migraine help please!!!
 

DD (12) was just diagnosed with migraines. This is her 2nd major one in 3 months. The first one in September lasted almost 5 days! The doctor thought it was a virus at the time, but when it happened this past Sunday, I knew it wasn't the same virus! She gets a really bad headache, feels naseous or has stomach pain and is very dizzy. She was having headaches a year or so ago, but not as severe, and didn't last long at all. At the time, we kept a headache journal, and decided with the dr, that they seemed to be happeing around her period. Then, they stopped for a while.

Now,along with the other migraine symptoms, she has no appetite and has barely eaten since Sunday morning. We went to the dr on Monday, and she was prescribed Imitrex. Of course, then we were told it works best when taken right at the beginning, to "catch" the headache before it turns into a migraine. So, that hasn't helped. I've tried giving her Advil, and Excedrin Tension Headache (they don't want her having Excedrin Migraine because it contains asprin). NOTHING has helped.

We went back to the dr today, since it is day 4 of the migraine with no relief. They gave her a shot (not even sure of what) at noontime and a prescription of Fioricet. They said she could take the first one of those 4 hours after the shot. She had her first one about an hour ago. Still, the pain is NO better.

I have never had migraines, so I don't know what is normal, and what is not. But this seems crazy to me. Shouldn't something have started to work by now? I am very worried about her, and am considering taking her to the ER to see if they can do anything different. I just really don't know what to do at this point! Any help would be appreciated.

I would suggest getting her to see a neurologist ASAP so that they can work on a preventative and treatment plan if and when she gets another migraine.

In all honesty I have had migraines that have lasted up to a week with none of the medications, or injections making much of a difference.

Unfortunately in my experience migraine treatment seems to be trial and error as there is no one treatment that works for everyone. Over the years I have taken various preventatives with varying degrees of success.


I am sorry sorry your daughter is dealing with this at such a young age.
Sending you and your precious girl a BIG Koala cuddle:grouphug:

Quasar

First off, a huge hug for your daughter. Headaches, no matter the degree of pain, are not fun. When they start lasting for days, it can be the most agonizing thing ever.

I have dealt with headaches/migraines for almost 15 years. It's been such a trial of medication and therapies.....very wearing. I have medication right now that is 'working'. It could still be better.....I could NOT get them:thumbsup2 BUT that doesn't seem to be my destiny, so for now, medications and appts and therapy it is.

Having no appetite is typically normal when having a severe headache or migraine. Food smells can sometimes make that worse and/or make you feel nauseated, or MORE nauseated. The fact that your daughter doesn't want to eat, while neutritionally isn't good, is normal. I have gone for days as well without eating. Having said this, that in itself can at some point, start to cause headache symptoms as your body will start to let you know, you need to eat. The best thing to do, toast. Bland, no smell and simple on your stomach.

Try putting ice packs on the back of her neck.....and dont worry so much about the 20 minutes. It causes vasoconstriction and can help with the migraine. At times, I will lay all day with an icepack on the back of my neck. Some days it works, sometimes not.

I would suggest staying in a dark room. Not reading. No TV. Just close your eyes. While boring. It doesn't force your eyes to focus. And in watching TV, using the computer or cellphone, there is no blue light being emitted from anything, which can further bother a migraine.

I understand the Doc wanting to get the medication into her when she 'senses' a migraine coming on but I find that hard. Sometimes they come on fast or you don't know the warning signs. For me, friends and family would notice it before I did. I would have a flushed face on one side. Yet, I did not feel hot. I would actually feel quite cold. I would be EXTREMELY irritable. Yet, I thought I was ok:rolleyes1 After that, it was usually the next day, I would either wake up with a migraine or throughout the day it would progress from a simple headache into one.

If your daughter hasn't already, she should see a neurologist. Not just for medication, a regular doc can do that. A pain doctor can do that. BUT for neurological reasons. Headaches/migraines need to be further investigated by specialists to have things ruled out. Has she had a CT scan? MRI? I would be looking at that to make sure everything in her head is ok. Then, go from there with treatment.

Sometimes, it can be a hard road of finding the right medication that works best for HER migraines. It is different for everyone. She may be on something for some time, and then need to change because it has stopped working. Be persistant. She needs pain control. She needs to live a normal life where migraines don't alter her daily living.

I will be thinking of her, and you. I am hoping she is feeling better:hug:

Thank you both so much for your help. It's so hard to watch her go through this, and get no relief for days!

Thankfully, she is feeling somewhat better today. But my mission for the day is to get a referral for a neurologist at Children's Hospital in Boston. It a great place, and we are lucky to be in MA.

Her doctor didn't think she needed to see a neurologist yet, but everyone else says this would be best. I talked to my cousin (who is a physican's assistant) for a while last night, and she said finding one who sees children with migraines regularly would be best, as there are different treatments etc than for adults.

