Vitamin B12 and migraines
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) deficiency has been long suspected to play a role in the development of migraines, but so far it has not been directly linked to migraines.
A new study published in the latest issue of Headache compared vitamin B12 status in 70 migraine sufferers with 70 healthy people with similar demographics. Serum levels of vitamin B12 were found to be significantly lower in migraine patients than in healthy subjects. Vitamin B12 levels are notoriously inaccurate, so the authors confirmed this finding by testing for a more sensitive indicator of deficiency, methylmalonic acid (MMA), which goes up as the vitamin B12 levels go down. Patients with the B12 levels in the highest quartile had 80% lower chance of having migraines compared to those with levels in the bottom quartile. Patients in the highest quartile of MMA had more than 5 times increased risk of having migraines.
In a study migraine sufferers with elevated homocysteine levels, which is another indicator of deficiency of vitamin B12 and other B vitamins, were given vitamins B12, folic acid and vitamin B6. Their homocysteine levels dropped and migraine-related disability improved. Elevated homocysteine level is suspected to be responsible for the increased risk of strokes in patients with migraines with aura, although that is still unproven.
This latest study only shows correlation, but it does not prove that taking vitamin B12 and increasing your serum level will relieve migraines. Nevertheless, it makes sense to have your level at least in the middle of normal range since vitamin B12 is important for many brain functions. For example, multiple sclerosis patients with low B12 levels have higher disability and vitamin B12 deficiency may predispose to Alzheimer’s disease.
I’ve written in the past that long-term intake of heartburn drugs often leads to vitamin B12 deficiency. You may want to read an article in the Wall Street Journal published earlier this year, Vitamin B-12 Deficiency: The Serious Health Problem That’s Easy To Miss.
The migraine specialist probably meant that those with migraines are more likely to have vitamin B12 deficiency. If the level is low, injections is a much more reliable way to get it into the body than taking it by mouth. And once someone is found to be deficient, the deficiency tends to return if injections are stopped.
In 2013 after suffering from migraines for over 20 years I was finally referred to a migraine specialist. After getting the blood test she had done back it was determined my B-12 levels were low and she prescribed B-12 shots. Do not know the dosage. My primary doctor commented that my B-12 levels were normal. I voiced this concern to the migraine specialist who told me that migraine patients need more Vitamin B-12 than patients who do not suffer from migraines. Since that time I’ve been getting a B12 injection every two weeks. In November my B-12 was tested and my numbers were in the 800 range. The last test they were in the 1000.00 range. A week ago I had my regular B-12 shot but since then I’ve started have migraines again. I’m wondering if this would be because of the levels of B-12 being lower than 1000. In September I had to miss my B-12 shots so my primary care physician had my take a B-12 capsule. Since it was a capsule I had gotten a Methylcobalamin 1000 mcg supplement which my phyisician approved. I also was just put on Famotidine Tabs 20mg. Because of the concern of the absorption of the meds/supplelments I take I take this med at 4am and wait four hours before taking any of my supllemments/meds. I am wondering if missing the shots for a month and just using the B-12 capsuls and/or starting taking the Famotidine could make a difference and why my B-12 levels are all of a sudden under 1000. The past few day I’ve been fighting with migraines again and today have been feeling tired. I also take a thyroid med which I figured was what was causing the tiredness. I’m not sure how much my primary care physician knows about B-12 and migraines so I’m trying to find information that I can give her. I have printed out the three articles on this web site regarding Vitamin B-12 and migraines. However I cannot find anything that verifies what the mIgraine specialist said about migraine patients needing more B-12 than patients who don’t have migraines. Do you of any information in this regard? Thank you for anything you have. Needless to say it’s very disturbing that after all these years without migraines and seeing the B-12 number below 1000 I’m inclined to put 2 and 2 together and that there is a connection. Bev Passwaters