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What Causes Severe Headaches Followed By Sizures?

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Posted on Tue, 8 Jul 2014
Question: hello; the person I care for has chronic pain which is on the left side of his head. He describes it as 9/10 pain and he has it once or twice a week. It lasts for 8-10 hours. I try medication, massages and cold packs but it doesn't help him. He has had seizures during or after these episodes. Could the pain and seizures linked somehow? Or is the pain triggering a seizure, or is the pain a symptom of seizure?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shafi Ullah Khan (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
MWA strongly correlated with seizures

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for asking!
Migraines with aura MWA are very strongly correlated with seizures as that triggers the hyperexcitability of cortical areas of the brain which triggers seizures. I suggest you seek a neurologist and let them rule out any worrisome etiology inside cranium by little work up like EEG, MRI and CT scans etc. Seizure needs to be looked up for as many etiologies lie behind it. He might needs anti seizure meds if proved epilepsy. If its just migraine with aura then i am sure simple migraine management will suffice. Get to your neurologist for seizures management and let me explain migraines to you to the best of my abilities.
Migraines are the common cause of recurrent headaches and family history of this issue makes it more likely.
I want you to know that Migraine treatment involves acute (abortive) and preventive (prophylactic) therapy. Patients with frequent attacks usually require both. Measures directed toward reducing migraine triggers are also generally advisable.

Acute treatment aims to reverse, or at least stop, the progression of a headache that has started. Preventive treatment, which is given even in the absence of a headache, aims to reduce the frequency and severity of the migraine attack, make acute attacks more responsive to abortive therapy, and perhaps also improve the patient's quality of life. An overview of migraine treatment is shown in the image below.

Migraineurs should be screened for cardiovascular risk factors, which, if present, should be aggressively treated. Migraineurs with aura should also be counseled on the increased risk of stroke with smoking and oral contraceptive use.

avoid factors that precipitate a migraine attack (eg, lack of sleep, fatigue, stress, certain foods, use of vasodilators).use a daily diary to document the headaches. This is an effective and inexpensive tool to follow the course of the disease.discontinue any medications that exacerbate your headaches. If an oral contraceptive is suspected to be a trigger, you may modify, change, or discontinue its use for a trial period. Similarly, if hormone replacement therapy is a suspected trigger, should reduce dosages, if possible. If headaches persist, consider discontinuing hormone therapy.
Biofeedback, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and relaxation therapy, occipital nerve stimulators,FDA recent approved Cerena Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator (Cerena TMS), are some non pharmacological approaches which help the migraines.
Use some preventive agents (eg, frovatriptan) perimenstrually as most of the migraines in women are associated with menstrual cycles.
SOme CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) techniques have been proved effective too.Biofeedback and behavioral therapy, herb butterbur (Petasites hybridus),riboflavin (vitamin B2), magnesium, and feverfew,coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10),Melatonin,Body work - Eg, chiropractic, massage, and craniosacral therapy,Nutritional/herbal supplements - Eg, vitamins and herbs,Acupressure and acupuncture, yoga etc are some of the level 1 recommendations by XXXXXXX college of neurology for these migrainous headaches.
Some dietary triggers which trigger migraine need to be avoided.Common dietary triggers include the following:

Alcohol - Particularly wine and beer
Caffeine overuse or caffeine withdrawal
Chocolate
Aspartame - eg, NutraSweet and Equal
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) - May be found in Asian food, canned soup, frozen or processed foods, and the seasoning product Accent
Fruits - Citrus fruits, bananas, avocados, and dried fruit
Nuts - Peanuts, soy nuts, and soy sauce
Tyramine, a biogenic amine that accumulates in food as it ages, may provoke migraine. Sources include the following:

Dairy - Aged cheese
Meat - Bacon, sausage, luncheon meat, deli meat, pepperoni, and smoked or cured meat
Pickled foods
Heavily yeasted breads - Eg, sourdough
Vinegars - Especially wine vinegar
Some types of beans

exercise for migraine prevention (40 minutes 3 times weekly for 3 months) has been proved effective.,Tonabersat,Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 antagonists,Prostaglandin E receptor 4 receptor antagonists,Serotonin 5HT1(F) receptor agonists and Nitric oxide synthase inhibitors are some of the novel managements for the migraines these days.
I hope you see the depth of it. Discuss all the possible options with your doctor and let them select what is best for you. COnsult your neurologist and hope for the best. But first things first. Get to a neurologist and let them work up on the seizures and sort the damage inside cranium.
Take good care of yourself and dont forget to close the discussion please.
May the odds be ever in your favour.
Regards
S Khan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Shafi Ullah Khan

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2012

Answered : 3613 Questions

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What Causes Severe Headaches Followed By Sizures?

