Researchers have been investigating the magnesium migraines connection because of magnesium’s role in stabilizing blood vessels walls. Magnesium is also an important mineral when it comes to helping you get to sleep. Regular sleeping patterns are also very important to migraine sufferers. Magnesium also helps in protein synthesis, and keeps your bones strong and helps maintain normal nerve and muscle function.

It was first suggested that a deficiency in magnesium could cause

headaches over 70 years ago. It makes sense, because a lot of the things that cause the body to run short of magnesium also either trigger migraines or lower your resistance. For example alcohol, stress, and menstruation. Today we know that about half of the people who get migraines are also short of a certain type of magnesium (serum ionized).
When faced with a migraine that won’t respond to treatment, many headache specialists will give an injection of magnesium. You should be able to get benefits from long term (2-3 months or more) regular magnesium supplements. The magnesium migraines link may make a big difference to many people.

Is my magnesium low?

Chances are good that you do not have a serious magnesium deficiency. However, there are situations where magnesium can get low. Certain drugs especially can lower your amounts of magnesium, such as diuretics and certain antibiotics. Alcohol may also lower your magnesium levels.
Researchers are sharply divided on the need for magnesium in migraineurs. Most believe that magnesium may play some role in migraine, but some believe that increasing your body’s magnesium is THE key in eliminating migraine, even if you don’t have a “serious deficiency”.

Dr. Sarah DeRossett, American neurologist and headache specialist was quoted in July 2003 in support of magnesium and riboflavin/vitamin B2 for migraine sufferers. “About 15 to 20 percent of the American population is deficient in magnesium, and patients who have migraines have lower blood levels of magnesium than patients who don’t have migraines.” Read the article here.

You would be wise to make sure you’re eating plenty of magnesium-rich foods. If your magnesium is very low, your doctor may suggest a supplement or injections, or even intravenous treatment. Magnesium migraines treatment is becoming more and more popular with migraine sufferers.

Normal adults require about 310-420mg of magnesium daily. Be aware that too much magnesium can cause side effects, and that there are different types of magnesium, which is why it is wise to be monitored by a doctor before you drastically raise your magnesium levels through supplements.

Symptoms of low magnesium…

Magnesium is important to the body, and so low magnesium can cause a host of problems, such as:
irregular heartbeats, loss of appetite, insomnia (a killer for migraineurs!), weakness, shortness of breath, PMS, anxiety, dizziness, nausea, and poor coordination.
What can I eat to boost my magnesium?

First, try to cut down on the processed food you eat. Processed food is prepared in such a way that it cuts down the magnesium.
Magnesium is found in many foods, but some of the best include wheat germ, beans, soy products, whole grains, seafood, dark green leafy vegetables, bananas (warning: bananas are a major migraine trigger for some people) and milk.

Magnesium migraines and the BIG PICTURE

So many migraine treatments have to be seen as part of the big picture. One thing effects the other. Researchers are more and more realizing that the interaction of various things in your body need to be taken into consideration when it comes to migraine – the way chemicals react together, the way various organs work with the nervous system. That’s why migraineurs need to try combinations of treatments. There may be a magnesium migraines treatment that involves more than just taking magnesium itself.
One of the more popular proponents of magnesium supplements, Dr. Alexander Mauskop, is the director of the New York Headache Center. He writes in his book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Migraines that he has found a treatment that is remarkably effective using magnesium, vitamin B2 and feverfew. He makes a good case for the magnesium migraines link and has backed up his opinion with good research.

Dr Barton M Alturn, professor of physiology and medicine at the State University of New York Health Science Center also writes about the magnesium migraines connection (quoted in Nature’s Medicines ):

We believe that everyone should be taking 500-600 milligrams of magnesium a day in a combination of diet and supplements.

A study in June 2008 also confirmed the benefits of magnesium for migraineurs. Read more about this study, titled The effects of magnesium prophylaxis in migraine without aura.

What kind of magnesium should I buy?

So you’ve decided that you’d like to try a magnesium supplement, you know there’s a magnesium migraines link, but there are dozens out there – which should you try?
Certain types of magnesium are not well absorbed by the body. Too much magnesium, particularly the wrong kinds of magnesium, can cause diarrhea and simply make your mineral deficiency worse. Also, remember to take magnesium for at least 60-90 days to see if it makes a difference.

If your body isn’t absorbing magnesium well, try avoid these types of magnesium: Oxide, hydroxide, and chloride. Instead, look for magnesium types that end in “ate”, particularly glycinate, but also gluconate, lactate and orotate.

Note: Very often two or more types of magnesium are combined, such as oxide and citrate. The best thing is to simply talk to your doctor and then try one kind and see how your body handles it.

Source Naturals has an excellent supplement which contains 400mg of magnesium, which many doctors suggest as a good amount for migraineurs to take. It’s called Ultra-Mag Magnesium complex.

A very good supplement for migraine containing magnesium and other migraine-fighting componants is MigreLief. There is now an article online about MigreLief that you can read. You can also purchase MigreLief with magnesium here.

A note about calcium: Magnesium and calcium

balance each other out in the body. If you have too much of one and not enough of another, it can cause problems. That’s one reason why it’s important not to take too much of one or the other.

However, when taking magnesium for migraine don’t buy a calcium/magnesium blend. If you’re taking a calcium supplement, take it at another time of day. It can interfere with the benefits of the magnesium for migraine.

The following is a guest post about why you may actually be doing more damage than good with those calcium supplements you are taking – this post comes straight from the desk of Dr. Carolyn Dean (visit her fantastic website by clicking here). Leave your comments and questions below!

Calcium is prominent in the news these days. A July 29, 2010 British Medical Journal meta-analysis says that “Risks outweigh benefits for calcium supplements.” This study indicates that calcium supplements cause more cardiovascular events (such as heart attacks and stroke) than the number of fractures they prevent.

The study analyzed data on 12,000 people involved in the 15 trials. The increased risk was about 30 percent. The seven authors of the study say the risk is modest but they are concerned that with so many people taking calcium supplements “even a small increase in incidence of cardiovascular disease could translate into a large burden of disease in the population.” They even go so far as to “suggest that a reassessment of the role of calcium supplements in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis is warranted.”

That’s a huge admission of failure of the main treatment for osteoporosis—high dose calcium supplementation.

Now, if you are a regular reader of my blog, you’ve heard me say all this before. Most calcium supplements are only absorbed 4%-15% and the other 85%-96% deposits in various body parts. These deposits create gall stones, kidney stones, heel spurs, atherosclerotic calcium plaques and breast calcifications. It’s the calcium deposits that are the problem. If these supplements were 100% absorbed we wouldn’t need so much and there would be nothing left over to cause problems.

What will you do for your bones instead of taking calcium supplements? Here’s what I suggest:

1.) Eat calcium rich foods. If you go to whfoods.com you could research calcium-rich foods. Add up the amount you get in your diet.2.) Eat magnesium-rich foods and add up the amount you are eating on a daily basis. 

3.) Take twice as much magnesium as you do calcium.

4.) If you aren’t getting enough magnesium, take supplements. Magnesium differs from calcium because if it’s not absorbed the excess is eliminated through the bowels as a laxative effect.

5.) If you feel you need more calcium than you get in your diet, take an angstrom form of calcium to avoid the non-absorbed forms. Angstrom minerals are a bit smaller than a picometer…and that’s very small. You only have to take a small amount because these minerals are 100% absorbed.

6.) Check your vitamin D levels. Have your doctor use the 25(OH) D test. If your levels are not in the high normal range, get out in the sun for 20-30 minutes a day without sunscreen and take a few thousand IU’s of Vitamin D3 per day.