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A Migraine Cure? Magnesium Glycinate and Migraines

What Are Migraines?

Migraines affect about 6 per cent of men and 18 per cent of women worldwide.

A migraine is a severe headache with throbbing pain, often on one side of the head, and can last for hours to days. It's accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. Some people experience a warning aura before the headache, with visual or sensory disturbances. Medications, self-help remedies and lifestyle changes can help prevent and alleviate migraines.

Migraines progress through four stages: prodrome, aura, attack and post-drome, with not everyone experiencing all stages.

Prodrome (Warning Signs):

• Occurs 1–2 days before a migraine.
• Includes subtle changes like constipation, mood swings, food cravings, neck stiffness, increased urination, fluid retention and frequent yawning.

Aura (Nervous System Symptoms):

• Visual disturbances or other reversible symptoms.
• Gradual onset lasting up to 60 minutes.
• Examples: seeing shapes, flashes of light, vision loss, pins and needles sensations, weakness or difficulty speaking.

Attack:

• Lasts 4–72 hours if untreated.
• Pain on one or both sides of the head.
• Throbbing or pulsing pain.
• Sensitivity to light, sound, smell and touch.
• Nausea and vomiting.

Post-drome (After the Attack):

• Feeling drained, confused or washed out for up to a day.
• Some may feel elated.
• Sudden head movement might briefly bring back the pain.

When to Seek Medical Attention:

• Keep a record of migraine attacks.
• Consult a healthcare professional if the pattern changes or headaches feel different.
• Seek immediate medical attention for abrupt severe headaches, headaches with other concerning symptoms or new headaches after age 50.

What Deficiency Causes Migraines?

A number of nutrient deficiencies have been linked to migraines, including niacin (vitamin B3), riboflavin (vitamin B2), cobalamin (vitamin B12), coenzyme Q10, carnitine, a-lipoic acid, vitamin D and magnesium.

A magnesium deficiency is one of the most well-known that plays a role in developing migraines. It does this through a number of ways:

• It causes brain signals to spread out in a way that’s not good for us, called cortical spreading depression, often leading to aura migraines.
• It changes how the body feels and processes pain signals and brain chemicals.
• It causes blood platelets to stick together.

If you believe you may be magnesium deficient, a blood test is not the best way to determine your levels as most of the magnesium in our bodies is not stored in our blood. Speak with your doctor to get a urinary test or oral magnesium load test to get a better understanding of your magnesium levels.

The Science Behind Magnesium for Migraines

While not every clinical study has found magnesium to help prevent migraine headaches, there’s enough evidence that it’s a great option to consider. It’s been found to be a well-tolerated and safe option to potentially prevent migraines and an alternative to migraine prevention drugs for certain people.

In our bodies, NMDA receptors are linked to pain perception and changes in brain wiring related to pain signals. Magnesium can block NMDA receptors, preventing calcium from affecting neurons and blood vessels. Lower magnesium levels make NMDA receptors more active, influencing pain-related processes.

Nitric oxide (NO) also affects pain processing and regulates blood flow in the brain. NO enhances NMDA receptor activity, which can be countered by magnesium.

CGRP, a neuropeptide, is released during migraines and causes blood vessel dilation. Higher CGRP levels are linked to migraines, and reducing CGRP release may stop migraine attacks. It’s been found that magnesium administration decreases CGRP levels, potentially helping in migraine treatment.

Serotonin, released during migraines, causes blood vessel tightening and nausea. Lower magnesium levels may increase serotonin effects, leading to more blood vessel tightening, so magnesium pre-treatment can reduce serotonin-induced blood vessel constriction.

Magnesium Glycinate for Migraines Dosage

Magnesium glycinate, a chelated form of magnesium, is a fantastic form of magnesium to take due to its high levels of absorption into the body, known as bioavailability. This means our body is able to absorb and improve our magnesium levels faster.

Magnesium glycinate is also gentler on the stomach, unlike other forms, like magnesium oxide, which is a laxative and has poor bioavailability — despite being the most common form of magnesium on the market.

There have also been numerous controlled trials determining different dosages for magnesium supplementation to help with headaches. For example, one focused on menstrual-related migraines, where women were given 360mg from ovulation to the first day of menstrual flow, another administered 600mg daily with strong reductions in attack frequency, while another used 600mg and showed a significant decrease in migraine attack frequency and severity.

Therefore, for migraines, it’s suggested to take 400mg of chelated magnesium daily, such as magnesium glycinate, with some patients possibly requiring up to 1000mg.

Speak with your doctor to determine your required dosage and be aware that with higher dosages, comes high possibilities of side effects. Depending on the magnesium supplement taken, side effects can include, diarrhoea and gastric irritation.

Further Reading: FAQs about Magnesium Glycinate

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