The effects of concurrent Coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine supplementation in migraine prophylaxis: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial

Purpose The present study aimed to determine the effects of combined supplementation of Coenzyme Q10 with L-carnitine on mitochondrial metabolic disorders marker and migraine symptoms among migraine patients. Methods A total of 56 men and women, between 20–40 years of age with migraine headache, participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study. The subjects were randomly assigned to receive either 30 mg/day Coenzyme Q10 and 500 mg/day L-carnitine at the same time and/or placebo tablets for 8 weeks. The measurements were completed at the beginning and end of the study. The primary outcome was severity of headache attacks. The secondary outcomes included duration, frequency of headache attacks, the headache diary results (HDR), and serum levels of lactate. Results A significant reduction was obtained in serum levels of lactate (−2.28 mg/dl, 95% CI: −3.65, −0.90; p = 0.002), severity (−3.03, 95% CI: −3.65, −2.40; p ≤ 0.001), duration (−7.67, 95% CI: −11.47, −3.90; p ≤ 0.001), frequency (−5.42, 95% CI: −7.31, −3.53; p ≤ 0.001) and HDR (−103.03, 95% CI: −145.76, −60.29; p ≤ 0.001) after 8 weeks. Conclusion This double-blind parallel study provides evidences supporting the beneficial effects of Coenzyme Q10 and L-carnitine supplements on serum levels of lactate and migraine symptoms. Trial registration IRCT20121216011763N21.