anybody tried supplements to help with migraine prevention?

the research seems promising.

I've tried them all. They work for some; not for all.
None worked for me, and I wish they had.
I wouldn't dissuade anyone from trying them, and hope they work for you.

If you're exploring herbals, just do your homework carefully.
While some are ok to take occasionally, some are not so good to take continuously.

Doc

Hi,

I've tried magnesium (in the pidolate form, which is not available in the US). It seemed to help sometimes, not others. I honestly had to chalk up the "helpful" times to coincidence. It is possible I might not have taken enough to make a difference, however.

If you're going to try magnesium, make sure you get one which is readily absorbed by the body: Natural Calm is a good option -- when mixed with *hot* water, it produces an aqueous solution of magnesium citrate; this is one of the most absorbable forms. Bear in mind, the body needs B-complex as well as vitamins E and C in adequate supply in order to use magnesium properly.

As far as vitamin B2, I'd suggest you get a balanced B-complex rather than just B2, because the Bs all work together. Check the fine-printed list of ingredients and the %daily intake column to verify this -- do not rely on the product name. I'd avoid those B-50 and B-100 combinations. Those names are misleading because the individual constituents are not balanced in relation to one another, nor in relation to the recommended daily intake.

I take a balanced B-complex and I still have migraines. I recently had a sharp increase in frequency that roughly coincided with a period of stopping my supplements but there might have been other causes for the increase (like the wacky weather we had). Our B requirements also go up when we are under stress, and as you surely know, stress can increase migraine incidence. So taking a B supplement is worth trying, especially if you think you might not be getting enough of some B's, or if you are under stress.

I have no personal experience with melatonin. This abstract talks about its potential in headache treatment:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16548786

Good luck!

waves