What exactly are migraine associated vertigo symptoms? For that matter, what is migraine-associated vertigo (MAV)? Is it a disease? What causes it? How is it treated?
Another term sometimes used is vestibular migraine. But neither MAV or vestibular migraine are considered specific types of migraine (according to The International Classification of Headache Disorders). So it better not to look at migraine associated vertigo symptoms, but at migraine associated vertigo as a symptom of migraine disease.
Dizziness, vertigo, and motion sensitivity are not at all uncommon in migraine. Some people experience one of these during every attack, for others it comes and goes.
Vertigo could actually be a clue into which type of migraine you have, because some "official" types of migraine are associated with vertigo more than others.
One type with migraine associated vertigo symptoms is basilar-type migraine. Another is familial hemiplegic migraine.
Sometimes vertigo from migraine is mistaken for Ménière Disease. But vertigo in migraine doesn’t tend to last as long (usually less than 24 hours) and it’s typically accompanied by other migraine symptoms (such as photophobia – a sensitivity to light). In Ménière Disease, the vertigo tends to last longer, and is usually accompanied by hearing loss and tinnitus (ie a ringing in the ears).
Note, however, that it has been suggested that there is a link between the vertigo in migraine and the vertigo in Ménière Disease. More studies need to be done on this.
Just because you have vertigo doesn’t mean you have basilar type migraine or hemiplegic migraine. These types of migraine are fairly rare, but vertigo is fairly common in migraine patients. It’s estimated that 25-35% of migraineurs experience vertigo. Sometimes vertigo may be the only symptom of a migraine attack (ie no pain).
So it’s important not to be satisfied with MAV as a diagnosis – this is a symptom, and it could be a symptom of various types of migraine. Of course, your vertigo could be a symptom of something else.
Make sure you talk to a doctor or specialist who understands your medical history. Tell your doctor if you’ve had a history of motion-sickness. Also, tell her how long the vertigo lasts. Do you have other migraine symptoms? Are you a smoker? Have you experienced hearing loss? What does the "vertigo" feel like? Do you get dizzy? Does the room feel like it’s spinning? Do you feel like you’re about to pass out? All these things may be important.
Looking for other symptoms aside from vertigo or dizziness may help your doctor make a proper diagnosis and get you the treatment that will help the most.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
It is very frustrating when the ONLY symptom you have for years and years is vertigo and doctors don’t think there is any way that can be migraine. For the longest time, I fit that description.
To make matters worse, the attacks would last for days (sometimes weeks) which really made the doctors want to rule out migraine as the culprit.
What eventually got me diagnosed as having migraines turned out to be a mistake. The doctor asked me if I saw flashing lights and I said yes. Turns out, though, that what he meant and what I meant were two different things. But a trial of Amerge made the vertigo go away and this seemed to clinch the diagnosis.
I still sometimes wonder, though, if it really is migraine …
PS – So I just read the description of basilar migraine that you linked to and boy does it describe my symptoms well. Wow. Thanks for linking to that.
Some very good information on MAV. I have talked with people that have experienced mainly MAV and it can be very debilitating. These symptoms are also associated with Acephalgic or Silent Migraine. When it is mainly the vertigo and nausea that are the main symptoms, people can find that their health condition gets misdiagnosed. With migraine disease it is very important to isolate the cause or trigger of your migraines and Symptom Journal helps people reduce their symptoms and reduce their incidence of migraine attacks.
Learn how to reduce your symptoms and regain optimal health in as little as 14 Days with Symptom Journal’s online self-help health tools. Start today to track your diet, daily choices, symptoms, and treatment to improve your health at:
http://www.symptomjournal.com/public/conditions-center/find-solutions-learn-how-reduce-your-migraines
Thank you for bringing this issue to your readers’ attention. I found a lot of information (including finding a doctor near you who specializes in Vestibular Disorders) at http://www.vestibular.org/
I also blogged a little bit about my experience for Balance Awareness Week (Sept 20-26, 2009):
http://jasminepw.blogspot.com/2009/09/balance-awareness-week-september-20-26.html