache, Jan., 2015). Two cases of hard-to-treat headache responded well to magnesium therapy (Neurohospitalist, July, 2016), but we generally prefer actual studies over case reports.

Other Options for Treating Headaches:

There are other non-drug approaches that can be helpful, particularly for migraine headaches. They include riboflavin, butterbur, feverfew and Coenzyme Q10 in addition to magnesium (Headache, April, 2016).

Learn More:

You can find more information on non-drug approaches to head pain prevention and treatment in our Guide to Headaches & Migraines. 

One thing to be wary of with recurrent headaches is medication overuse. Taking a pain reliever more than two or three times a week can result in analgesic withdrawal headaches. We have discussed this problem in detail with Dr. Joel Saper of the Michigan Head-Pain and Neurological Institute and Dr. Alan Finkel of the Carolina Headache Institute.