• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Effectiveness of high‐dose riboflavin in migraine prophylaxis.

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
Seems cheap and easy enough to try...

I'm especially intrigued by the hypothesis that migraine is also a result of mitochondrial dysfunction. That makes so much sense!

http://www.neurology.org/content/50/2/466

ABSTRACT
A deficit of mitochondrial energy metabolism may play a role in migraine pathogenesis. We found in a previous open study that high-dose riboflavin was effective in migraine prophylaxis. We now compared riboflavin (400 mg) and placebo in 55 patients with migraine in a randomized trial of 3 months duration. Using an intention-to-treat analysis, riboflavin was superior to placebo in reducing attack frequency (p = 0.005) and headache days (p = 0.012). Regarding the latter, the proportion of patients who improved by at least 50%, i.e. “responders,” was 15% for placebo and 59% for riboflavin (p = 0.002) and the number-needed-to-treat for effectiveness was 2.3. Three minor adverse events occurred, two in the riboflavin group (diarrhea and polyuria) and one in the placebo group (abdominal cramps). None was serious. Because of its high efficacy, excellent tolerability, and low cost, riboflavin is an interesting option for migraine prophylaxis and a candidate for a comparative trial with an established prophylactic drug.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
@Ema

Aren't there some concerns with high dose riboflavin? Remembering the "I love B2 thread..."

Sushi
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
@Ema

Aren't there some concerns with high dose riboflavin? Remembering the "I love B2 thread..."

Sushi
Oh, sure, point me towards the 40 page thread...LOL. I don't really remember much of that except it was contentious!

From Linus Pauling Institute:

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/riboflavin/

Toxicity

No toxic or adverse effects of high riboflavin intake in humans are known. Studies in cell culture indicate that excess riboflavin may increase the risk ofDNA strand breaks in the presence of chromium (VI), a known carcinogen (83). This may be of concern to workers exposed to chrome, but no data in humans are available. High-dose riboflavin therapy has been found to intensify urine color to a bright yellow (flavinuria), but this is a harmless side effect. The Food and Nutrition Board did not establish a tolerable upper intake level (UL) when the RDA was revised in 1998 (1).

If someone knows of toxic effects, I'm happy to learn, though!
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
Seems cheap and easy enough to try...

I'm especially intrigued by the hypothesis that migraine is also a result of mitochondrial dysfunction. That makes so much sense!

http://www.neurology.org/content/50/2/466
You go first?

It does look like it's worth a try. My doc wants to shoot me up with Botox, and I've resisted. My headaches definitely don't feel muscular. I describe them as an "inflamed brain", which gets me labeled as a whack job at the neurologist. But then, what doesn't get me labeled as a whack job at the neurologist? lol
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
You go first?

It does look like it's worth a try. My doc wants to shoot me up with Botox, and I've resisted. My headaches definitely don't feel muscular. I describe them as an "inflamed brain", which gets me labeled as a whack job at the neurologist. But then, what doesn't get me labeled as a whack job at the neurologist? lol
I did order some!

But I ordered the activated version, R5P. I am really not sure how the doses compare to 400 mg of the "regular" riboflavin...

I am poking around on the B2 thread...looks like Dogperson thought regular B2 was better (not sure why yet) though.

I don't think migraines are muscular...vascular, maybe, but this mitochondrial theory makes so much sense to me. I see a few posts from richvank also that implicate riboflavin in the mitochondria which makes me even more interested in trying.
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
I did order some!

But I ordered the activated version, R5P. I am really not sure how the doses compare to 400 mg of the "regular" riboflavin...

I am poking around on the B2 thread...looks like Dogperson thought regular B2 was better (not sure why yet) though.

I don't think migraines are muscular...vascular, maybe, but this mitochondrial theory makes so much sense to me. I see a few posts from richvank also that implicate riboflavin in the mitochondria which makes me even more interested in trying.
My mito cocktail from Kendall contained the following:
CoQ10 - 600 mg daily
L-carnitine 1,000 mg daily
Riboflavin 100 mg daily
Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg daily

I didn't notice much difference after taking for 9 months, other than my pocketbook started bitching about the $98/month. But then, nothing I have tried has made a lick of difference.

So, there must be something to the Riboflavin. Interesting that the study used a much higher dose.

Where did you order activated version?
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
If I had to guess, the compounding pharmacy wasn't too worried about active forms. For example, the CoQ wasn't ubiquinol, so I'm not surprised I noticed no difference.
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
My mito cocktail from Kendall contained the following:
CoQ10 - 600 mg daily
L-carnitine 1,000 mg daily
Riboflavin 100 mg daily
Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg daily

I didn't notice much difference after taking for 9 months, other than my pocketbook started bitching about the $98/month. But then, nothing I have tried has made a lick of difference.

So, there must be something to the Riboflavin. Interesting that the study used a much higher dose.

Where did you order activated version?
I ordered the Thorne version from Amazon.

I also ordered that "new" MitoQ. What can I say...I'm a sucker for new supplements.

I was trying a mito cocktail of:

MitoQ
Taurine 1000mg
ALC 1000mg
Niagen, 125 mg

3 times a day...but then my blood pressure tanked so I stopped it all. I think it might have been the taurine but I'll have to pick it apart to see if I can figure it out for sure.
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
The PQQ? I'll be eager to hear how that works!

I've about supplemented myself to death, to no avail. I'm growing weary and wary of any more. I'm circling back around thru my bins and re-trying things in different dosages, this time one at a time.

I had considered taurine, as it apparently calms the sympathetic system even at doses of 1,000 per day? Maybe 3,000 was just to high? It definitely seems worth experimenting.[/quote]
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
The PQQ? I'll be eager to hear how that works!

I've about supplemented myself to death, to no avail. I'm growing weary and wary of any more. I'm circling back around thru my bins and re-trying things in different dosages, this time one at a time.

I had considered taurine, as it apparently calms the sympathetic system even at doses of 1,000 per day? Maybe 3,000 was just to high? It definitely seems worth experimenting.
[/quote]
No, I did try the PQQ last year though. I tried the blend with B6 and started having problems with my feet tingling and hurting...so I stopped it. I think there is one with PQQ alone though. Heck, I probably have it - I should check my closet! LOL.

The MitoQ is this one:

http://www.mitoq.com/supplements/

I think there was another thread on it recently here...

Everything about taurine sounded good to me...except the increased dizziness and fatigue. I did try taking just 1000 mg at bedtime but only for a couple of days before I decided I just needed to start over again more methodically.
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
PubMed has many articles on mitoQ. Looks interesting in the lab, but unproven in clinical trials? I will be following this one, as it could have big ramifications.
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
PubMed has many articles on mitoQ. Looks interesting in the lab, but unproven in clinical trials? I will be following this one, as it could have big ramifications.
And the doses they used in the studies were FAR greater than what you get in a dose of MitoQ as well.

But I was curious, so I bought it...
 
Messages
471
I did order some!

But I ordered the activated version, R5P. I am really not sure how the doses compare to 400 mg of the "regular" riboflavin...

I am poking around on the B2 thread...looks like Dogperson thought regular B2 was better (not sure why yet) though.

I don't think migraines are muscular...vascular, maybe, but this mitochondrial theory makes so much sense to me. I see a few posts from richvank also that implicate riboflavin in the mitochondria which makes me even more interested in trying.

@Ema
Did you have any succes in treating your migraine with Riboflavin, which type and what dose?