Brief Answer: MWA strongly correlated with seizures Detailed Answer: Thank you for asking! Migraines with aura MWA are very strongly correlated with seizures as that triggers the hyperexcitability of cortical areas of the brain which triggers seizures. I suggest you seek a neurologist and let them rule out any worrisome etiology inside cranium by little work up like EEG, MRI and CT scans etc. Seizure needs to be looked up for as many etiologies lie behind it. He might needs anti seizure meds if proved epilepsy. If its just migraine with aura then i am sure simple migraine management will suffice. Get to your neurologist for seizures management and let me explain migraines to you to the best of my abilities. Migraines are the common cause of recurrent headaches and family history of this issue makes it more likely. I want you to know that Migraine treatment involves acute (abortive) and preventive (prophylactic) therapy. Patients with frequent attacks usually require both. Measures directed toward reducing migraine triggers are also generally advisable. Acute treatment aims to reverse, or at least stop, the progression of a headache that has started. Preventive treatment, which is given even in the absence of a headache, aims to reduce the frequency and severity of the migraine attack, make acute attacks more responsive to abortive therapy, and perhaps also improve the patient's quality of life. An overview of migraine treatment is shown in the image below. Migraineurs should be screened for cardiovascular risk factors, which, if present, should be aggressively treated. Migraineurs with aura should also be counseled on the increased risk of stroke with smoking and oral contraceptive use. avoid factors that precipitate a migraine attack (eg, lack of sleep, fatigue, stress, certain foods, use of vasodilators).use a daily diary to document the headaches. This is an effective and inexpensive tool to follow the course of the disease.discontinue any medications that exacerbate your headaches. If an oral contraceptive is suspected to be a trigger, you may modify, change, or discontinue its use for a trial period. Similarly, if hormone replacement therapy is a suspected trigger, should reduce dosages, if possible. If headaches persist, consider discontinuing hormone therapy. Biofeedback, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and relaxation therapy, occipital nerve stimulators,FDA recent approved Cerena Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator (Cerena TMS), are some non pharmacological approaches which help the migraines. Use some preventive agents (eg, frovatriptan) perimenstrually as most of the migraines in women are associated with menstrual cycles. SOme CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) techniques have been proved effective too.Biofeedback and behavioral therapy, herb butterbur (Petasites hybridus),riboflavin (vitamin B2), magnesium, and feverfew,coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10),Melatonin,Body work - Eg, chiropractic, massage, and craniosacral therapy,Nutritional/herbal supplements - Eg, vitamins and herbs,Acupressure and acupuncture, yoga etc are some of the level 1 recommendations by XXXXXXX college of neurology for these migrainous headaches. Some dietary triggers which trigger migraine need to be avoided.Common dietary triggers include the following: Alcohol - Particularly wine and beer Caffeine overuse or caffeine withdrawal Chocolate Aspartame - eg, NutraSweet and Equal Monosodium glutamate (MSG) - May be found in Asian food, canned soup, frozen or processed foods, and the seasoning product Accent Fruits - Citrus fruits, bananas, avocados, and dried fruit Nuts - Peanuts, soy nuts, and soy sauce Tyramine, a biogenic amine that accumulates in food as it ages, may provoke migraine. Sources include the following: Dairy - Aged cheese Meat - Bacon, sausage, luncheon meat, deli meat, pepperoni, and smoked or cured meat Pickled foods Heavily yeasted breads - Eg, sourdough Vinegars - Especially wine vinegar Some types of beans exercise for migraine prevention (40 minutes 3 times weekly for 3 months) has been proved effective.,Tonabersat,Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 antagonists,Prostaglandin E receptor 4 receptor antagonists,Serotonin 5HT1(F) receptor agonists and Nitric oxide synthase inhibitors are some of the novel managements for the migraines these days. I hope you see the depth of it. Discuss all the possible options with your doctor and let them select what is best for you. COnsult your neurologist and hope for the best. But first things first. Get to a neurologist and let them work up on the seizures and sort the damage inside cranium. Take good care of yourself and dont forget to close the discussion please. May the odds be ever in your favour. Regards S Khan