My google-fu fails me in finding more information than pretty much one doctor who wrote about migraines and included sections about these. I’m not finding much on any other journals or studies.
Anyone have information on abdominal migraines? Or if they’re called something else? Experience them personally? I’m curious. A good friend of mine claims to get these and that they cause gastrointestinal issues as well as sometimes bad headaches. She very often blames the weather and weather changes as the cause. I’ve mentioned maybe she should seriously consider moving somewhere the weather is more consistent. It changes practically hourly in Chicago! I hear complaints about the migraines weekly, but they don’t really stop her from doing stuff. It’s confusing, and I can’t find recent/good information on possible new treatments or something that could help her - besides moving.
As far as I know, a migraine is something you only get in your head. You may have similar symptoms elsewhere in your body but I don’t think it’s called a migraine.
I am not a doctor, but if your friend is having sharp pains in her abdomen that last for an hour or more, it could be gallstones or kidney stones.
Abdominal migraines They seem to be more common in children than adults.
And no, even regular migraines don’t occur just in your head – the side effects vary from person to person, but include visual auras, upset stomach, vomitting, chills, fatique, numbness, sensitivity to light and sound, etc. (I always get an earache, chills, and while I’ve never vomitted, I feel nauseaus as all hell.)
Yeah, she’s been having these for years. No stones. The publications from that one doctor have validated her symptoms, it’s just that there doesn’t seem to be much research or studies beyond what’s mentioned in a couple of books by one doctor. She has a couple of medications but their efficacy seems to be hit or miss. But - it could be that she’s not taking them as soon as she should and hopes for the migraine stuff to subside before taking them too late to help much.
I had never heard of them before this particular friend, and I was thinking with the broad scope of folks on the Dope maybe someone else has some information that could be useful. Most of the stuff I’m finding has to do with treating children - there doesn’t seem to be much information on adults or very recent research. If there are recent studies I’m not searching for them effectively.