Verdict: FALSE.
>Vomiting actually accompanies many migraines. In some people, they even appear with each attack and participate in the classic clinical picture of this neurological disease.
But it would be dangerous to automatically consider this association as trivial.
The first step is to look at the context. A person with migraine who has symptoms identical to their usual attacks is not in the same situation as a person who suddenly experiences an unusually intense headache associated with vomiting.
Doctors look for several warning signs.
The appearance of extremely intense pain, described as the worst in life, constitutes a reason for urgent consultation.
The same applies when vomiting is accompanied by a stiff neck, fever, impaired consciousness, difficulty speaking, weakness of an arm or leg or even vision problems.
These symptoms may reflect a neurological or infectious condition requiring immediate treatment.
Conversely, during a known migraine, vomiting results from neurological mechanisms that temporarily disrupt the functioning of the digestive system. They usually disappear when the crisis subsides.
Vomiting can also cause dehydration, which can make the headache worse. It is therefore important to maintain regular hydration when possible.
Retaining only the digestive symptom would therefore be a mistake. It is the entire clinical picture that makes it possible to assess the level of emergency.
Vomiting does not automatically make a headache worrisome. But they should never be trivialized when they are accompanied by other unusual signs or particularly violent pain.
Advice from Dr Gérald Kierzek
Vomiting from meningitis is often sudden, easy, in a stream, without prior nausea and not necessarily linked to meals, which distinguishes it from a simple digestive discomfort.