Coenzyme Q10 (also known as ubiquinone, ubidecarenone, coenzyme Q, CoQ₁₀, CoQ, Q10, or simply Q) is an oil-soluble vitamin-like substance that is naturally present in most eukaryotic cells, primarily in the mitochondria. It is a component of the electron transport chain and participates in aerobic cellular respiration. Coenzyme Q10 is a powerful antioxidant which many believe can prevent episodes of several heath related problems such as migraine and tinnitus.

An article in the April, 2002, issue of the Journal of the International Headache Society, Cephalalgia, reported a study concerning the treatment of migraines with the compound CoQ10.

“At present there are very few efficacious migraine preventives and fewer without significant side-effects. In medicine there has been a trend towards the development of natural therapies that can be safely taken by all who suffer with a disease regardless of age and past medical history. Migraine in particular is a disorder of young people and this patient population is very resistant to taking any form of medication, especially when it needs to be used on a daily basis. Migraine can be a disabling disorder and migraine preventives have been shown to not only reduce headache frequency, intensity and duration but also improve quality of life. Coenzyme Q10 is a naturally occurring substance and essential element of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. It has been the most extensively studied agent for the treatment of mitochondrial disorders and has been shown to have almost no identifiable side-effects in humans. There has been a recent interest in the role that mitochondria may play in migraine pathogenesis … The objective of this investigation is to assess the efficacy of coenzyme Q10 as a preventive treatment for migraine.”

Rozen, TD, Oshinsky, ML, Gebeline, CA, Bradley, KC, Young, WB, Shechter, AL & Silberstein, SD. “Open label trial of coenzyme Q10 as a migraine preventive.” Cephalalgia 22 (2) 137-141

The dosage used by the study was 150 mg of coenzyme Q10 daily, preferably using gel-caps as a method of administration, as Q-10 is believed to absorb better in liquid form. Although the side-effects of nausea, diarrhea, appetite loss, heartburn and general epigastric discomfort may occur, the chance for this is less that 1%. Coenzyme Q 10 is extremely well tolerated by most individuals.

The trial reported:

· 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 Classic and Common Migraines.

This study suggest that including coenzyme Q10 to your dietary and migraine-care regimes is extremely beneficial for reducing the frequency and the severity of symptoms of episodes. When looking for a formula which promises to treat your migraine symptoms/causes, make sure that CoQ10 is part of the make-up of the product, such as in Migravent.