Sunday, July 7, 2013

Coenzyme Q 10

This "Vitamin Like" substance (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coenzyme_Q10) is rapidly gaining attention for it's positive effects on a range of metabolic disorders including the neurological condition migraine.

We are now typically recommending that migraineurs trial 150-300mg per day to improve cellular function and reduce the tendency of the brain cells to easily fatigue and increase the risk of triggering the symptoms of migraine (which can include any of a combination of  head pain, extreme fatigue, cognitive changes, nausea, visual hallucination, gut disturbance, etc.).  Again it should be emphasised that migraine is NOT simply a headache and has been reclassified as a genetically based neurological condition.  This is a vital distinction to make otherwise we treat symptoms rather than manage the condition (it is also why no two migraineurs experience exactly the same symptoms)

But about Co Q 10 itself.  What is it and how might it help? http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03367/Coenzyme-Q10-CoQ10.html

As afr as brains are concerned it is one of the chemicals which allows neurons to do their job efficiently and it is the hallmark of a migraine brain to be inefficient at processing sensory information (significantly the inhibition of 'pain').  As a result of this genetically influenced trait any sensation (food, light, heat, fatigue, stress, disturbed sleep, a sore back and neck (so called somatic pain) can become a 'trigger' and why many substrates (CoQ10, Vit D, magnesium, folate, etc) can effectively increase the brains resilience and reduce the symptoms of migraine.

D Scown