Why would gatorade help a headache when maxalt (rizatriptan) and water wouldn't?

Hypoglycemia?: Gatorade has sugar and other electrolytes in it. Perhaps, you had a headache from being hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) or dehydrated.

Do not know: unless your Headache are triggered by a low blood sugar. In which case the gator aide has plenty of glucose.. Do you wake up with the Headaches? feel shakey or confused? are you diabetic and take blood sugar lower meds? or have you eat a high carb (sugar) load 1-2 hour before getting your headaches? Check with your pvt doctor

Hypoglycemia: Low blood sugar can also cause headaches. Gatorade and other sports drinks contain carbohydrates to counteract it.

Headache: Your headache may be due to electrolyte or salt imbalance especially if you are losing significant amount of sodium and potassium. Gatorade is replete with salts and it is formulated to replace salt loss. Your headache is likely not a vascular or neurologic "migraine" which may be why it doesn't respond to Maxalt (rizatriptan). Ask your doctor to order electrolyte lab panel to rule out kidney dysfunction.

Tough to say: Perhaps you were lacking some electrolytes that your body needed replaced and that is why. Maybe this increase in electrolytes allowed osmosis to occur in the brain and relieve the HA. There are lots of theoretical ideas. The good news - the headache is gone! :-) Keep gatorade around in case it can help with your next HA.