WWYD....dd11 and a migraine

[Tap]

DD11 has had periodic migraines since she was in 1st grade. Her neurologist ordered an MRI and it was clear, but he did diagnose her at 6yo with true migraines.

 

She came in about an hour ago and said she had a headache and took a small dose of Tylenol. We always start small and add to it if needed. She heads out the door to play some more. I don't think much of it because she has always been headache prone and regulates them herself. She can usually tell the difference between migraine and headache.

 

20 minutes later she comes inside and lays down saying her head hurts to bad to play, and she has a migraine. She makes it to the bathroom to throw up. I know the medicine didn't get a chance to work and now I don't want to give her more due to the nausea.

 

I have migraines too and get the nausea but have never actually thrown up. What do you do for meds when this happens? She is laying in a dark room with an ice pack on her head. At what point do you decide to go to the ER for a shot? Do you know if they will give a shot to an 11yo? She is almost 5' and weighs 75lbs so she isn't small for her age.

 

The family will be home soon so it won't be quiet long. It is kind of hard to explain to a 3yo to be quiet LOL. I am in horrible pain with my back and dh has worked 16 hours today so no one wants to take the 3yo somewhere else.

[Lolly]

One of my dd's suffered from monthly migraines at that age. When she felt one coming on, she would drink a Coke (caffeine helps), take ibuprofen, lay down and try to get to sleep before the nausea hit. If she didn't, she would throw up and then go to sleep for 12-24 hours. After that, she was weak for about a day. I never took her for a shot or put her on medication. I know they are horrible (I had them myself at one point), but I really do not like medication unless it is absolutely necessary. I try to go with the least drastic one possible when forced. I'm afraid I would probably try my best to find a way to get the 3 yo out of the house if she cannot stay fairly quiet. How soon is bedtime?

[Only me]

I was also going to suggest caffeine. The only meds that seem to help me and my daughter is Excedrin Migraine, which has Aspirin and caffeine in it. Other times I have given my daughter Coke and it seems to help a bit. I hope she feels better! Migraines really hurt.

[Denisemomof4]

I'd never suggest Tylenol for a migraine. I've never known anyone where that would work. At the first sign of a migraine for me or my dd, we take Ibuprofin. My dd's neurologist said to give Mountain Dew or Red Bull as well, but I usually don't. Caffeine does help, though, and for myself, I always make coffee.

 

I have known many who vomit due to a migraine. In the future, I'd recommend Ibuprofin and relaxing until the headache passes.

 

My dd has a friend who has been taken to the ER for shots for migraines since she was 5. You can tell when the intensity warrants it. I'd try some Ibuprofin and keep the ice, or a cold wash pack, on her. Make sure she lies still.

 

Poor baby!!!

[EarleneW]

I know I am older then 11, but I usually take 4 motrin and lay in the dark with ice packs. I have to be in the dark and have ice. If I can get to sleep before throwing up the better it is.

[Imprimis]

In addition to (or in lieu of) meds, you can can try alternating hot and cold compresses.

 

Get two washcloths, a pot of hot water, and a pan of water with ice. Place the cold cloth on her head for 45-60 seconds, switch to the hot for 45-60 seconds---continue for 10-15 minutes.

 

This sometimes works for me if I catch it soon enough.

 

Both my dd and I suffer from migraines and, unfortunately, what works one time, may not work the next. I usually have to resort to prescription meds for mine.

 

I hope she feels better soon! I especially hate to see children suffer with the pain of migraines. They are miserable.

[Tap]

Thanks everyone.

 

Just to respond to a few things....she is the one who feels that Tylenol tablet has worked the best for her. She usually only takes a few tablets to take enough of the edge off and then she goes to sleep until she feels better. She has had them for 5 years and we have tried many things :(

 

I got dd3 into the bath and tucked in with a movie in another part of the house, so she stayed pretty quiet.

