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Supplements for Migraine: Riboflavin, Magnesium, CoQ10 and What to Skip

For preventing migraine in adults, riboflavin (vitamin B2) 400 mg a day has the most consistent evidence (grade B), and CoQ10 and melatonin also reduced attacks in trials (grade B). Magnesium results are mixed (grade C), and its trial amounts exceed the supplement upper limit. Skip butterbur: liver injury was reported. Supplements don't replace prevention medicines, and a sudden or unusual headache needs a doctor.

Published How we grade evidenceEditorial policy

Most migraine supplements are taken every day to make attacks less frequent, not to stop one. Many trials also enrolled children; this guide covers adults.

The short version

  • Riboflavin (vitamin B2) 400 mg a day cut attacks in adult trials, and a 2026 network analysis rated it the most reliable vitamin, at moderate certainty. Grade B (Schoenen 1998; Ahmed 2026).
  • CoQ10 lowered attack frequency in pooled adult trials (6 trials, 371 people). Grade B (Sazali 2021).
  • Melatonin beat placebo in a 3-month trial of 196 adults; a prolonged-release form did not. Grade B (Gonçalves 2016; Alstadhaug 2010).
  • Magnesium trials conflict: one helped, one didn't, and a 2026 analysis found no clear benefit. Grade C (Peikert 1996; Pfaffenrath 1996; Ahmed 2026).
  • Butterbur reduced attacks, but reported liver injury, including 2 liver transplants, is why we'd skip it. Grade B for fewer attacks (Lipton 2004; Anderson 2019).
SupplementWhat trials foundSize of effectGrade
Riboflavin (B2)Fewer attacks in adultsAbout 2 fewer a month (pooled)B
CoQ10Fewer, shorter attacks, not milderAbout 1.5 fewer a month (6 trials)B
MelatoninFewer headache days2.7 vs 1.1 fewer days a month (one trial)B
Vitamin DFewer attacks in small trialsAbout 2.7 fewer a month (6 trials)B
MagnesiumTrials disagree42% vs 16% fewer attacks in one trial; no gain in anotherC
FeverfewMixed0.6 fewer a month in the largest trialC
ButterburFewer attacks, liver injury reported48% vs 26% fewer attacksSkip

What do guidelines say about supplements for migraine?

The 2012 guideline from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Headache Society rated butterbur effective (Level A); magnesium, riboflavin and feverfew probably effective (Level B); CoQ10 possibly effective (Level C); and found the omega-3 data conflicting or inadequate (Holland 2012). The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says the AAN stopped recommending butterbur in 2015 because of serious safety concerns, and it lists the 2012 guideline as retired (NCCIH). Prevention medicines (topiramate, propranolol, amitriptyline, CGRP antibodies) and attack medicines (triptans, gepants) are your doctor's call; this guide gives no doses.

Does riboflavin (vitamin B2) help migraines?

Grade B, in adults. In a 3-month trial of 55 people, riboflavin 400 mg a day cut attacks and headache days more than placebo: headache days fell by at least half in 59% of people on riboflavin and 15% on placebo (Schoenen 1998). A 2017 review found 5 adult trials consistently positive, while trials in children and teens were mixed (Thompson 2017). A 2026 network analysis of adult trials ranked riboflavin 400 mg as the steadiest option, cutting about 2 attacks a month, at moderate certainty (Ahmed 2026). The trials ran for 3 months. No upper limit has been set for riboflavin (NIH ODS). See our vitamin B2 page.

Does magnesium help migraines?

Grade C, because trials and reviews disagree. In 81 adults, 600 mg of magnesium a day (as trimagnesium dicitrate) for 12 weeks cut attacks by 41.6% against 15.8% on placebo; 18.6% had diarrhea (Peikert 1996). In another trial, stopped early after 69 adults, magnesium twice a day helped no more than placebo, and 45.7% reported side effects, mainly soft stools or diarrhea, against 23.5% (Pfaffenrath 1996). A 2016 pooling of 10 oral trials (789 people) found fewer and milder attacks, though some trials were poorly randomized (Chiu 2016), and a 2018 review called magnesium possibly effective (von Luckner 2018). Two 2026 network analyses found no clear drop in attack frequency; one found milder attacks (Ahmed 2026; Peng 2026).

