As for side effects, coenzyme Q10 has few, and rarely is the incidence of side effects of any medication or supplement less than 1%. This is an excellent side effects profile.
Key points from the trial:
- 61.3% of the patients in the trial achieved at least a 50% reduction in frequency of Migraine attacks by the end of the four-month trial.
- As with most Migraine preventives, it takes time to achieve optimum results. Data from the study suggest that it takes five to 12 weeks to achieve more than a 50% reduction.
- Coenzyme Q10 is effective for both Migraine without aura and Migraine with aura.
The bottom line from this study:
"Coenzyme Q10 looks to be an excellent choice for initial therapy for prevention of episodic migraine if confirmed by controlled studies of efficacy. It can be given to almost any age group without fear of significant side-effects."1
Hershey et al study:
Hershey et al conducted a study with the stated objective to, "This study documents the prevalence of CoQ10 deficiency in migraine headache and examines the potential effectiveness of supplementation." They found CoQ10 deficiency to be common in pediatric and adolescent Migraineurs and supplementation to be beneficial.2
What is Coenzyme Q10?
Coenzyme Q 10 is a compound that is made naturally in the body. The body uses it for cell growth and to protect cells from damage. Animal studies have shown that coenzyme Q10 helps the immune system work better and makes the body better able to resist certain infections and types of cancer.3 Studies have shown potential benefits of CoQ10 in treating Migraine disease, Parkinson's, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other conditions. Statin drugs have been shown to reduce natural levels of CoQ10, so it is sometimes recommended that patients taking these drugs supplement CoQ10.
Summary:
Although research and development of Migraine abortives has made great strides in recent years, work on preventives has been woefully lacking. None of the medications used for Migraine prevention were originally developed specifically for that purpose, and trials of drugs being used off-label for Migraine prevention have been so few that only four medications actually been approved by the FDA for Migraine prevention (Depakote, propranolol, timolol, and Topamax). The Rozen et al trial of coenzyme Q10 is especially important both because of it's excellent results and because it is for a Migraine preventive rather than another Migraine abortive.
