Migraine Headache

    Written by:
    Marina Shkayeva

    Fact-checked

    by:

    Rob Stenstrom
    Last Updated: October 13, 2024

    Migraine headaches are usually one-sided (sometimes bilateral) head pain. They affect women more often than men, and can have a number of triggers, and are more common if you have a family member with migraines. They can be distinguished from other types of headaches (such as tension or cluster headaches) due to additional symptoms of nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, and worsening of pain with activity.

    20 references on this page
    4,223 participants in 30 trials and 2 meta-analyses

    Overview

    Examine Database: Migraine Headache

    Coenzyme Q10
    Feverfew
    Magnesium
    Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
    L-Carnitine
    Melatonin
    Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA)
    Alpha-Lipoic Acid
    Fish Oil
    Inulin
    Lavender
    Probiotics
    Selenium
    Vegan Diet
    Vitamin D
    The interventions below have no primary outcomes
    Biofeedback
    Chaste tree
    Low-FODMAP Diet
    Peppermint
    Sauna

    Research FeedRead all studies

    Frequently asked questions

    Examine Database References

    1. PMS Symptoms - Anna Ambrosini, Cherubino Di Lorenzo, Gianluca Coppola, Francesco PierelliUse of Vitex agnus-castus in migrainous women with premenstrual syndrome: an open-label clinical observationActa Neurol Belg.(2013 Mar)
    2. Migraine Severity - Talandashti MK, Shahinfar H, Delgarm P, Jazayeri SEffects of selected dietary supplements on migraine prophylaxis: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Neurol Sci.(2024 Oct 15)
    3. Migraine Severity - Parohan M, Sarraf P, Javanbakht MH, Foroushani AR, Ranji-Burachaloo S, Djalali MThe synergistic effects of nano-curcumin and coenzyme Q10 supplementation in migraine prophylaxis: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trialNutr Neurosci.(2019 Jun 26)
    4. Migraine Severity - Shoeibi A, Olfati N, Soltani Sabi M, Salehi M, Mali S, Akbari Oryani MEffectiveness of coenzyme Q10 in prophylactic treatment of migraine headache: an open-label, add-on, controlled trialActa Neurol Belg.(2016 Sep 26)
    5. Migraine Severity - Sándor PS, Di Clemente L, Coppola G, Saenger U, Fumal A, Magis D, Seidel L, Agosti RM, Schoenen JEfficacy of coenzyme Q10 in migraine prophylaxis: a randomized controlled trialNeurology.(2005 Feb 22)
    6. Migraine Severity - Dahri M, Tarighat-Esfanjani A, Asghari-Jafarabadi M, Hashemilar MOral coenzyme Q10 supplementation in patients with migraine: Effects on clinical features and inflammatory markersNutr Neurosci.(2018 Jan 3)
    7. Migraine Severity - Slater SK, Nelson TD, Kabbouche MA, LeCates SL, Horn P, Segers A, Manning P, Powers SW, Hershey ADA randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover, add-on study of CoEnzyme Q10 in the prevention of pediatric and adolescent migraineCephalalgia.(2011 Jun)
    8. Migraine Severity - Dahri M, Hashemilar M, Asghari-Jafarabadi M, Tarighat-Esfanjani AEfficacy of coenzyme Q10 for the prevention of migraine in women: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studyEur J Integr Med.(2017 Oct 12)
    9. Migraine Severity - Sasannejad P, Saeedi M, Shoeibi A, Gorji A, Abbasi M, Foroughipour MLavender essential oil in the treatment of migraine headache: a placebo-controlled clinical trialEur Neurol.(2012)
    10. Migraine Severity - Pfaffenrath V, Diener HC, Fischer M, Friede M, Henneicke-von Zepelin HH; InvestigatorsThe efficacy and safety of Tanacetum parthenium (feverfew) in migraine prophylaxis--a double-blind, multicentre, randomized placebo-controlled dose-response studyCephalalgia.(2002 Sep)
    11. Migraine Severity - Murphy JJ, Heptinstall S, Mitchell JRRandomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of feverfew in migraine preventionLancet.(1988 Jul 23)
    12. Migraine Frequency - Diener HC, Pfaffenrath V, Schnitker J, Friede M, Henneicke-von Zepelin HHEfficacy and safety of 6.25 mg t.i.d. feverfew CO2-extract (MIG-99) in migraine prevention--a randomized, double-blind, multicentre, placebo-controlled studyCephalalgia.(2005 Nov)
    13. Migraine Frequency - Johnson ES, Kadam NP, Hylands DM, Hylands PJEfficacy of feverfew as prophylactic treatment of migraineBr Med J (Clin Res Ed).(1985 Aug 31)
    14. Migraine Severity - MacLennan SC, Wade FM, Forrest KM, Ratanayake PD, Fagan E, Antony JHigh-dose riboflavin for migraine prophylaxis in children: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trialJ Child Neurol.(2008 Nov)
