- With Mayo Clinic neurologist
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Dr. Jerry Swanson is a board-certified neurologist at Mayo Clinic and is a professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He has a special interest in headache disorders and medical education.
Dr. Swanson, a Lacon, Ill., native, was appointed to the Mayo Clinic staff in 1982 and works in the Department of Neurology with about 90 other physicians. He formerly chaired the Headache Division in the Neurology Department at Mayo Clinic and works with headache subspecialists around the world. He has published and lectured widely on headache disorders. He also serves as Assistant Dean for Assessment in Mayo Medical School.
"In a manner similar to the printing press, Internet technology enables the unprecedented ability to communicate with the global community about health information," Dr. Swanson says. "There is no doubt that the knowledgeable individual contributes greatly to his or her own health care, and now we can share information much more widely."
"There is much information already available about health care on the Internet. Unfortunately, much of it is not founded on sound principles. It is exciting to be a part of the MayoClinic.com team and contribute to the creation of a reliable and timely health resource."
Dr. Swanson is the neurology editor for "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and has reviewed articles for "Mayo Clinic Health Letter" and "Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource." He is also editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic on Headache" book, published in 2004. In 2008 the magazine "Women's Health" named him one of America's Top Doctors for Women.
Definition (1)
- Ocular migraine: What causes it?
Causes (3)
- Migraine headaches: Are they triggered by weather changes?
- Nighttime headaches: What causes them?
- Nighttime headaches: What causes them?
Treatments and drugs (3)
- Migraine treatment: Can antidepressants help?
- Migraine medications and antidepressants: A risky mix?
- Occipital nerve stimulation: Effective migraine treatment?
Prevention (1)
- Aerobic exercise: What's the best frequency for workouts?
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Migraines and gastrointestinal problems: Is there a link?
Is there any link between migraines and gastrointestinal problems?
Answer
from Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
There can be. Gastrointestinal signs and symptoms such as nausea and vomiting are common with migraine attacks. Less commonly, diarrhea may occur. In younger children, recurrent bouts of vomiting (cyclical vomiting) or abdominal pain (abdominal migraine) — referred to as childhood periodic syndromes — also are associated with migraines. Although childhood periodic syndromes usually aren't accompanied by migraine head pain, they're considered a form of migraine. In many cases, childhood periodic syndromes evolve into more typical migraine headaches around the time a child reaches puberty. In addition, some medications to prevent or treat migraines may cause nausea or vomiting in some people.
A 2008 study from Norway examined the relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms and migraine. The study showed a higher prevalence of headaches among people who regularly experience gastrointestinal symptoms — such as reflux, diarrhea, constipation and nausea — compared with those who do not. Results of this study suggest that people who get frequent headaches may be predisposed to gastrointestinal problems. However, more research is needed to understand the connection between migraines and gastrointestinal symptoms.
If you experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea with your headaches, talk to your doctor about treatment options. Treating the headache usually relieves gastrointestinal symptoms. However, in some cases, an anti-nausea or anti-diarrheal medication may be recommended. Keep in mind that some over-the-counter pain medications are more likely to cause stomach upset than are others. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) is generally a good choice because it doesn't cause stomach irritation. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen (Aleve, others), are more likely to cause stomach upset.
Next question
