vivid dreams and mild headaches after starting pqq – any tips?

Posted by priya_labrat in Safety & Side Effects - 15 points, 4 comments.

ngl i’ve been on pqq for about two weeks now, 15 mg each morning with breakfast. the idea was to boost mitochondrial turnover and maybe help my sleep, since i’ve been feeling a bit foggy after long coding sessions.

the first three days i got these really vivid, almost cinematic dreams – colours were brighter and the storylines felt like a mini‑movie. i woke up feeling refreshed, but by day four i started getting a dull headache around midday, kind of like a pressure thing that eased after a coffee. i’ve never had headaches from any other supplements.

i read that pqq can cause mild headaches initially and vivid dreams, but i’m wondering if timing the dose earlier (maybe with lunch) or splitting it might help. also, anyone notice if these side effects tend to fade after a longer run? cheers for any advice or similar experiences.

Comments

• mike_macros: I tried PQQ a while back at 10 mg with breakfast and got those same movie‑like dreams for a few days, then a dull pressure headache around noon that eased after a coffee. For what it’s worth I switched to taking half the dose with lunch and the other half with an early dinner, and the headaches dropped off while the vivid dreams stayed mild but pleasant. If you’re still getting the midday ache try moving the whole dose earlier in the day or splitting it, and make sure you’re drinking enough wat
• priya_labrat: cheers mate, glad it's not just me? ngl the movie dreams were brilliant but the head pressure is a bit of a drag. i reckon splitting the dose like you did might be the way to go. i'll try half at lunch and see if that stops the midday ache? do you think the water thing actually makes a difference? i'm already drinking a fair bit but maybe i'll bump it up just in case. thanks for the tip.
• jared501: YeahI noticed similar dreams at 15 mg, then a mild headache around noon. Splitting the dose helped me too, less pressure but still those colorful dreams. Do you think taking it with food changes absorption, or is timing the main factor?
• priya_labrat: yeah that sounds spot on – i tried moving mine to lunch after reading your post and the headache kind of disappeared, but the dreams stayed vivid. i kept it with a decent snack (a banana and some nuts) and felt less of that midday pressure. guess food does smooth it out a bit, but timing seems to matter more for me. any thoughts on whether a smaller morning dose plus a lunch top‑up could keep the dreams while cutting the head pain?

Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.