Headaches & Nausea as Symptoms of Migraine

Headaches and nausea are common symptoms during a migraine attack. Nausea can even lead to vomiting, which may worsen the migraine headache. Both can be treated with home remedies and medications.

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Last updated: March 5, 2024

Migraine is not just a headache, as often assumed, but a complex neurological disorder with a variety of debilitating symptoms. In addition to the episodic, pulsating, and often one-sided headaches, accompanying symptoms such as weakness, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, sound, and smells are common.

For those with migraine with aura, additional symptoms such as visual disturbances, speech problems, numbness, or other neurological perception disorders, such as the Alice in Wonderland syndrome, may occur. Therefore, migraine is not simply treated with painkillers as is often assumed.

Nausea During Migraine: Causes

Nausea and vomiting are very common accompanying symptoms during a migraine attack: 80% of sufferers experience nausea during a migraine, and 40-50% even vomit during an attack. Children can also experience migraines with only severe nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, without the headache.

However, the exact cause of nausea during migraines is still not fully understood. Experts believe that during a migraine attack, there is dilation of blood vessels and an increased release of certain substances, which can cause nausea and vomiting.

Medication for Treating Headaches & Nausea During Migraine

If you suffer from nausea and vomiting during a migraine attack, you can take specific medications called antiemetics. Timely treatment of nausea can be beneficial. Once vomiting occurs, it becomes difficult to take oral medication. Fortunately, these medications are also available in suppository form or can be administered intravenously.

Ideally, you should take one of these medications half an hour before taking painkillers or triptans. It has been found that stomach mobility and absorption are impaired during acute migraine attacks.

Taking an antiemetic such as metoclopramide, domperidone, or dimenhydrinate before painkillers can help reduce nausea and vomiting and improve stomach absorption. This helps prepare your stomach for better absorption of the painkiller or triptan, allowing them to work more effectively.

Therefore, the guidelines from the German Society of Neurology for the treatment and prevention of migraines recommend combining analgesics (painkillers) or triptans (specific migraine medications) with the prior intake of antiemetics.

Dimenhydrinate also has the advantage of causing mild drowsiness, which may help you relax or even sleep better.

Some general migraine medications, such as triptans, ditans, and gepants, not only address the headaches but also alleviate other migraine symptoms like sensitivity to noise, smells, and, of course, nausea and vomiting.

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10 Home Remedies & Tips for Headaches & Nausea

Several home remedies and measures commonly used in acute migraine cases can also help alleviate nausea and vomiting. These include:

Sensory Shielding

Taking measures to shield yourself from stimuli, such as retreating to a quiet, dark space, or distraction (if possible), relaxation, sleep, or applying cooling or warmth (depending on preference) can be effective. Darkening blinds, earplugs, and sleep masks can assist with sensory shielding. There are even special sleep masks for migraine sufferers that contain cooling pads, which both cool and darken at the same time. If you manage to fall asleep, it serves as both distraction and relaxation. First, you no longer feel the pain, and second, sleep is incredibly relaxing. Many sufferers report a reduction in pain and nausea after a longer sleep phase.

Ginger

Pure ginger, ginger concentrate, ginger oil, ginger capsules, or candied ginger can help relieve nausea. Some migraine sufferers have even reported that ginger helps reduce both nausea and vomiting and migraine pain. Ginger contains gingerols and shogaols, which, in addition to their proven anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, also calm the stomach, helping with nausea. However, be aware that excessive ginger consumption can lead to side effects. Always consult your healthcare provider if you’re unsure.

Lemon

The fresh scent of lemons is said to help with nausea. You can consume it in the form of lemon candies, or a slice or juice of lemon in water or tea.

Peppermint

One of the essential oils with scientifically proven effects is peppermint oil. Taking peppermint in capsule form or as tea can help alleviate stomach discomfort and nausea.

Acupuncture

Studies show that traditional acupuncture is effective in treating headaches and nausea, especially among pregnant women with migraines, who reported less nausea and gagging.

Adequate Fluid Intake

When experiencing vomiting, it’s important to monitor your fluid intake and drink enough water. Avoid carbonated drinks. If you want to replenish electrolytes, sports drinks or mineral water with lemon can help.

Avoid Fatty or Spicy Foods

Nausea can be worsened by fatty or spicy foods. If you want to eat, opt for lightly seasoned, easily digestible meals. Also, foods with minimal odor can help prevent nausea. Some examples include compote, applesauce, bananas, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, lean meat, scrambled eggs, dried fruit, and nuts. Dry, starchy foods like toast, crackers, pretzels, rusks, or crispbread can also be helpful.

Eat Slowly and in Small Portions

During a bout of nausea, avoid eating too much, even if you start to feel better. Start with small meals and eat slowly.

Relaxation

Relaxation exercises, breathing techniques, or simply watching your favorite series or reading a good book can help you relax and reduce nausea.

Avoid Triggers

Strong smells, such as from pungent foods or perfumes, can intensify headaches and nausea. There are also other migraine triggers like flickering lights, high temperatures, alcohol, or nicotine that should be avoided.

What Can You Do to Prevent Migraines & Nausea?

In addition to migraine medications and home remedies for acute cases, there are also preventive medications and measures (migraine prevention) that aim to avoid the onset of a migraine attack and the accompanying nausea. These include CGRP antibodies (the so-called migraine injection).

Effective non-medication preventive measures include regular relaxation exercises, consistent endurance sports, and a blood sugar-stabilizing (low-glycemic) diet for migraines.

To support the introduction of the latter, the digital health application Ebby can assist you. This app offers the unique opportunity to learn how your blood sugar responds to specific foods and meals so you can choose those that stabilize blood sugar levels. You keep a food diary and wear the exciting glucose sensor (don’t worry, it’s painless!). This allows you to directly observe how your blood sugar reacts to different meals, as well as to exercise and relaxation.

Recent studies suggest that glucose metabolism plays a significant role in the onset of migraine attacks, and that a low-glycemic diet, which keeps blood sugar levels low and stable, is an effective migraine prevention strategy.

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About the Author

Miriam Jansen

Miriam had to give up her job due to chronic migraines - and became a migraine expert during this time. The migraine helped her to make a radical change in her life: She now lives as a digital nomad in her bus and works as a copywriter & as a shepherdess on an alp.