From the Research
Role of Sodium in Vestibular Migraines
- Sodium (Na+) plays a crucial role in triggering or exacerbating vestibular migraines, as evidenced by several studies 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- A lack of sufficient sodium in the extracellular space of sensory neurons can lead to failed action potentials, triggering migraines 1
- High carbohydrate diets can reduce sodium availability for use in the brain, causing an electrolyte imbalance and potentially triggering migraines 1
- Low carbohydrate diets, such as ketogenic, low carb-high fat (LCHF), and carnivore, can be beneficial for migraineurs by increasing sodium availability 1
Sodium Intake and Migraine Frequency
- A positive association has been found between 24-hour urine sodium levels and longer headache duration, as well as higher Migraine Headache Index Score (MHIS) 3
- Increased dietary sodium intake has been inversely correlated with migraine history, suggesting that higher sodium intake may be associated with lower migraine frequency 5
- However, another study found that sodium chloride intake can alleviate migraine pain, potentially due to the relief of withdrawal symptoms from excessive sodium chloride intake 2
Sodium Rhythms and Migraine Onset
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sodium levels have been found to rise during episodic migraine, and natural sodium chronobiology may predispose susceptible individuals to migraine when extracellular CSF sodium increases 4
- A study found significant rhythms in CSF sodium concentrations, with the lowest levels at 03:20 h and highest at 08:00 h, which may contribute to the timing of migraine onset 4