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Q. After my migraines began flaring up weekly, I started taking riboflavin (vitamin B2) daily. Ten weeks into this regimen, I have only had two really bad headaches.
I still have Maxalt as a backup, but I haven’t needed to take it in a few months. The only side effect I’ve had from the B2 is bright yellow urine. Compared to the migraines, I’ll take it!
A. Riboflavin has been used as a way of preventing migraines for many years (Neurology, Feb., 1998). A review of research suggests that it may work even better in combination with Coenzyme Q10 (Headache, Oct., 2012). A German product containing magnesium along with riboflavin and CoQ10 improved migraine symptoms compared with placebo (Journal of Headache Pain, online Apr. 3, 2015).
Side Effects of Riboflavin:
While riboflavin will turn urine almost fluorescent yellow, other side effects are rare.
Vera P. observed:
“Since I started taking one Super B-complex pill once a day, I no longer get migraine headaches. I have been taking them for about five years.”
We discuss the use of riboflavin, feverfew, Coenzyme Q10, magnesium and other nondrug approaches to migraine prevention in our Guide to Headaches and Migraines.
We recently heard from a person who uses a spoonful of yellow mustard to stop her ice pick headaches. Many other migraine sufferers have written to tell us that inducing brain freeze (whether with ice cream or ice water) can stop a migraine cold. Here is one testimonial from Tammy:
“I just read this article after having been up since 4 am with a migraine. The vomiting passed but still I had the residual killer headache. I read this and ate an ice cream bar, and the headache has definitely lessened. I think the next time I’ll try plain ice earlier in the ordeal.”
Carol
Great replies and a lot of great advice for fighting against and preventing migraines!
Vitamin B complex has all the “B” vitamins (including Vitamin B2), and is safer to take than taking just Vitamin B2 alone.
I find that bladder irritation is immediately relieved by taking a capsule of freeze dried organic cranberry (I like “Eclectic Institute” brand), with a glassful of well water (non chlorinated, and non fluoridated).
Leah
Friday Harbor, WA
I also use Boswellia extract – 600 mg per day as well as Vitamin B2, magnesium and CoQ 10. I was told to use 400 mg of magnesium with the Vitamin B2. A friend swears by Slo-Mag. She and a few others say it works better than plain Magnesium so I also use it as part of my Magnesium for the day. I al;so get Botox injections and they help a lot.
Leah
Friday Harbor, WA and find that Feverfew causes me to have headaches. My regime has reduced my headaches from 15-16 a minth
I use 400 mg of Vitamin B2. My regime in the prior comment has reduced my headaches from 15-16 a month to 4 last month.
Marsha
I think a great many people, particularly as they get older, are prone to some deficiencies in B vitamins. I have read that some, if not all, B vitamins are not absorbed by taking a pill. That you must take a shot….or take a B vitamin sublingually. Is this true?
rick
Run a bathtub full of hot water turn off the lights put put on soft music submerge yourself as much as possible into the water and take a hot wet towel and put it over your face and head. Lay there calmly in the water and within an hour you can go back to work. What you have just done is dilatation of your blood vessels and the reason you probably have the migraines in the first place is hormonal stress and as the stress increases so do cortisol levels and cortisol is a vasoconstrictor. I used to take medications for the problem but the hot water treatment was twice as efficient and less harmful to my liver and kidneys!
DS
I second the super B complex approach. It has worked for me for decades.
LL
I tried B2 a few years ago but realized it irritated my bladder to the extent I felt like I had an infection. It’s amazing that some things you think are so benign and helpful can had side effects too.
Donnie
I almost always have eye symptoms when I’m about to get a migraine. If I take a White Willow Bark (natural aspirin) capsule right away, along with a cup of coffee, it will usually prevent the migraine from becoming full-blown. The White Willow herb is very helpful for the pain of a migraine that has already developed, too.
CEW
My headache specialist put me on 200mg of B2 daily about two years ago. It has made a tremendous difference in the severity of my headaches: I rarely ever have a 7-8 on the pain scale now. It is a dadgum miracle drug!