 

I called the pediatrician on call to ask their opinion and to get some ideas to get us through the night. I didn't want to go to the ER and make dd sit in the lobby if it wasn't necessary. Luckily I got a great doctor who suggested trying Zofran tablets before the next Tylenol dose. I ran to the pharmacy and was able to get back in less than 30 minutes. DD is asleep but now we have them for the night if we need it. I was able to get dd to wake up enough for a dose of Tylenol and then she went right back to sleep :001_smile:. She was willing to take the Tylenol knowing we had the nausea med on hand if we needed it but wanted to wait to take it.

 

 

I feel bad for her. The doctor suggested talking to our regular ped about having access to some more heavy duty meds as she enters puberty. I am going to research that option to have on hand just in case. I am not sure what age they start giving them to kids so she may not be eligible for a while. Hopefully, tonight was a fluke and not the sign of things to come.

 

Thanks for the idea of adding caffeine. I had forgot about that one!

[3littlekeets]

Laugh if you must....it doesn't work for me but does for dd who is 8. Take a lemon slice and squeeze most of the juice out. put it in on her forehead, then secure with a bandanna with 10 to 15 minutes. For some reason it works on her. I read it in a natural remedies book and tried it...and it works for her. :tongue_smilie: when she gets them. Even in the throes of vomiting!

[Carrie12345]

I have no idea if this is an option or not for children, but are preventative meds possible?

 

I no longer take them, but they were absolutely priceless when my migraines had become seriously debilitating (and I had 3 under 4 at home).

 

Otherwise, I swear by Advil Migraine and Excedrine Migraine. Taking a regular dose at the first signs takes it all away (for me). If I wait until it's really bad and double up, it usually takes a good 45 minutes to kick in.

 

I'm not big on medicating children, but migraines are a special kind of beast!

[hsbaby]

I got my first migraine when I was only 3. Fortunately, I rarely get them now, but had them often growing up. The things that has always helped me the most has been HOT rags on my head and over my eyes. Like, as hot as I can stand it. My mom would heat it up for me every 10 minutes or so until I fell asleep. I don't know what to say about the meds and throwing up...I have always had the same issue. I will take meds when I feel it coming on, but I throw up multiple times everytime I get a migraine so I don't know if they even get a chance to work. So, I do the hot, hot rags, dark room, loose clothing.....oh man, they are just awful. I hope she's feeling better!

[MamaT]

My 11yo ds gets migraines as well. The pediatric neurologist that diagnosed him told us to never use caffeine because it can cause rebound headaches. He did put him on preventative meds for a while, but we really could not tell it made any difference so we are not doing that now.

 

He will usually go to sleep after he throws up, and feels better, but weak when he wakes up. If he has just taken Ibuprofen I just don't worry about it. I know he will go to sleep after he throws up.

 

The neurologist also told us that boys usually outgrow it at puberty, while it intensifies for females. I am hoping he outgrows them in the next couple of years.

 

I hope you find something that helps. I know it is hard to watch your child suffer like that.

[Lisa in Jax]

Do some research to see if GABA will work for her. It is an OTC supplement, not an Rx. It's not well-known by traditional docs, but it works well for some types of migraines -- the ones caused by high glutamate (a neurotransmitter). GABA is the opposing neurotransmitter for Glutamate. So, if migraines are caused by high glutamate, GABA should cut them short or prevent them.

 

Some of the RX migraine meds work the same way GABA supplements work, but they do so indirectly. GABA directly balances Glutamate, so it's quick and has few side effects for most people.

 

I don't get migraines often, but when I do, I see auras before the pain starts. When the auras start, I take 500mg GABA and lie down, and the migraine is averted. Since I learned about GABA, I have never had auras progress to a full migraine, b/c I've been able to prevent them. The GABA makes me mellow and I'm still nearly as tired as if I've had the migraine, but I never get the pain.

 

I wouldn't start with a 500mg for a child, btw. I'd try a lower dose first, to see what the lowest effective dose is.

