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Migraine w/o Nausea

Does anyone have a diagnosis of migraine and not experience nausea? According to the specialist I'm seeing, nausea is basically a prerequisite for migraine diagnosis, which I wasn't experiencing, and now that I am he's dismissing it as unrelated. (I'm not looking to be told if I have a migraine or not, simply looking to find out if anyone has heard differently about the nausea thing)

  1. Hi Pendragon,

    Thank you for your question! YES - it IS possible to have a migraine attack without having nausea. Nausea is a common symptom of migraine, but not everyone experiences it with each attack. Migraine symptoms can include but are not limited to; nausea, vomiting, tingling, numbness, dizziness, moodiness, difficulty concentrating and many other things. Let me share with you this article that discusses migraine symptoms; https://migraine.com/migraine-symptoms/.

    I wonder if it might be time to see a doctor who is a bit more current on migraine and headache disorders? You may want to investigate seeing a true migraine/headache expert, a doctor who is board certified in headache medicine rather than a neurologist. Neurologists may be fine doctors but have a hard time being experts in one area because they treat so many different conditions such as stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's and others. Migraine/headache disorder specialists are just that, experts in one area - migraine and headache - and are board certified in headache medicine whereas all neurologists are not. It's also important to note that all neurologists are NOT migraine/headache disorder specialists even though they may claim to be and all migraine/headache disorder specialists are not neurologists. Let me give you some information on how migraine specialists are different; https://migraine.com/blog/how-are-migraine-specialists-different/. To help you find a migraine specialist, take a look at this link; https://migraine.com/blog/looking-for-a-migraine-specialist/.

    I hope this helps,
    Nancy

    1. Thank you very much, Nancy. I have a slight problem of living in Australia and therefore all the resources you can provide about migraine specialists are not all that relevant, but I appreciate your input.

      One other question: Has anyone else experienced symptoms changing over time? I've had a constant headache for about 7 years now, which became light sensitive in about year 5, then had dizziness for six months or so and now nausea for the last 2-4 months or so. Is this a common experience, that symptoms change/develop over the course of the illness?

      1. Hi Pendragon,

        Oh, I'm sorry about the oversight! Headache Australia may be able to help; http://headacheaustralia.org.au/migraine and here is their link for headache specialists;
        http://headacheaustralia.org.au/headache-management/headache-and-pain-clinics/.

        I'm sorry to say, yes, our migraine patterns, triggers and symptoms can change over time which is frustrating. I've found as I've gotten older I no longer can consume raw onions without triggering a migraine attack. When I was younger they were never a problem.

        If you haven't kept a detailed migraine diary recently, I would encourage you to. Because our patterns, triggers and symptoms can change, keeping a detailed diary will help narrow down these changes and give us a look into what may and/or may not help, treatment-wise. With all the apps out there it really is easier than ever to keep a diary. Migraine.com has The Migraine Meter; https://migraine.com/blog/new-migraine-meter-app-available-on-itunes-and-google-play-for-android/ but if that doesn't work for you there are many others out there.
        This link has good information on the specifics of keeping a diary; https://migraine.com/blog/keeping-migraine-diary-basics/.

        I hope that helps,
        Nancy

        1. Nausea is an unpleasant sensation of discomfort or unease in the stomach (queasy stomach), accompanied by an urge to vomit. Nausea often precedes vomiting. To overcome this problem, you can freely consult with Dr. Rohit Gupta on phone call. He is an Neurologist Specialist in Faridabad. http://drrohitgupta.co.in/

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