What is a migraine? Why migraine happens. Who gets migraines? Treating migraines.

Treating Migraine Nausea

A Most Unpleasant Symptom

One of the more common side effects of a migraine headache is nausea. Sometimes it goes the distance and becomes vomiting as well - a very unpleasant symptom that just seems to make the headache that much worse. Nausea hits in different ways. About 80% of migraine sufferers experience nausea, but only about 30% actually vomit. You may feel nauseous; you may throw up one time or several times or not at all. In some cases, vomiting is so severe some people become dehydrated.

Although nausea is associated with migraine headaches, it also accompanies cluster headaches and tension headaches as well. One of the common symptoms of migraine headaches in children is nausea, often occurring without the headache. In little people, the symptoms can arrive unexpectedly and suddenly causing upset and often confusion if they don't understand the reason they are feeling sick to their stomach.

General Treatments for Nausea

General treatment for migraine nausea may begin with triptan drugs that are known to be helpful for this symptom. A research study done in 1997 showed that nausea may be helped by the herb feverfew. It's worth noting that some migraine medications and some over-the-counter pain killers may cause nausea and vomiting. Check the label for contraindications - you may need to try something different if the drugs you take cause a problem in this area. For children, there are some prescription drugs that work for both pain and nausea together. Children should not be administered drugs without the advice of a physician.

Feeling Drowsy Can Be Very Good - But Be Careful

Another method of dealing with nausea is with the use of antinausea or antiemetic drugs. Drugs such as trimethodbenzamide (Tigan), prochlorperazine (Compazine) and promethazine (Phenergan) are all used to treat migraine nausea symptoms. Phenergan is prescribed often for children. Gravol, a well-known antinauseant is another product that can be used. These drugs can cause drowsiness, which can be a hidden blessing for sufferers of migraine headaches. If it is necessary to be alert, then ask the doctor for Reglan (metoclopramide) or an option that would be less drowsy.

If pills won't go down or stay down due to vomiting, then suppositories are another option. They're usually easy to administer and work quickly. A word of caution: if you are taking two medications that evoke drowsiness, such as a narcotic pain killer and Gravol for nausea, taking a full dose could be lethal. Check with the doctor for safe dosage of medications that are taken together.

Don't Forget Ginger

An excellent, natural treatment for migraine headaches is ginger. It can be eaten fresh, simply peeled and sliced from a fresh root, prepared in ginger tea, or in capsule form obtainable from the health food store.

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