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Coenzyme Q10 is a vitamin-like substance required for the function of many organs in the body. It is eaten in small amounts in meat and seafood.
Coenzyme Q10 helps provide energy to cells. It also seems to have antioxidant activity. People with certain diseases, such as heart failure, high blood pressure, Parkinson disease, blood infections, and HIV infection, might have lower levels of coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 can also be made in a laboratory.
People most commonly use coenzyme Q10 for conditions that affect the heart such as heart failure and fluid build-up in the body, chest pain, and high blood pressure. It is also used for migraine headache, Parkinson disease, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support many of these other uses.
- Coenzyme Q10 deficiency. Taking coenzyme Q10 orally improves symptomatic deficiency.
Login for details - Mitochondrial myopathies. Taking coenzyme Q10 orally seems to reduce symptoms in some patients with genetic and acquired mitochondrial dysfunction.
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- Congestive heart failure (CHF). Oral coenzyme Q10 may provide benefit to patients with CHF by improving some, but not all, measures of disease severity when given in combination with conventional therapy.
Login for details - Diabetic neuropathy. Coenzyme Q10 taken orally can reduce symptoms in patients with diabetes and neuropathy.
Login for details - Fibromyalgia. Oral coenzyme Q10 seems to improve both physical and psychological symptoms of this condition.
Login for details - Ischemia-reperfusion injury. Oral or intravenous coenzyme Q10 may help reduce hypoxic damage during cardiac bypass or vascular surgery.
Login for details - Migraine headache. The American Academy of Neurology considers oral coenzyme Q10 to be possibly effective for migraine prevention in adults. Its benefit in children is unclear.
Login for details - Multiple sclerosis (MS). Oral coenzyme Q10 seems to reduce fatigue and depression associated with MS.
Login for details - Muscular dystrophy. Oral coenzyme Q10 seems to improve physical performance in patients with muscular dystrophy of various forms.
Login for details - Myocardial infarction (MI). Oral coenzyme Q10 seems to reduce cardiac events and improve survival in patients who have had an MI. It is unclear if coenzyme Q10 improves survival in patients after cardiac arrest.
Login for details - Peyronie disease. Coenzyme Q10 taken orally may reduce Peyronie disease severity.
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- Alzheimer disease. Coenzyme Q10 appears to be ineffective for improving cognition.
Login for details - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease). Oral coenzyme Q10 does not attenuate functional decline in ALS patients.
Login for details - Chemotherapy-related fatigue. Oral coenzyme Q10 does not seem to help with fatigue due to chemotherapy.
Login for details - Diabetes. Most clinical research does not show any benefit with oral coenzyme Q10 in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Login for details - Post-polio syndrome. Muscle function in people with post-polio syndrome is not improved by oral coenzyme Q10.
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- Athletic performance. There is some evidence that exercise can deplete coenzyme Q10 and that supplementation will prevent this depletion. However, there is no evidence that taking coenzyme Q10 is beneficial.
Login for details - Huntington disease. The ubiquinol form of coenzyme Q10 does not seem to improve function in people with this condition.
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- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Oral coenzyme Q10 has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Aging. Login for details
- Angina. There is some limited clinical evidence that coenzyme Q10 can improve exercise tolerance and symptoms in people with this condition.
Login for details - Anthracycline cardiotoxicity. Evidence on the use of coenzyme Q10 to protect against anthracycline cardiotoxicity in adults and children is conflicting.
Login for details - Asthma. Oral coenzyme Q10 has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Autism spectrum disorder. It is unclear if the ubiquinol form of coenzyme Q10 taken orally is beneficial in children aged 3-6 years with this condition.
Login for details - Bipolar disorder. It is unclear if oral coenzyme Q10 is beneficial for bipolar disorder in older adults.
Login for details - Breast cancer. Low coenzyme Q10 levels may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. The benefit of coenzyme Q10 supplementation is unclear.
Login for details - Cancer. Low coenzyme Q10 levels may increase the risk of cancer development and progression.
Login for details - Cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is unclear whether oral coenzyme Q10 has a role in preventing complications from CVD.
Login for details - Cataracts. It is unclear if coenzyme Q10-containing eye drops are beneficial in patients undergoing cataract surgery.
Login for details - Cerebellar ataxia. It is unclear if coenzyme Q10 is beneficial for this condition.
Login for details - Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Login for details
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is unclear if coenzyme Q10 is beneficial for improving exercise tolerance in people with COPD.
Login for details - Cocaine dependence. Oral coenzyme Q10 has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Critical illness (trauma). It is unclear if oral coenzyme Q10 is beneficial in patients hospitalized due to acute trauma.
Login for details - Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS). Limited evidence suggests oral coenzyme Q10 may reduce episodes of CVS.
Login for details - Diabetic nephropathy. Login for details
- Dilated cardiomyopathy. Very small clinical studies suggest that children and adolescents with dilated cardiomyopathy may benefit from oral coenzyme Q10.
Login for details - Dry eye. Ophthalmic coenzyme Q10 has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Dry mouth. It is unclear if oral ubiquinol or ubiquinone improves salivary secretion.
Login for details - Friedreich ataxia. Oral coenzyme Q10 has been evaluated in combination with vitamin E; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Hearing loss. There is conflicting evidence regarding the effects of oral coenzyme Q10 on hearing loss of various etiologies.
Login for details - Hepatitis C. It is unclear if oral coenzyme Q10 is beneficial in patients with this condition.
Login for details - Hyperlipidemia. There is conflicting evidence regarding the effects of coenzyme Q10 on cholesterol levels in adults.
