Should I provide a 1‑2 day medical certificate for a student with a first‑time severe migraine with visual aura and ocular movement difficulty, and what acute treatment and red‑flag signs should I advise?

Medical Certificate and Management of First-Time Severe Migraine with Visual Aura

Yes, provide a 1–2 day medical certificate for this student, initiate acute treatment with an NSAID plus an antiemetic, and provide explicit red-flag return precautions because this is a first presentation with atypical features (ocular movement difficulty) that requires close monitoring.

Justification for Medical Certificate

• Migraine with aura typically lasts 4–72 hours in adults, and the accompanying visual disturbances and ocular movement difficulty can significantly impair academic performance and safety (e.g., reading, screen work, driving). 1
• A 1–2 day certificate aligns with the expected duration of a moderate-to-severe first attack and allows time to assess treatment response. 1
• The student's report that class intensity triggered the episode suggests a modifiable stressor that warrants temporary academic accommodation. 1

Acute Treatment Recommendations

First-Line Therapy

• Prescribe an oral NSAID as first-line acute treatment: naproxen sodium 500–825 mg or ibuprofen 400–800 mg at headache onset, which can be repeated every 6–8 hours as needed (maximum 1.5 g/day for naproxen). 2, 3
• Add an antiemetic 20–30 minutes before the NSAID to provide synergistic analgesia and address nausea: metoclopramide 10 mg orally or prochlorperazine 25 mg orally. 2, 3
• Advise the patient to take medication early when pain is still mild to maximize efficacy; early treatment achieves pain freedom in approximately 50% of patients versus only 28% when delayed until pain is moderate or severe. 2

When to Escalate to a Triptan

• If the NSAID regimen fails after 2–3 headache episodes, escalate to a triptan (e.g., sumatriptan 50–100 mg, rizatriptan 10 mg) for moderate-to-severe attacks. 2, 4, 3
• Do not prescribe a triptan for this first episode unless the patient has cardiovascular screening and the diagnosis is confirmed, because triptans are contraindicated in undiagnosed vascular conditions. 4, 3

Critical Frequency Limitation

• Counsel the patient to limit all acute migraine medications to ≤2 days per week (≤10 days per month) to prevent medication-overuse headache, which paradoxically increases headache frequency and can lead to daily headaches. 1, 2

Red-Flag Assessment and Return Precautions

Atypical Features Requiring Close Monitoring

• "Difficulty with eye movement" is not a typical feature of classic visual aura (which consists of scintillations, zigzag lines, or scotomas that expand over 5–20 minutes and last <60 minutes). 1
• Ocular motor symptoms (diplopia, ophthalmoplegia) may indicate ophthalmoplegic migraine, brainstem aura, or a secondary cause (e.g., posterior circulation stroke, cavernous sinus pathology, increased intracranial pressure). 1, 5
• This is a first-time presentation without prior migraine history, which lowers the pre-test probability of benign primary headache and raises concern for secondary causes. 1

Explicit Red-Flag Return Instructions

Instruct the patient to seek emergency evaluation immediately if any of the following occur:

• Thunderclap onset (sudden, maximal intensity within seconds). 1
• Progressive worsening of headache intensity or frequency over hours to days. 1
• New or persistent neurological deficits: weakness, numbness, speech difficulty, ataxia, altered consciousness, or persistent diplopia. 1, 5
• Fever, neck stiffness, or rash (suggesting meningitis or encephalitis). 1
• Seizure activity or loss of consciousness. 1
• Headache that does not improve within 72 hours despite treatment (possible status migrainosus requiring IV therapy). 2

When Neuroimaging Is Indicated

• MRI of the brain (preferred over CT) is indicated if any red-flag features are present, if ocular motor symptoms persist beyond the aura phase, or if the headache pattern changes or worsens at follow-up. 1
• Routine neuroimaging is not required for a typical first migraine with classic visual aura and normal neurological examination, but the atypical ocular motor component warrants a lower threshold for imaging if symptoms recur or persist. 1

Follow-Up and Headache Diary

• Schedule follow-up within 48–72 hours (or sooner if symptoms persist) to reassess the diagnosis, confirm resolution, and evaluate treatment response. 1
• Provide a headache diary (paper or smartphone app) to record attack frequency, duration, severity, aura features, triggers, and medication use; this improves diagnostic accuracy and helps identify modifiable triggers (e.g., sleep deprivation, stress, caffeine). 1
• If headaches recur ≥2 times per month with disability lasting ≥3 days, or if acute medication use exceeds 2 days per week, initiate preventive therapy (e.g., propranolol, topiramate, amitriptyline). 1, 2

Trigger Identification and Lifestyle Counseling

• Counsel the patient that stress, sleep deprivation, and intense cognitive demands are common migraine triggers that can be modified. 1
• Advise regular sleep schedules, stress-management techniques, and gradual exposure to academic demands rather than sudden intense workload. 1
• Avoid establishing a pattern of frequent acute medication use, which can lead to medication-overuse headache and chronic migraine. 2

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Do not dismiss ocular motor symptoms as "just migraine" without ensuring they fully resolve and do not recur; persistent diplopia or ophthalmoplegia requires urgent neuroimaging and neurology referral. 5
• Do not prescribe opioids or butalbital-containing compounds for migraine, as they have limited efficacy, high risk of medication-overuse headache, and potential for dependence. 2, 3
• Do not delay preventive therapy if the patient develops frequent attacks (≥2 per month); early intervention reduces the risk of progression to chronic migraine. 1, 2
• Do not allow the patient to increase acute medication frequency in response to recurrent attacks; instead, transition to preventive therapy while maintaining strict acute medication limits. 2