CoQ10: A Tested Solution for Fibro-Fatigue

For those with Fibromyalgia, which treatments have helped the best for reducing fatigue and increasing energy?

I have experimented with a lot of treatments out of personal and professional interest. As an ND, I want to be able to talk to patients about what they can expect from treatment from an experiential point of view.

Of all the things I have tried for fatigue from fibro, the standout is Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) and there is research to support this finding.

The cells of our tissues need to be able to convert food energy (glucose) into cellular energy (adenosine triphosphate, ATP). Cells have organelles that assist with this transformation. Key among them are the mitochondria (singular: mitochondrion), which are most abundant in tissues that do a lot of work, such as muscles and the heart.

Image source: How Healthy Nutrition Builds Health, Starting With the Cells (Graphics)

Our bodies make Coenzyme Q10 and the mitochondria use it to facilitate the process of producing ATP. When the mitochondria don’t produce ATP effectively, this is called “mitochondrial dysfunction”. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a feature of the pathology of pain-fatigue conditions such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Image source: The Mitochondria: Back to Basics | Integrative Therapeutics

Because there are not many excellent food sources of CoQ10, those who need to boost their internal supply usually have to resort to supplementation. While people with heart conditions might need about 100 mg per day of a supplement, those with conditions involving mitochondrial failure could need 10 or more times that amount. I currently take 400 mg daily as a maintenance dose and increase it considerably when in a flared state.

Since all supplements can cause adverse effects and interact with medications, you should review the prescribing information for CoQ10 with your doctor before trying it.

This article originally appeared on Quora.