Login for details - Hypertension. Some research suggests that oral coenzyme Q10 may reduce systolic blood pressure, but evidence is conflicting.
Login for details - Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It is unclear if oral coenzyme Q10 is beneficial for this condition.
Login for details - Kidney failure. Oral coenzyme Q10 has been reported to improve renal function in people with kidney failure, but not in those with less severe kidney disease.
Login for details - Infertility. It is unclear if oral coenzyme Q10 helps women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment.
Login for details - Male Infertility. Oral coenzyme Q10 may improve some measures of sperm function, but there evidence is conflicting.
Login for details - Maternally inherited diabetes mellitus and deafness (MIDD). It is unclear if oral coenzyme Q10 is beneficial for MIDD.
Login for details - Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Coenzyme Q10 may reduce liver enzymes and the severity of NAFLD.
Login for details - Obesity. Oral coenzyme Q10 does not seem to improve weight loss in adults.
Login for details - Parkinson disease. There is conflicting evidence regarding the effects of coenzyme Q10 in slowing Parkinson disease progression and improving symptoms.
Login for details - Periodontitis. It is unclear if oral coenzyme Q10 is beneficial for periodontitis, but topical application does not seem to provide benefit.
Login for details - Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Coenzyme Q10 taken orally seems to improve several symptoms of PCOS.
Login for details - Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). It is unclear if oral coenzyme Q10 is beneficial in patients with PWS.
Login for details - Pre-eclampsia. Taking coenzyme Q10 orally seems to reduce the rate of pre-eclampsia in women at risk for the condition.
Login for details - Schizophrenia. It is unclear if oral coenzyme Q10 improves symptoms in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
Login for details - Sepsis. There is no strong evidence that coenzyme Q10 is helpful in the management of sepsis or septic shock.
Login for details - Statin-induced myalgia. There is conflicting evidence regarding the effects of oral coenzyme Q10 on statin-associated muscular adverse effects, such as myalgia.
Login for details - Statin-induced myopathy. There is conflicting evidence regarding the effects of coenzyme Q10 on statin-associated muscular adverse effects, including myopathy.
Login for details - Ulcerative colitis. It is unclear if oral coenzyme Q10 is beneficial in patients with ulcerative colitis.
Login for details - Wrinkled skin. It is unclear if topical application of coenzyme Q10 cream can reduce wrinkles.
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When taken by mouth: Coenzyme Q10 is likely safe for most adults. While most people tolerate coenzyme Q10 well, it can cause some mild side effects including stomach upset, loss of appetite, nausea, and diarrhea. It can also cause allergic skin rashes in some people.
When applied to the skin: Coenzyme Q10 is likely safe for most adults when applied directly to the gums.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy: Coenzyme Q10 is possibly safe when taken by mouth during pregnancy. Coenzyme Q10 has been used safely when taken twice daily starting at the 20th week of pregnancy.Breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if coenzyme Q10 is safe to use when breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Children: Coenzyme Q10 is possibly safe for children when taken by mouth under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
Medications for cancer (Chemotherapy)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Coenzyme Q-10 is an antioxidant. There is some concern that antioxidants might decrease the effectiveness of some medications used for cancers. But it is too soon to know if the interaction occurs.
Medications for high blood pressure (Antihypertensive drugs)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Coenzyme Q-10 seems to decrease blood pressure. Taking coenzyme Q-10 along with medications for high blood pressure might cause your blood pressure to go too low.
Warfarin (Coumadin)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Warfarin (Coumadin) is used to slow blood clotting. Coenzyme Q-10 might help the blood clot. By helping the blood clot, coenzyme Q-10 might decrease the effectiveness of warfarin (Coumadin). Decreasing the effectiveness of warfarin (Coumadin) might increase the risk of clotting. Be sure to have your blood checked regularly. The dose of your warfarin (Coumadin) might need to be changed.
Beta-carotene: Coenzyme Q10 can increase blood levels of beta-carotene. This might increase the effects and side effects of beta-carotene.
Gum arabic: Taking coenzyme Q10 with gum arabic, which is made from acacia, seems to increase the body's absorption of coenzyme Q10. This might increase the effects and side effects of coenzyme Q10.
Herbs and supplements that might lower blood pressure: Coenzyme Q10 might lower blood pressure. Taking it with other supplements that have the same effect might cause blood pressure to drop too much. Examples of supplements with this effect include andrographis, casein peptides, L-arginine, niacin, and stinging nettle.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Combining coenzyme Q10 with omega-3 fatty acids can reduce blood levels of coenzyme Q10. This might reduce the effects of coenzyme Q10.
Red yeast rice: Red yeast rice might reduce coenzyme Q10 levels in the body.
Vitamin K: Coenzyme Q10 can have effects in the body that are similar to vitamin K, including inhibiting the effects of blood thinning drugs such as warfarin. Taking coenzyme Q10 with vitamin K might increase the risk of blood clotting in people taking blood thinning drugs.
There are no known interactions with foods.
Coenzyme Q10 has most often been used by adults in doses of 60-1000 mg by mouth daily for up to 12 weeks. Doses above 100 mg daily should be divided throughout the day to reduce side effects. Coenzyme Q10 has also been used in creams and eye drops. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what dose might be best for a specific condition.
Co Q10, Co Q-10, Coenzima Q-10, Co-Enzyme 10, Coenzyme Q 10, Coenzyme Q10, Co-Enzyme Q10, Co-Enzyme Q-10, Co-Q 10, CoQ10, Co-Q10, CoQ-10, Ubidecarenone, Ubidécarénone, Ubiquinone-10.
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