Status migrainosus

Status Migrainosus, also known as Status Migraine, Intractable Migraine and Pernicious Migraine is defined as a severe migraine headache without aura, lasting longer than 72 hours and is classified as a complication of a migraine. There are about 100 million people with headaches in the U.S.; about 37 million of these people have migraines. The World Health Organization suggests that 18 percent of women and 7 percent of men in the U.S. suffer from migraines. A migraine headache can cause intense throbbing or a pulsing sensation in one area of the head and is commonly accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound All migraines are categorized in two ways, migraines with auras and migraines without auras. Auras are sensory events which may precede a migraine, most are visual but others can involve other senses. A typical migraine can sometimes turn into status migrainosus. The term “status migrainosus” was coined by David Taverner in 1978, at which time he described patients with prolonged, resistant migraine attacks that resulted in incapacitation. These patients could have severe dehydration and electrolyte depletion secondary to nausea and vomiting. "Severe and prolonged, or frequently repeated migraine," Taverner wrote, "may amount to status migrainosus." While migraines are not considered fatal, status migraines are considered to be a risk factor for stroke or suicide.