If possible, avoid driving during a migraine episode. If you must drive, it is important to have backup strategies, such as having someone pick you up if needed.

In an ideal world, you would not operate a vehicle during a migraine episode. The physical limitations and impaired thinking ability can make driving unsafe.

The reality, though, is that many people with migraine find themselves needing to get home from work, pick up a child after school, or go to the doctor’s office.

Here’s what the science says about driving with migraine.

Although it can be hard to avoid driving during a migraine episode, especially if your migraine is chronic and you have frequent episodes, driving is not considered a safe activity.

Research into the effects of migraine on driving is sparse, but there are two potential issues:

  • the neurological symptoms that occur during an episode
  • the side effects of any medications you may be taking to prevent or treat episodes

When prescribing your migraine medication, your doctor or pharmacist will tell you whether any of the medications will limit you from driving.

Common medications like sumatriptan can make you dizzy or sleepy. Anti-nausea medications can also make you drowsy.

Doctors usually recommend that you avoid driving or operating heavy machinery after taking these types of medications. In fact, one newer medication, lasmiditan, has a specific warning that you cannot drive or operate heavy machinery for at least 8 hours after taking it.

When assessing your symptoms against your ability to drive, you might feel confident in your ability to travel safely. But the American Migraine Foundation advises people with migraine to avoid driving during any stage of a migraine episode since symptoms can suddenly worsen.

There are several migraine symptoms that can make driving an unsafe activity. Here are some of the most common ones, along with how they interfere with driving.

Nausea and vomiting

Nausea is hard enough to manage while driving, but it’s impossible to keep your eyes on the road if you’re actively vomiting.

Dizziness

Dizziness can get worse with frequent head movements.

This type of vestibular disturbance can make driving difficult. According to a 2020 research review, many people with vestibular disorders say their symptoms limit their ability to drive.

Visual disturbances

If a migraine episode occurs with aura, you might experience visual disturbances, like:

  • flashing lights
  • seeing spots or stars
  • temporary partial loss of vision

These disturbances can affect your ability to assess your surroundings while driving.

Brain fog

Migraine episodes often involve a number of cognitive impairments, including:

  • memory loss
  • slowed or confused speech
  • difficulty concentrating

This can make it hard to navigate safely from one place to another while behind the wheel.

Sensitivity to light and sound

You may experience increased sensitivity to light and sound. This can make it difficult to keep your eyes open, fixed on the road, and focused on your environment.

Drowsiness

Since migraine can cause extreme fatigue and drowsiness, it may be physically impossible to stay alert and awake enough while driving to keep yourself and others safe.

Weakness

Hemiplegic migraine is a type of migraine that causes an aura involving weakness on one side of the body. Its symptoms often feel similar to a stroke.

If you can’t control your physical movements at any stage of a migraine episode, you can’t safely drive a vehicle.

While it’s not the safest choice to drive during a migraine episode, it is legal to do so in all 50 U.S. states.

However, state laws do vary about which medications and medical conditions require licensing restrictions — and just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s always safe.

There may also be additional restrictions for commercial drivers.

Make sure to check with your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) if you have questions. You can also ask your doctor whether they have concerns about your ability to drive while taking any prescribed medications.

If a migraine episode begins or worsens while you’re behind the wheel, there are ways to mitigate the risks:

  • Pull over somewhere safe and try to wait out the worst of your symptoms by closing your eyes and resting or dozing.
  • Park your car somewhere safe and call for a ride from a friend or family member, ride-share, or taxi.
  • Drive slowly. Turn on your hazard lights or drive in the far-right lane.
  • Pull over and take any medication you have on hand, or pull over at a pharmacy for over-the-counter pain relievers. Check whether any of these drugs impair driving. If you can, ask a pharmacist.
  • Regulate your sensory input while you drive. Open the windows or turn on the air conditioning, turn off the radio, put on sunglasses, or turn down your sun visors.
  • Stop for frequent breaks. Give yourself a chance to rest.

For some people, the act of driving is a migraine trigger in itself. If this sounds like you, the best strategy for avoiding migraine episodes while driving is to identify your migraine triggers.

Since migraine can come with sensitivities to lights, sounds, and smells, consider whether any of these sensory inputs are more likely to trigger an episode, and work on troubleshooting them:

  • If bright light triggers migraines, consider using window films that reduce glare and wearing sunglasses designed to block a maximum amount of light. Some eyeglasses and sunglasses are even marketed toward people with migraines. (Research is lacking on whether these work clinically, but there are anecdotal reports that they can help.)
  • If smells are a trigger, keeping aromatherapy tools inside your car, like essential oil diffusers, can help offset some of the smells coming from outside.
  • If sound is a trigger, there are ways to soundproof your car with foam mats or panels and weather seals to reduce noise inside the cabin. You could also listen to soothing sounds or even white noise on your car’s stereo system.

If you’re an infrequent driver or expect the driving or weather conditions on a particular day to be a migraine trigger, you might be able to avoid an episode by taking preventive medications before getting in the car. Just be sure they are not drugs that cause drowsiness.

Talk with a doctor about preventive migraine medications before taking them. These drugs may have specific restrictions on how much can be taken before driving.

If migraine episodes are disrupting your ability to drive on a recurring basis and interfering with your life, talk with a doctor.

If you’re already receiving treatment for migraine but your inability to drive is a new symptom, also speak with a doctor. You could be moving from episodic migraine to chronic migraine, which requires a different treatment approach.

People with migraine are legally allowed to drive without restrictions, but that doesn’t mean it’s a safe choice when you’re in the middle of a migraine episode.

The physical symptoms and cognitive side effects of a migraine episode can make driving hazardous to both you and others on the road.

Avoid driving during a migraine episode as much as possible. Have a plan for what to do if an episode starts while you’re driving, or if you need to get from one place to another.