Abdominal migraine symptoms

The patient suffers from recurrent ( more than 5 attacks ) of Abdominal pain lasting between 1-72 hours.
symptoms including pallor, vomiting and nausea or anorexia is experienced.

Abdominal Migraine in children

Children aged between 5-9 years old are most prone to this form of migraine.

The child suffers from recurrent Abdominal pain with one or more symptoms of vomiting, nausea or anorexia.
The pain occurs mostly in the mornings on awakening and can also include sensitivity to light and sound.

If its not related to any other gastrointestinal or such disease, the diagnosis is made by the pediatrician.
There is no diagnostic test to conclude abdominal migraine.

Most children with abdominal migraine will later develop migraine headaches.
They are also likely to develop migraine with aura or migraine without aura.

Abdominal Migraine in adults

Although this form of abdominal migraine is primarily seen in children, it can occur in adults as well.
the abdominal pain is severe enough to interfere with nomal daily activities. The pallor is often accompanied by dark shadows under the eyes.

Other disorders such as peptic ulcer, urogenital disorders needs to be ruled out by the physician before concluding it as abdominal migraine.

Abdominal Migraine treatment

The medication depends on the age of the patient.
Primarily consisting of midrin, triptans and antinausea medications.

In children, acute attacks of abdominal migraine are treated with rest and this frequently resolves with sleep.

The patients should be allowed to lie down undisturbed in a quiet and dark room.

There is a good evidence from a controlled clinical study that Pizotifen may reduce the frequency and intensity of attacks.

Propranolol may also be effective but no controlled clinical trials have been carried out.

Valproic acid (VPA) IV which is used for migraine prophylaxis has been used with success in patients treated for abdominal migraine.