Which form? The positive 600 mg trial used a citrate form; we found no migraine trial of magnesium glycinate. That amount is above the adult limit. Upper limit for adults: 350 mg of magnesium a day from supplements, because more can cause diarrhea; take more only with blood tests or your clinician's advice (NIH ODS; check your stack). Magnesium builds up in the blood when the kidneys don't clear it, so people with kidney disease must ask their clinician before taking it. See our magnesium page.

Magnesium given into a vein in emergency rooms is a hospital treatment, not a supplement, and its results conflict: one pooled analysis found faster relief, another found no benefit and more side effects (Chiu 2016; Choi 2014).

Does CoQ10 help migraines?

Grade B, for fewer attacks. In 42 people with migraine, CoQ10 100 mg three times a day beat placebo by the third month; 47.6% halved their attacks against 14.4% (Sándor 2005). Pooling 6 adult trials (371 people), CoQ10 cut about 1.5 attacks a month and shortened them, but did not make them less severe (Sazali 2021). A 2026 network analysis rated the CoQ10 evidence low to very low certainty (Ahmed 2026). See our CoQ10 page.

Does melatonin help migraines?

Grade B. In 196 adults over 3 months, melatonin 3 mg cut headache days by 2.7 a month, against 2.2 for amitriptyline 25 mg and 1.1 for placebo, and was better tolerated than amitriptyline (Gonçalves 2016). In 48 adults, prolonged-release melatonin 2 mg an hour before bed was no better than placebo over 8 weeks (Alstadhaug 2010). Pooling 9 trials (788 people), melatonin reduced headache days, pain and painkiller use against placebo, but was generally less effective than amitriptyline (Abouelmagd 2026). See our melatonin page.

Does vitamin D help migraines?

Grade B, from small trials. In 48 adults, 100 mcg (4,000 IU) of vitamin D3 a day for 24 weeks reduced migraine frequency more than placebo, but not severity (Gazerani 2019). Pooling 6 trials (301 people), attacks fell by about 2.7 a month, with no clear change in length or severity (Hu 2021); the 2026 network analysis rated its vitamin D estimate low to very low certainty because it rested on two small trials (Ahmed 2026). Upper limit for adults: 100 mcg (4,000 IU) of vitamin D a day, because more can cause high blood calcium; take more only with blood tests or your clinician's advice (NIH ODS; check your stack). See our vitamin D page.

What about feverfew, omega-3, ginger and 5-HTP?

  • Feverfew: grade C. Cochrane found 6 trials (561 people) too different to pool. The largest rigorous one (218 people) found 0.6 fewer attacks a month than placebo, two other rigorous trials found no difference, and the reviewers rated the evidence low quality; side effects were mild, mostly stomach upset and mouth ulcers (Wider 2015). Don't take feverfew if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant: NCCIH warns it may affect uterine contractions (NCCIH). Our database grades feverfew D; we give C because several placebo-controlled trials exist, even though they conflict.
  • Omega-3: grade C. A 2025 pooling of 6 trials (407 people with chronic migraine) found fewer, shorter and milder headaches, but some trials also cut omega-6 fats from the diet and one tested alpha-lipoic acid instead (García-Pérez-de-Sevilla 2025). An earlier pooling found no change in attack frequency (5 trials), only shorter attacks (Maghsoumi-Norouzabad 2018), and the 2012 guideline found the data conflicting (Holland 2012). See our omega-3 page.
  • Ginger during an attack: grade C. A 2026 review of 8 trials (594 people) found it very uncertain whether ginger helps, alone or added to a painkiller, and rated all the evidence low or very low certainty (Atkins 2026).
  • 5-HTP: grade C. In older trials without a placebo group, it did about as well as the drug methysergide in 124 people and less well than propranolol in 39 (Titus 1986; Maissen 1991). 5-HTP is turned into serotonin, so taking it with triptans or antidepressants needs your prescriber's OK; see can I take 5-HTP with SSRIs?.

