eMedicine Specialties > Neurology > Headache and Pain

Migraine Headache: Follow-up

Author: Jasvinder Chawla, MBBS, MD, MBA, Chief of Neurology, Hines Veterans Affairs Hospital; Associate Professor and Director, Neurology Residency Training Program, Loyola University Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Sep 4, 2008

Follow-up

Further Inpatient Care

Inpatient care for migraine may be indicated for the following:

  • Treatment of severe nausea, vomiting, and subsequent dehydration
  • Treatment of severe refractory migraine pain (ie, status migrainosus)
  • Detoxification from overuse of combination analgesics, ergots, or opioids

Further Outpatient Care

Many age related factors influence the clinical expression of headache and these should be taken into account in the diagnosis as well as treatment of patients with juvenile headaches.

Inpatient & Outpatient Medications

For recommended medications in comorbid conditions, see Table 3.

Deterrence/Prevention

See Treatment for information on migraine prophylaxis.

Complications

Ischemic stroke may occur as a rare but serious complication of migraine. Risk factors for stroke include migraine with aura, female sex, cigarette smoking, and estrogen use.

Patient Education

For excellent patient education resources, see eMedicine's Headache Center. Also, visit eMedicine's patient education articles Causes and Treatments of Migraine and Related Headaches, Migraine Headache, Alternative and Complementary Approaches to Migraine and Cluster Headaches, Migraine Headache FAQs, and Understanding Migraine and Cluster Headache Medications.

 
Acknowledgments

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous author Amelito Malapira, MD and Jorge E Mendizabal, MDto the development and writing of this article.



More on Migraine Headache

Overview: Migraine Headache
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Migraine Headache
Treatment & Medication: Migraine Headache
Follow-up: Migraine Headache
Multimedia: Migraine Headache
References
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Further Reading

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Keywords

complex migraine, migraine equivalent, migraine variant, classic migraine, cluster headache, aura

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Jasvinder Chawla, MBBS, MD, MBA, Chief of Neurology, Hines Veterans Affairs Hospital; Associate Professor and Director, Neurology Residency Training Program, Loyola University Medical Center
Jasvinder Chawla, MBBS, MD, MBA is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology, American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine, American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, and American Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Joseph Quinn, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Portland VA Medical Center, Oregon Health Sciences University
Joseph Quinn, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology, Society for Neuroscience, and Society for Pediatric Radiology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Managing Editor

James H Halsey, MD, Professor, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama Medical Center
James H Halsey, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology, American Heart Association, American Medical Association, American Neurological Association, American Society of Neuroimaging, Medical Association of the State of Alabama, New York Academy of Sciences, Pan American Medical Association, Sigma Xi, Society for Neuroscience, and Southern Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Matthew J Baker, MD, Consulting Staff, Collier Neurologic Specialists, Naples Community Hospital
Matthew J Baker, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Helmi L Lutsep, MD, Professor, Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University; Associate Director, Oregon Stroke Center
Helmi L Lutsep, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology and American Stroke Association
Disclosure: Co-Axia Consulting fee Review panel membership; Talecris Consulting fee Review panel membership; AGA Medical Consulting fee Review panel membership; Boehringer Ingelheim Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Concentric Medical Consulting fee Review panel membership; Abbott Consulting fee Consulting; Sanofi  Consulting

 
 
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