Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
Status migrainosus (sometimes calledintractable migraines) affect less than 1 percent of people with migraines. What differentiates them from other migraines is that theylast for 72 hours or longer, are often resistant to typical migraine medications, and have symptoms that are especially debilitating.
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The symptoms of status migrainosus are similar to those of some othertypes of migrainesand include:
In a regularmigraine with auraorwithout aura, symptoms last between four and 72 hours. With status migrainosus, they last 72 hours or longer.
An Overview of Migraines
Triggers of status migrainosus are the same as those for other migraine attacks, and can include:
There is no single test that can diagnose any form of migraine. Instead, certain criteria must be met and other potential causes ruled out.
According to theInternational Classification of Headache Disorders(ICHD-3), status migrainosus only occurs in people with another form of migraine, hence, a healthcare provider may diagnose status migrainosus based on symptoms alone if a person has had migraines before. Overall criteria include:
Sometimes, neurological performance tests ormagnetic resonance imaging (MRI)scans may be performed to rule out other rare causes, such as abrain injuryorbrain tumor.
Diagnosing Migraines
People with status migrainosus typically do not find relief with their usual migraine medications. For this reason, these migraines are often treated inthe emergency room. Treatments may include:
Migraine Treatment in the ER
Strategies to prevent status migrainosus are generally the same as those used to prevent migraine with or without aura. Keeping ajournal to record triggersof each migraine you experience can help you avoid them in the future.
Other strategies include alternative treatments—including acupuncture, massage, and certain herbs and supplements—and lifestyle measures, such as reducing stress, exercising,avoiding certain foods, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep.
You may also want to talk to your healthcare provider about taking medications that are used to prevent migraines. These include:
Since medications used to treat acute migraines, such as simple over-the-counter pain relievers, triptans, ergotamines, opioids, and butalbital compounds can result in overuse headaches (which are associated with status migrainosus), try to limit your use of these drugs if possible.
How Headache Medications Can Cause Headaches
A Word From Verywell
If you’re experiencing a migraine that is more severe than usual and does not go away within three days, notify your healthcare provider, who will advise you on how to proceed.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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1.4.1 Status migrainosus - ICHD-3 The International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition. ICHD.
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Rozen, TD.Emergency Department and Inpatient Management of Status Migrainosus and Intractable Headache. 2015 Aug;21(4 Headache):1004-17. doi: 10.1212/CON.0000000000000191.The International Classification of Headache Disorders: 3rd Edition.Status Migrainosus. https://www.ichd-3.org/1-migraine/1-4-complications-of-migraine/1-4-1-status-migrainosus/
Rozen, TD.Emergency Department and Inpatient Management of Status Migrainosus and Intractable Headache. 2015 Aug;21(4 Headache):1004-17. doi: 10.1212/CON.0000000000000191.
The International Classification of Headache Disorders: 3rd Edition.Status Migrainosus. https://www.ichd-3.org/1-migraine/1-4-complications-of-migraine/1-4-1-status-migrainosus/
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