The relationship between episodic migraine headache and chronic constipation in adults

Authors : Ali Karabulut, Ayfer Ertekin, Semih Sağlik
Pages : 425-430
Doi:10.38053/acmj.1697913
View : 72 | Download : 101
Publication Date : 2025-07-28
Article Type : Research Paper
Abstract :Aims: There might be a potential relationship between headaches and constipation. This study aimed to observe the benefits of treating chronic constipation in disease management in patients with episodic migraine (EM). Methods: Patients diagnosed with EM according to ICHD-3 were recorded according to aura presence/absence, disease duration, frequency of attacks/day/month, severity of attacks (Visual Analog Scale (VAS) assessment) and detailed demographic information and clinical parameters. Of these patients, those with Bowel habit abnormalities (discomfort and bloating in the abdomen, abdominal pain, hard feces, excessive strain during defecation, infrequent defecation and feeling of incomplete emptying) were diagnosed with chronic constipation according to the Rome IV diagnostic criteria during the interiktal period. All participants underwent abdominal ultrasonography and assessed constipation index (CI). Daily 15 cc lactulose syrup and a nutrition program were administered to the EM group with chronic constipation, simple analgesic+prophylactic treatment was administered to EM patients without chronic constipation in severe attacks, and simple analgesic/triptan+symptomatic treatment was administered to patients with mild-moderate attacks. Results: A total of 106 patients with EM (n=54, 50.9%) chronic constipation and (n=52, 49.1%) non-chronically constipated participated in the study. The relationship between nausea and vomiting (p=0.000), vitamin D levels (p=0.036) and chronic constipation was found to be statistically significant. The difference between pre-and post-treatment USG/CI values, average VAS scores, and pain frequency (day/month) in chronically constipated patients was statistically significant (p=0.000). Conclusion: This study is important because it shows that medical treatment targeting intestinal transit in patients with EM who have chronic constipation and additional supportive supplements that change dietary habits significantly reduce intestinal volume, which in turn relieves the severity of migraine headaches and reduces their frequency.
Keywords : Chronic constipation, episodic migraine, headache, constipation index

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