What we'd skip

  • Butterbur (petasites). The 2012 guideline rated it Level A after trials such as one in 245 adults, where the higher of two doses of a root extract cut attacks by 48% against 26% on placebo (Lipton 2004; Holland 2012). The plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), compounds that damage the liver, so products must be processed to remove them; LiverTox describes liver injury with several commercial products, suspected to come from leftover PAs (LiverTox 2019). In reports collected for one standardized root extract, 9 people had severe liver injury and 2 needed a liver transplant, though many also took other drugs that can harm the liver (Anderson 2019). A 2019 review says butterbur must be free of PAs to be safe (Wells 2019), but liver injury has been reported even with products described as PA-free (NCCIH), including with the extract used in the migraine trials (Anderson 2019). The AAN stopped recommending butterbur in 2015 because of safety concerns; NCCIH lists the 2012 guideline as retired (NCCIH).

Safety and interactions

  • Magnesium: diarrhea was common in the trials above; ask first if you have kidney disease, and for water pills or other blood pressure drugs see can I take magnesium with blood pressure medicine?.
  • Riboflavin: the main trial's minor side effects were diarrhea and passing more urine (Schoenen 1998), and it can turn urine yellow (Patel 2019).
  • CoQ10 and warfarin: in a case report, a 72-year-old woman's warfarin worked less well while she took CoQ10 (Landbo 1998). If you take a blood thinner, ask your prescriber or pharmacist first.
  • Painkiller overuse: using attack medicines too often can cause medication-overuse headache, which is common in people with 15 or more headache days a month (Ashina 2023); the American Headache Society advises avoiding overuse (AHS 2019).
  • Several supplements at once: check your stack.
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the amounts in this guide are not for pregnancy; ask your midwife or obstetric team. Don't take feverfew if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant (NCCIH).

When to see a doctor

  • The worst headache of your life, or one that peaks within a minute (a thunderclap headache): emergency care now.
  • Headache with fever and a stiff neck, or after a head injury.
  • New weakness, numbness, trouble speaking, vision loss or confusion, especially if unlike your usual aura.
  • A new headache after age 50, or a change in your usual pattern.
  • Pregnant with a new or severe headache: contact your midwife or obstetric team the same day.
  • Frequent migraine days or painkiller days: ask about prevention medicines. Don't stop a prescribed medicine on your own; ask the prescriber or pharmacist.
  • Children and teens: ask a clinician.

FAQ

What is the best supplement for migraines? Riboflavin (vitamin B2) has the most consistent evidence in adults (grade B): in a 3-month trial, headache days fell by half or more in 59% of people taking 400 mg a day, against 15% on placebo. CoQ10 and melatonin also have grade B evidence.

What kind of magnesium is best for migraines, and how much? The positive trial used 600 mg of magnesium a day as a citrate form for 12 weeks, but another trial found no benefit, so the evidence is mixed (grade C). That amount is above the 350 mg adult upper limit for supplements, and people with kidney disease must ask a clinician first.

How much CoQ10 should I take for migraines? A trial in 42 people used 100 mg three times a day, and the benefit showed by the third month (grade B for fewer attacks). If you take warfarin, ask your prescriber first.

Does butterbur work for migraines? It reduced attacks in trials, but we'd skip it: liver injury was reported, including 2 liver transplants, and the American Academy of Neurology, which rated it Level A in 2012, stopped recommending it in 2015.

Do supplements help during a migraine attack? Not reliably. A 2026 review rated the ginger evidence low or very low certainty (grade C), and magnesium given into a vein is a hospital treatment with conflicting results.

Sources

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