Diagnosing migraine - Migraine

There is no specific test to diagnose migraine. Your GP will ask about your symptoms and if they have a pattern.

Migraine attacks can be unpredictable. It can take time to get an accurate diagnosis.

What happens at your GP appointment

Your GP may check your:

• vision
• coordination
• reflexes
• sensations

This helps to rule out some other causes of your symptoms.

They may ask if your headaches:

• are on 1 side of your head
• feel like a pulsing pain
• stop you from doing daily activities
• get worse when you move or do physical activity
• happen with other symptoms such as feeling and being sick
• make you more sensitive to light and noise

Migraine diary

It can help to keep a diary of your migraine attacks for at least 4 weeks.

Include:

• the date of your migraine attack
• the time of your migraine attack
• what you were doing when the symptoms began
• how long the attack lasted
• what symptoms you had
• when you had your last period
• what medicines you took, if any
• if any medicines improve your symptoms

How to keep a migraine diary - migraine.ie

Noting use of painkillers

Keep a record of:

• what painkillers you take and the dose
• how often you take painkillers
• when you take the painkiller during an attack
• how the painkiller works

Avoid taking painkillers on more than 10 days every month in the long term.

Taking painkillers often and over a long time can cause a medication overuse headache. This can make migraine difficult to treat.

Referral to a specialist

Your GP may decide to refer you to a neurologist. This is a specialist in the brain and nervous system.

The specialist may recommend other tests and treatment if:

• a diagnosis is unclear
• you have migraine attacks on 15 days or more a month (chronic migraine)
• treatment does not control your symptoms
• you have new symptoms