:hug: to you both

Sounds like she has cluster headaches, which is a type of migraine. I have suffered with migraines for years and my 10 year old daughter does as well but hers are easily controlled with just Motrin. I'm a bit surprised that your doctor has not referred you to a neuro yet or thinks it's ok for her to have a migraine for days. My daughter's pediatrician said that if she ever gets a migraine that medication does not help I should take her to an ER where they will most likely do an MRI. If I were you, I would take her to an ER if she is still in pain, they always have a neurologist on call.

That is around the time I started my migraines (right around the time of menstruation). When I was younger I would actually pass out from them. Tell her when she starts to see dots and hear the bells she should take the meds. They really are debilitating. The ER will probably do nothing for her more than her dr. If the meds don't work, see if she can get a referral to a neurologist. Keep a food journal too see if there are foods that trigger it. For example, caffeine and chocolate. Why doesn't the dr want her to have aspirin? Excedrin Migraine is the only OTC that comes close to touching my migraine. Another thing that helps is to sit in a completely quiet and dark room when I have a migraine. Good luck.

Luckily, now on day 5, DD's migraine is getting better. The pain is down to a 3 out of 10, and she is finally hungry. Only a little dizziness remains. Phew!

I also got her an appointment at Children's Hospital with a pediatric neurologist who specializes in headaches. The problem is that I couldn't get her in until then end of February. But, at least she has an appt, and I had no problem getting the referral. Didn't even need to talk to her dr, just a number to call for referrals.

Fingers crossed that she dosn't get any other episodes as bad as this one before then!

Sorry, we were posting at the same time. That's great. Children's will really know what to do. February is actually a really great waiting time. Most patients wait in excess of 6 months.

Get her blood pressure checked also. DW has had migraines for years and was regularly taking zomig and cyclomorph injections when they were really bad. Eventually got a diagnosis of high bp and since she's been on meds for that the migraines have reduced dramitacally.

So glad things are starting to improve for your daughter and good news that you have an appointment with a neurologist.

I shall also keep my fingers crossed that she stays migraine free in the future. I didn't get my first migraine until I was 18 and I cannot imagine having to deal with that pain at only 12. Poor baby:hug:

Hope your daughter is soon free of any pain:grouphug:

:grouphug: to mum too, it is horrible watching your children in pain.

Quasar

I have a friend who had really bad migraines as well. The only thing that he could find that would help was to be in a dark room to the point where his parents had to put a quilt over his window and even cover the opening under his door. But he started to keep a food journal and discovered that he would often get a migraine after he ate ground beef, so he cut that out of his diet and as far as I know, hasn't had one since. So, maybe a food journal might help her as well.

Need to read up a little on Aspirin. It is NOT recommended to give to paediatrics.....which is up to the age of 16. Childrens Tylenol is recommended as well as Ibuprofen. Never give a child ASA, including baby ASA (low dose ASA).


I totally agree with the food journalling. In fact, just plain journalling. Maybe for you mom:) Each day. How the weather is, what the day was like. Any stressors. What food was eaten EACH day. Through each day of journalling, you may start to find a pattern. You may not find the trigger on the day she gets the migraine, BUT the day before.

Seeing a NATUROPATH may be a good idea as well. And they are easy to get into. They will go through your diet, have you cut things out, then start to slowly include them again.....which, will point to triggers. While expensive (if not covered) definitely worth it. I did it for months and helped me tons. No more caffiene free pop (the aspartame was a trigger, as well as caffiene) and no more lunch meat (MSG is baaaaaddddd!!!!!!).

Headaches are tricky to figure out. I'm glad your daughter is starting to feel better. Yaaahhhh for that:thumbsup2 Hopefully she will stay on that path for a while. And I'm super happy you have that appt with the paed neuro doc!! Thats awesome:) Keep us updated on how she is doing.

ugh migraine sufferer here too. I feel for your dd. I went once to the er because my headache was so bad..all they did was do a ct scan to make sure I didn't have a brain tumor and then gave me pain meds. I wouldn't take her unless she was really, really in a lot of pain...ER's are too bright and they just made my headache worse!!

Few things...there are different types of migraines so some of these things might help some might not...

Background I used to have quite a few in high school and then for many years nothing I am 33 now and I have had about 3 in the last 6 months. My sister and mom also suffer.

talking with my OBGYN about my sister he said her migraines might be period related (there is a medical tern I think it is menstrual migraines or something) and I believe he said right before your period your hormone levels drop and thus causes a migraine. And easy solution is a hormone birth control that will regulate hormone levels. Talk to your daughters OBGYN perhaps or maybe yours if she doesnt have one yet.

For me I am seeing that my trigger is weather changes, drop in temp but I think more related to drop or raise in barometric pressure. Also both my sister and I had a migraine right before the earthquake that hit the east coast...so no idea what that was all about.

What helps me is a dark room and laying down pretty flat with a comfortable temp, not too hot not too cold...also putting on a baseball cap. The pressure on the head helps. Also sometimes getting some caffine into my system also helps...But catching it early is the key.

Good Luck

MSG is a trigger for my sister too...and actually caffine helps mine and my moms...(everyone is different)

And I think the reason why Excedrin Migraine helps people is there is a lot of caffeine in it.