Magnesium for Migraine

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Always consult a healthcare professional trained in nutrition (such as a degree-qualified naturopath, nutritionist or dietician) before taking magnesium.

• Avoid cheaper magnesium from the supermarket and chemist – you are wasting your money. Practitioner-quality supplements are more effective.

• Magnesium glycinate or bi-glycinate is often well-indicated for migraine, but another form may be more beneficial for you.

• The therapeutic dose for migraine is 400mg to 1,200mg a day. Always start with the lower dose. Note that these doses may have a laxative effect, depending on the form used and your individual health status.

Disclaimer: for legal and ethical reasons, I am unable to recommend or comment on particular brands of supplements, unless we are in the consultation setting.

MAGNESIUM GUIDE

It’s common to hear that magnesium can help reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks, and there is also plenty of research to support this.

But there is quite a bit of confusion and misinformation around which type of magnesium is best, and also many people are not sure which is the right dose.

Because we are all individual with varying genetic, environmental, biochemical and nutritional factors, there is no single magnesium form and dose that suits everyone.

But in this article I will provide a few tips to point you in the right direction.

First of all – an important disclaimer: the best way to work out which magnesium is right for YOU is to see a qualified professional who has been trained in mineral supplementation. It’s important to note that magnesium can be contraindicated in some people and it is not right for everyone. As a degree-qualified naturopath, I’ve undertaken formal training in this area, and after an initial consultation and health assessment, I can help guide you towards the correct magnesium dose. I can even formulate for you a specially created supplement compound with a combination of magnesium and other nutrients to support you. This can save you money in the long term as there is less trial and error with supplements and medicines. A qualified nutritionist and dietician can also provide advice on magnesium. Some GPs and specialists are great, but ask if they have had additional training in mineral therapy as they don’t cover mineral supplementation in their training as in-depth as naturopaths, dieticians and nutritionists.

I sometimes hear from clients that they found that magnesium didn’t work for them. When I ask further, the reasons for this tend to be:

• They didn’t use the right form for them

• They were using less potent, less absorbable forms of magnesium (often cheaper varieties purchased in the supermarket or pharmacy)

• They were not using the right dose

• They were not taking it regularly or for long enough

• Other nutrients may be more appropriate in their particular situation

So, how does magnesium support migraine?

• It influences our neurotransmitters – chemical messages in the body that can prevent headaches and possibly interfere with the migraine process

• The mineral is helpful in terms of muscle relaxation and calming the nervous system

• Magnesium is also potentially useful for blocking pain

My favourite forms of magnesium for migraine are:

• Magnesium glycinate – it is well absorbed and seems to work particularly well for muscle relaxation and calming the nervous system, helps block pain and reduce stress and menstrual-related migraine.

• Magnesium threonate – another well-absorbed form that is thought to cross the blood-brain barrier to directly affect brain function, and is also helpful for cognition, vertigo, energy and mood.

Unfortunately, in many off-the-shelf magnesium supplements, a cheaper form of magnesium is often used such as magnesium citrate or magnesium oxide. The level of these that you need to take for migraine can result in diarrhoea – and so they are not as helpful for migraine (although magnesium citrate is well absorbed compared to oxide form and can be helpful if you tend towards constipation).

The dosage of magnesium for migraine ranges from 400 to 1,200 mg a day. I always recommend starting with the low dose and then building it up if required.

And remember that magnesium is just one of the many supplements or natural medicines to try. There are many other nutrients and herbal medicines which have been shown to be beneficial for migraine. Each intervention may only help you get 10% better, but when you get the right combination, it can add up to helping you significantly reduce the frequency and severity of migraine.

Again, it comes down to your individual health picture and this is where professional guidance can really play a role so that you spend less time trying to figure it out and get yourself on the best supplement regime for you more quickly and safely.