Abdominal Migraine is a diagnosis that I don’t like to use, but it is used by some doctors and I want to explain exactly what it is, how doctors settle on the diagnosis, and what you can do about it that no one else has probably told you about.

Over the years I’ve had the privilege to work with a number of patients who’ve been diagnosed with abdominal migraines. I used to be intimidated by this diagnosis and wondered if there was any way to help these patients, but I’ve since learned that there is a great deal that can be done, and that you should expect to get better from this mysterious condition.

What Are Abdominal Migraines?

Abdominal migraines are simply cases of abdominal pain that can last up to 3 days. They are more often diagnosed in children, but can also be diagnosed in adults. The pain may be accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting, and loss of appetite. Some people also get headaches or migraines, but most people do not. And sometimes it involves sensitivity to light and/or sound.

The diagnosis of abdominal migraines is completely based on symptoms. There is no test for it, and there is no way to confirm that it really is an abdominal migraine. It’s really more of a guess based on symptoms than any kind of real science, and doctors came up with this diagnosis as a way to classify these symptoms. It’s not based on anything other than what the patient reports to the doctor.

It's actually very similar in that way to IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome. Neither diagnosis is very helpful in that neither diagnosis leads to any kind of really useful outcome. You are still left searching for answers.

What Causes Abdominal Migraines?

First, let’s be completely clear that the idea that the abdomen is experiencing a migraine is completely hypothetical. It might sound really clever if you’re not paying attention, but don’t let that fool you.

Let’s also be clear that these are symptoms, not a cause. Something is always causing abdominal pain, and it’s probably not a mysterious neurological problem that you don’t understand. Same goes for nausea and vomiting and the rest of it.

Always be very suspicious when the medical system sells you your symptoms right back to you as the cause of your problem. They love to repackage your symptoms, put a fancy name on them, and then tell you that your symptoms are caused by a condition that is defined by your symptoms. It happens a lot, and that is exactly what is happening with abdominal migraines.

Don’t just give up or give in when that happens. Keep asking questions. Like with everything else, when it comes to your health you have to stand up for yourself and keep asking questions when others are trying to sound impressive and make you feel stupid.

How To Treat Abdominal Migraines

Back to our original issue, how to treat an abdominal migraine. The good news is that I’ve seen a number of patients with abdominal migraines, and they almost always get all better.

First, of course, we need to figure out the cause of the problem really is. It’s most likely a food reaction, but since most doctors don’t believe in most food reactions, it’s impossible for them to help you figure it out.

But it makes sense. If you have abdominal pain and it’s not a tumor, not an injury, and not appendicitis, your gallbladder, your kidneys, or your uterus, then it’s probably something going on in your gut. And food reactions are the most common thing going on in your gut.

Figuring out food reactions is a lot easier said than done, and it can take significant effort. Our food is super complicated.  And just because it doesn’t seem to cause a problem sometimes when you eat it doesn’t mean that it isn’t the problem. Also, keep in mind that it could be literally any food, so don’t assume that it has to be gluten. A really good doctor who focuses on food reactions can help you figure what, if any, food is really the problem.  

The other major area that causes abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting involves problems with the microbiome in your gut. Microbiome issues are also poorly understood by most doctors. They know that it’s important, but they don’t know how to assess it or what to do with it.

So again, you’ll need to find a doctor like myself who can help you with this. But once you do, things will start to make a whole lot more sense and you won’t have to believe in super complicated diagnoses that don’t lead to a cure. You’ll know exactly what is wrong.

Interestingly, the same is true for regular migraines too. They are frequently caused by food allergies, and people generally get better when they figure that out. In fact, I just saw a patient with last week who reported that her headaches were now gone because we focused on these issues.

I’d love to hear about your experience with abdominal migraines and the medical system, and if you happened to notice any relationship between your food and your symptoms. Please share your story with us in the comment section below.

And if you need help sorting out your abdominal migraines, give us a call at the IBS Treatment Center. We’d love to work with you, and we can work with you via telemedicine regardless of where you live, and we can help you work through all of the issues that I spoke about here.

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