    15. Migraine Severity - Bruijn J, Duivenvoorden H, Passchier J, Locher H, Dijkstra N, Arts WFMedium-dose riboflavin as a prophylactic agent in children with migraine: a preliminary placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind, cross-over trialCephalalgia.(2010 Mar 26)
    16. Migraine Frequency - Schoenen J, Jacquy J, Lenaerts MEffectiveness of high-dose riboflavin in migraine prophylaxis. A randomized controlled trialNeurology.(1998 Feb)
    17. Migraine Severity - Ali Tarighat Esfanjani, Reza Mahdavi, Mehrangiz Ebrahimi Mameghani, Mahnaz Talebi, Zeinab Nikniaz, Abdolrasool SafaiyanThe effects of magnesium, L-carnitine, and concurrent magnesium-L-carnitine supplementation in migraine prophylaxisBiol Trace Elem Res.(2012 Dec)
    18. Migraine Severity - Knut Hagen, Eiliv Brenner, Mattias Linde, Gøril Bruvik Gravdahl, Erling Andreas Tronvik, Morten Engstrøm, Ursula Sonnewald, Grethe Helde, Lars Jacob Stovner, Trond SandAcetyl-l-carnitine versus placebo for migraine prophylaxis: A randomized, triple-blind, crossover studyCephalalgia.(2015 Oct)
    19. Migraine Severity - Anne E Bunner, Ulka Agarwal, Joseph F Gonzales, Francesca Valente, Neal D BarnardNutrition intervention for migraine: a randomized crossover trialJ Headache Pain.(2014 Oct 23)
    20. Migraine Severity - Köseoglu E, Talaslioglu A, Gönül AS, Kula MThe effects of magnesium prophylaxis in migraine without auraMagnes Res.(2008 Jun)
    21. Migraine Severity - Kandil M, Jaber S, Desai D, Nuñez Cruz S, Lomotan N, Ahmad U, Cirone M, Burkins J, McDowell MMAGraine: Magnesium compared to conventional therapy for treatment of migraines.Am J Emerg Med.(2021-Jan)
    22. Headaches - Khani S, Hejazi SA, Yaghoubi M, Sharifipour EComparative study of magnesium, sodium valproate, and concurrent magnesium-sodium valproate therapy in the prevention of migraine headaches: a randomized controlled double-blind trial.J Headache Pain.(2021-Apr-07)
    23. Migraine Severity - .(2024-05-01)
    24. Migraine Severity - Gonçalves AL, Martini Ferreira A, Ribeiro RT, Zukerman E, Cipolla-Neto J, Peres MFRandomised clinical trial comparing melatonin 3 mg, amitriptyline 25 mg and placebo for migraine prevention.J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry.(2016 Oct)
    25. Migraine Frequency - Alstadhaug KB, Odeh F, Salvesen R, Bekkelund SIProphylaxis of migraine with melatonin: a randomized controlled trialNeurology.(2010 Oct 26)
    26. Migraine Frequency - Mina Abdolahi, Abbas Tafakhori, Mansoureh Togha, Ali Asghar Okhovat, Feridoun Siassi, Mohammad Reza Eshraghian, Mohsen Sedighiyan, Mona Djalali, Niyaz Mohammadzadeh Honarvar, Mahmoud DjalaliThe synergistic effects of ω-3 fatty acids and nano-curcumin supplementation on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α gene expression and serum level in migraine patientsImmunogenetics.(2017 Jun)
    27. Migraine Frequency - Vajdi M, Khorvash F, Askari GA randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial to test the effect of inulin supplementation on migraine headache characteristics, quality of life and mental health symptoms in women with migraine.Food Funct.(2024 Sep 30)
    28. Migraine Frequency - Golpour-Hamedani S, Bagherniya M, Khorvash F, Feizi A, Sharma M, Askari GThe effects of concurrent alpha-linolenic acid, L-carnitine supplementation on clinical symptoms, mental health, and quality of life in women with migraine: a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial.Nutr J.(2025 Mar 13)
    29. Headaches - Göbel H, Schmidt G, Soyka DEffect of peppermint and eucalyptus oil preparations on neurophysiological and experimental algesimetric headache parametersCephalalgia.(1994 Jun)
    30. Headaches - Paudel P, Sah AEfficacy of biofeedback for migraine: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Complement Ther Med.(2025 Jun)
    31. Quality of Life - Leda Roncoroni, Karla A Bascuñán, Luisa Doneda, Alice Scricciolo, Vincenza Lombardo, Federica Branchi, Francesca Ferretti, Bernardo Dell'Osso, Valeria Montanari, Maria Teresa Bardella, Luca ElliA Low FODMAP Gluten-Free Diet Improves Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and Overall Mental Health of Celiac Disease Patients: A Randomized Controlled TrialNutrients.(2018 Aug 4)
    32. Depression Symptoms - Kanji G, Weatherall M, Peter R, Purdie G, Page REfficacy of regular sauna bathing for chronic tension-type headache: a randomized controlled study.J Altern Complement Med.(2015-Feb)