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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2005 >> Niacin Aborts Migraines
        
(Message started by: floridian on Jan 31^st, 2005, 9:42am)

Title: Niacin Aborts Migraines
Post by floridian on Jan 31^st, 2005, 9:42am

Interesting article on niacin aborting migraines - while the evidence is not ironclad, a review of nine studies indicates that there is probably something to it. The relief seems to occur with the niacin flush. Niacin seems to affect serotonin release, blood vessel tone and a few other mechanisms (prostaglandins, mitochondria etc).

Sustained release niacin or high doses for long periods can have negative effects on the liver. Not sure how it interacts with other meds. The niacin flush is generally considered irritating or downright unpleasant (a sensation of heat, redness, and occasional itching, nausea or other effects) ... it sounds somewhat like a trex flush, and better than a cluster.

http://www.nutritionj.com/content/pdf/1475-2891-4-3.pdf

Title: Re: Niacin Aborts Migraines
Post by BikerBob on Jan 31^st, 2005, 7:17pm

A contrary view from a variety of sources...

The benefit of niacin supplementation is not that it "causes cutaneous flushing that might abort the acute symptoms of migraine by vasodilating the intracranial vessels, thus preventing the subsequent vasoconstriction of the extracranial vessels".

The benefit of niacin supplementation is that it reduces peripheral breakdown of L-Tryptophan. As a result, L-Tryptophan will not be used up for niacin production in the brain, allowing it to be transported into the central nervous system. L-Tryptophan is subsequently metabolized into 5-HTP which leads directly to serotonin production.

The premise of that article is summarized in this paragraph:

"In acute migraine headaches some of the symptoms arise from activation of the trigeminovascular complex. Activation of this complex leads to intracranial vasoconstriction causing the migraine aura, followed by headache due to vasodilation of the extracranial vessels and activation of the perivascular nociceptive nerves [21]. When taken intravenously or orally, niacin causes cutaneous flushing that might abort the acute symptoms of migraine by vasodilating the intracranial vessels, thus preventing the subsequent vasoconstriction of the extracranial vessels. There is evidence that niacin is an effective peripheral vasodilator, but its ability to influence central mechanisms (i.e., cerebral blood flow and cranial hemodynamics) involved in migraine headaches have not been well studied. Niacin causes peripheral vasodilation and cutaneous flushing by inducing the production of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) in the skin, leading to a marked increase of its metabolite, 9a, 11b-PGF2, in the plasma [22]. When niacin is administered orally in amounts of 500 mg or topically via a 6-inch patch of 10-1M aqueous methylnicotinate on the forearm, PGD2 is markedly released in the skin and its metabolite appears in high amounts in the plasma [22,23]. It is not known if PGD2 causes vasodilation of the intracranial arteries, but niacin’s ability to abort acute migraine headaches suggests that this might be what is occurring."

Serotonin is only mentioned twice in the article: "Article #7 - niacin's benefits and side effects might be due to its ability to release serotonin and histamine from the stomach", and "Article #9 - The hypothesized increase in serotonin from niacin cannot be proven".

On the contrary; the relationship between niacin, tryptophan, 5HTP and serotonin (5HT) has been well documented. Tryptophan is an essential aromatic amino acid found in the brain and is a precursor to 5-HTP synthesis which is critical to the production of serotonin. L-Tryptophan is used by the body in the synthesis of proteins and the production of natural niacin.

Clinical research has demonstrated that niacin supplementation may help to reduce peripheral breakdown of L-Tryptophan. As a result, L-Tryptophan will not be used up for niacin production in the brain, allowing it to be transported into the central nervous system. L-Tryptophan is subsequently metabolized into 5-HTP which leads directly to serotonin production.

Bob

Title: Re: Niacin Aborts Migraines
Post by floridian on Feb 1^st, 2005, 8:24am

Good points. Niacin is doing a number of things - not sure which of them help.

As far as niacin boosting serotonin by keeping tryptophan from being turned into niacin, would that be fast enough to abort, or would that fall under the preventive category?

And the million dollar question (for most of us) - is it likely to help with clusters? Preventing activation of the trigeminal nerve complex sounds good, not sure about the vasodilation.