Migraine can cause recurrent headache with nausea, sensitivity to light or sound and sometimes an aura. A visit reviews the pattern and looks for features that suggest another cause.
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Review the number of headache days, associated symptoms, triggers and current medicines. The clinician discusses acute relief, prevention, medication-overuse risk and whether neurology evaluation is appropriate. Ask what records the specialist needs and what to do while waiting for the appointment. Track headache frequency and treatment response with the clinician. Ask when to review prevention and which side effects need a call. Confirm that the referral has been received and arrange an interim plan for continuing symptoms. Seek reassessment if the pattern changes. Ask who sends the referral, which records are required and who manages symptoms while you wait. Contact the receiving practice to confirm the appointment; a referral order is not an accepted appointment.
Migraine can cause recurrent headache with nausea, sensitivity to light or sound and sometimes an aura. A visit reviews the pattern and looks for features that suggest another cause. Continuing or disabling attacks may warrant a specialist referral and a prevention plan, not only treatment of the current pain.
Discuss frequent, worsening or disabling headaches, poor response to treatment and medicine overuse. Tell the clinician about pregnancy, heart or vascular disease, aura, neurologic symptoms and all headache products used. The specialist determines which procedure or medicine is appropriate.
Review the number of headache days, associated symptoms, triggers and current medicines. The clinician discusses acute relief, prevention, medication-overuse risk and whether neurology evaluation is appropriate. Ask what records the specialist needs and what to do while waiting for the appointment.
Bring a headache diary if available, prior imaging reports and a complete medication list. Include nonprescription products and how often you take them. Note changes from your usual pattern. Do not abruptly stop a prescribed preventive medicine or increase rescue treatment based on a website.
A sudden worst or thunderclap headache, headache with new weakness or speech difficulty, loss of consciousness, significant head injury or fever with a stiff neck needs emergency assessment. Do not assume a new severe symptom is migraine because you have had migraine before.
Track headache frequency and treatment response with the clinician. Ask when to review prevention and which side effects need a call. Confirm that the referral has been received and arrange an interim plan for continuing symptoms. Seek reassessment if the pattern changes.
Confirm the assessment and referral route, appointment availability and any medicine authorization. Ask who provides an interim plan while you await a specialist. A consultation cannot guarantee a same-day specialist visit or a particular prescription.
Ask the assessing clinician which headache specialist fits the pattern, which records to send and who manages symptoms until the appointment. Bring a headache and medicine-use history. Confirm the receiving practice accepted the referral. A sudden worst headache or new neurologic symptom needs emergency assessment rather than waiting for a specialist.
For migraine without aura, the adult diagnostic criteria describe attacks lasting 4–72 hours when untreated or unsuccessfully treated. That range is not a safe waiting period for any new headache and does not predict every person’s attack. A severe attack lasting longer, a change in pattern or repeated attacks warrants clinical review. A sudden worst headache, new weakness, trouble speaking or another new neurologic symptom needs emergency assessment. Ask the treating clinician for an acute-treatment plan and when prevention or specialist review is appropriate.
BOTOX is FDA-approved to prevent headaches in adults with chronic migraine. Its label describes at least 15 headache days per month, with headaches lasting 4 hours a day or longer. It is a preventive injection program, not an immediate rescue for a current attack. The label does not establish effectiveness for episodic migraine with 14 or fewer headache days per month. A headache clinician must confirm suitability and discuss injection risks. Ask the administering practice and insurer about medicine, administration, repeat visits and authorization separately. A migraine-referral listing does not establish that Botox is administered there. Confirm the receiving practice and its current charges.
Acute treatment aims to relieve a current migraine attack. Depending on the diagnosis and safety review, a clinician may consider a suitable pain reliever or a migraine-specific medicine such as a triptan. Prevention aims to reduce future attacks and follows a different schedule. Bring all medicines and describe how many days you use headache treatment, because frequent use can contribute to medication-overuse headache. Pregnancy, cardiovascular conditions and interactions can change options. Ask for instructions on when to take the prescribed medicine, what to do if it fails and which symptoms need urgent care.
Keep a headache and menstrual-date record so the clinician can assess whether attacks follow a consistent cycle. Hormonal changes can trigger migraine, but a headache near a period is not automatically that diagnosis. Discuss an acute-treatment plan and whether predictable or frequent attacks warrant prevention or a headache specialist. Mention aura, contraception, pregnancy possibility and other medicines before treatment is selected. Hormonal treatment is not suitable for everyone. Call 911 for new weakness, trouble speaking or a sudden severe headache. Do not assume these are a usual menstrual attack.
Choose care according to the problem and how urgently you need help. Urgent care assesses non-emergency illnesses and minor injuries.
