What causes abdominal migraines?

Answer 1

Abdominal migraine has also been termed "chronic vomiting syndrome" and is believed to be caused by similar triggers as "regular" cerebral migraines, i.e. suddena and/or dramatic changes in systemic hormones. Insulin also a type of hormone, and thus dramatic changes in blood sugar could potentially be one trigger for migraines, both cerebral and abdominal. More often the hormonal triggers appear to be related to sudden and/or dramatic changes in the body's levels of estrogens, progesterones, and testosterones.

What causes the migraine is the sudden and dramatic change in one or more hormones, however these changes in hormone levels act on the neurovascular system and cause vasodilation (enlarged blood vessels) and this creates inflammation in and around these blood vessels (both cerebral and abdominal) and the inflammation and swelling in the brain or abdomen is what causes the intense pain. The intestines are quite sensitive to distention -- so swelling in and around the intestinal area can cause telescoping of the stool and diarrhea as well as temporary obstruction of the intestinal pathway -- leading to reversal of the intestinal contents to be regurgitated due to the temporary blockage (or telescoping) of the intestinal pathway.

It has been suggested that a neuroconstrictor such as zomig or maxalt (triptan succinates successfully used for cerebral migraines) would be useful in preventing the abdominal migraine as these triptan succinates would reduce the inflammation and swelling in and around the blood vessels of the intestines. This is how the cerebral migraine is controlled - and best to take these triptan succinates at the very start of any symptoms so that there is ample time for the triptan succinates to become absorbed and effective to prevent the pain and vomiting of the abdominal migraine.

Answer 2

Abdominal migraine has also been termed "cyclic vomiting syndrome" (CVS) and is believed to be caused by similar triggers as "regular" cerebral migraines, i.e. sudden and/or dramatic changes in systemic hormones. Insulin is also a type of hormone, and thus dramatic changes in blood sugar could potentially be one trigger for migraines, both cerebral and abdominal. More often the hormonal triggers appear to be related to sudden and/or dramatic changes in the body's levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Acute or chronic stress can produce an overabundance of the hormone cortisol, and this can also create changes in neurovascular character. Lack of sleep and rest can create an imbalance in any of our hormones, however there is a strong association between the occurrence of cerebral migraines and the sudden and dramatic changes in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels. Females are more likely to have cerebral migraines (3:1 ratio of females to males) due to the sudden and dramatic hormonal changes around puberty, the many changes within the menstrual cycle, and the premenopausal, perimenopausal, and menopausal time frames. Some females never experience migraine until the perimenopausal time of life, as these changes in hormone levels (particularly estrogen and progesterone) can be in more dramatic flux at this time than even during the menstrual cycle.

What causes the migraine as a beginning cause is the sudden and dramatic change in one or more hormones, however these changes in hormone levels act on the neurovascular system and cause vasodilation (enlarged blood vessels) and this vasodilation is what creates inflammation in and around these blood vessels (both cerebral and abdominal) and the inflammation and swelling in the brain or abdomen is what causes the intense pain.

The intestines are quite sensitive to distention -- so swelling in and around the intestinal area can cause telescoping of the stool and diarrhea as well as temporary obstruction of the intestinal pathway -- leading to reversal of the intestinal contents to be regurgitated due to the temporary blockage (or telescoping) of the intestinal pathway. So even though the original cause of the migraine cascade is sudden and/or dramatic change in one or more hormone levels, the actual pain and ongoing syndromes are due to the hormone's effect on the neurovascular system.

It has been suggested that a vasoconstrictor such as zomig or maxalt (triptan succinates successfully used for treating cerebral migraines in many people now) would be useful in preventing the abdominal migraine, as these triptan succinates would reduce the inflammation and swelling in and around the blood vessels of the intestines due to their mechanism of action -- vasoconstriction. This is how the cerebral migraine is controlled - and it is always best to take these triptan succinates at the very start of any symptoms so that there is ample time for the triptan succinates to become well absorbed and effective to begin as soon as possible to: (1) counteract the effects of the vasodilation and therefore to (2) prevent the ensuing intense pain and vomiting of the abdominal (and/or cerebral) migraine. The triptan succinates will not reverse the cascade of hormonal changes that begin the migraine events (both abdominal and cerebral) but these triptan succinates can successfully reverse the result of these hormonal changes by simply acting as quickly as possible to constrict the dilating blood vessels before they proceed to become more dilated, and this will help to prevent the debilitating pain and discomfort that results from their dilation.

Abdominal migraine can be serious for both adolescents and adults and it is best to discuss any of these options (using the triptan succinates) with a migraine specialist in order to combat this debilitating and limiting condition. Cerebral migraines can be well managed with the triptan succinates - and current medical research has proposed this treatment for abdominal migraines as well.