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A new report presented at the last annual scientific meeting of the American Headache Society in San Diego showed that post-concussion symptoms can be helped by an intravenous infusion of magnesium.
Doctors at the department of neurology at UCLA described six patients with a post-concussion syndrome, who were given an infusion of 2 grams of magnesium sulfate. Three out of six had a significant improvement of their headaches and all had improvement in at least one of the following symptoms: concentration, mood, insomnia, memory, and dizziness.
This was a small study, but it is consistent with other studies that show a drop in the magnesium level following a concussion and also studies in animals that show beneficial effects of magnesium following a head trauma.
Our studies have shown that intravenous magnesium can relieve migraine and cluster headaches in a significant proportion of patients.
Considering how safe intravenous magnesium is and how devastating the effect of a concussion can be, it makes sense to give all patients with a post-concussion syndrome if not an intravenous infusion, at least an oral supplement. I usually recommend 400 mg of magnesium glycinate, which should be taken with food. For faster and more reliable effect, we routinely give patients with migraines, cluster, and post-concussion headaches an infusion of magnesium. Patients who do not absorb or do not tolerate (it can cause diarrhea) oral magnesium, come in to for monthly infusions.
