Menstrual Abdominal Migraine: An Observational Study
Abstract
Objective: Evaluation of abdominal pains of menstrual origin in mothers of children with migraine.
Materials and methods: A study spanning 4 years, from April 2004 to September 2008 was done. The study was conducted at the Eye and Migraine Centre, Cherthala and St. Sebastian’s Visitation Hospital, Arthunkal. Four thousand mothers with migraine (migraine without aura, with aura and probable migraine) were queried regarding menstrual pains (head pain and abdominal pain) when they presented with their children who had headaches of migraine origin.
Results: While only 14 per cent (562) had menstrual migraine (day 1 plus or minus 2 days of menstrual cycle), 72 per cent (2882) reported dysmenorrhoea, either at the time of presentation or sometime in the past (mostly before first pregnancy) and in 61 per cent (2441) of them, severe lower abdominal pain similar to dysmenorrhoea was associated with anorexia/ nausea/ vomiting/ phonophobia and photophobia, all suggestive of a diagnosis of lower abdominal migraine.
Conclusion: The present study concludes that lower abdominal pains resembling abdominal migraines are very common in female migraineurs during menstruation and it can occur without typical I H S (International Headache Society) migraine or probable migraine head pain. Dysmenorrhoea, present or past, must be specifically enquired into, while taking headache history from mothers. If severe lower abdominal pains with migraine-associated features are present, it can be considered as lower abdominal migraine or migraine trait. This history helps in diagnosing early migraines in their children easier.
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