Patient education: Abdominal migraine (The Basics)

What is abdominal migraine? — This is a type of migraine that mostly happens to children. Instead of having a headache, the pain is in the belly, or "abdomen." Doctors are not sure exactly what causes abdominal migraine. But they are more likely to happen in:

●Children who are between 2 to 10 years old

●Girls

●Children with family members who have migraine

Abdominal migraine attacks are "recurrent." This means that they happen more than once. Between abdominal migraine attacks, children have no belly pain or other symptoms.

Most children stop having abdominal migraine by the time they are teens. But many children who have abdominal migraine go on to have migraine with headaches as adults.

What are the symptoms of an abdominal migraine attack? — The main symptom is belly pain. The pain can be in the middle of the belly or all over. It can last for several hours or even a couple of days, if not treated.

Children with abdominal migraine also have 2 or more of the following symptoms:

●Lack of appetite

●Nausea

●Vomiting

●Looking very pale

Some children also have a headache during an abdominal migraine attack.

Should my child see a doctor or nurse? — Yes. If your child is having symptoms of an abdominal migraine attack, they should see their doctor or nurse.

Will my child need tests? — Maybe. There is no test for abdominal migraine. Usually, the doctor or nurse can diagnose abdominal migraine by doing an exam and learning about the child's symptoms. But the doctor or nurse might order tests to check for other causes of abdominal pain.

How is abdominal migraine treated? — It depends on the child and their symptoms. Treatment might include medicines to:

●Help with pain

●Stop the child from vomiting

●Prevent another abdominal migraine

Talk to the child's doctor or nurse before giving any medicines for abdominal migraine. This includes over-the-counter medicines.

How can I help my child feel better? — During an abdominal migraine attack, it can help to have the child rest in a quiet room until they feel better.

Can abdominal migraine attacks be prevented? — There are some things you can do to lower the chances of your child having another abdominal migraine attack. These include:

●Medicines – Talk to your child's doctor or nurse about whether medicines can help prevent abdominal migraine attacks.

●Make sure that your child has a regular sleep routine – Try to have your child go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.

●Lower stress – Try to help your child manage their stress. This can be done with relaxation exercises or meditation.

When should I call the doctor? — Call the doctor or nurse for advice if your child:

●Has signs of an infection – These include a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, chills, or pain when urinating.

●Has belly pain that is getting worse

●Has belly pain that lasts longer than 3 days

●Has more than 3 abdominal migraine attacks in a month

●Cannot keep fluids down

●Has a hard time urinating or having a bowel movement

●Has pain in a different part of the belly than usual

●Has pain that is much worse than usual

More on this topic

Patient education: Migraine in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Headaches in children (The Basics)

Patient education: Headache in children (Beyond the Basics)