 

HIH,

 

Lisa

[JFSinIL]

My ds got migraines from age 8ish on - our pediatric neurologist* put him on Depakote as a preventative, and gave us Zomig for ds to take the moment he felt a migraine starting. Later, as a teen, ds was able to wean off the Depakote, but kept the Zomig just in case. He now gets maybe one migraine every six months or so, and if he takes Zomig and rests in a dark, quiet room it goes away pretty fast. Otherwise he loses a day, is sick to his stomach, head in pain, the works.

 

He has also learned his triggers - forgetting to drink and eat!!!! Also nitrates (so no more bacon - a single slice can trigger a migraine for him!)

 

He is 18 now, and once I told him that a handover felt like a migraine, he said he would NEVER drink!!! ;-)

 

*Dr. Chez told me that migraines are actually as common in kids as adults, - doctors just either don't think of it, or dismiss it and do not treat to prevent a migraine like they would for an adult.

 

I get a migraine if I partake of red wine, too much bacon or hard yellow cheese, or MSG.

Edited March 20, 2010 by JFSinIL

[cin]

Keep a headache diary to see if you can find a trigger. Most migraine triggers are relatively immediate. My DH gets migraines from MANY things, but MSG is one of his biggest triggers. And it hits about 45 minutes after he injests it.

 

We both have the migraines, and take zomig for them. As soon as it starts, we take a zomig. If it doesn't work within an hour, we can take a second one. We rarely do. Zomigs are vasconstrictors, which is what ice does. Ice just can't get to the veins deep inside.

 

Caffeine can help migraines, if one doesn't partake of it often, and yes, it can cause rebound headaches, but then so can alot of OTC painkillers. DH use to take those for his headaches. And then discovered that half of them were caused by the rebound thing.

 

Triggers can include aged foods (wine & cheese) msg, nitrates & nitrites, caffeine, and numerous other things. Weather changes can also cause them (one of DH's MANY triggers) and stress: the addition of or end of it. DH gets his worst migraines at the end of stressful period: coming home from our adoption trips, end of a project at work, after his dad's funeral, etc. I think the techinical term is Letdown Migraines.

[Desert Rat]

When I was that age, I had a presciption for my migraines. I think it was called Wigraine. It was mostly caffeine if I remember correctly. I was lucky in that I saw aura (pinpricks of light) before the migraine even started so I'd take the medicine before I got the pain got bad.

I've been many times to the ER for shots and yes, they gave them to me at 11. I would recommend a quickcare though. ERs are super expensive.

HTH for the next time! Migraines stink!

[cillakat]

 

The family will be home soon so it won't be quiet long. It is kind of hard to explain to a 3yo to be quiet LOL. I am in horrible pain with my back and dh has worked 16 hours today so no one wants to take the 3yo somewhere else.

 

I'm glad it's working out okay for now. I had migraines as a child - starting around 10, I think and lasting through my mid 20s. Then I had them again for about a year, several years ago, but the 'occular' type rather than the classic type.

 

For me, sufficient, zinc, iron, b vitamins (incl b2), sufficient D and sufficient magnesium appeared to stop the migraines. If you need help finding supplements for her, let me know, I have what my kids and I take in a doc that I can send.

 

Interesting reading:

 

B2

 

 

one study showed a 50% reduction in frequency and a reduction in duraction with 400 mg b2

Magnesium:

 

 

daily and in sufficient amounts is an evidence based migraine treatment...think of magnesium as 'nature's calcium channel blocker. (calcium channel blockers are one of the classes of drugs that are effectively used as migraine preventatives)

 

 

 

Mag citrate is effective and cheap - it causes diarrhea in about 20% of the population even at low doses....I can't use it at all. see iherb.com

 

 

 

Mag Malate is another good option. see iherb.com

 

 

If she can't tolerate either of the above, Jigsaw Magnesium, while expensive, is universally tolerated.

 

GABA

 

 

effective for some as migraine treatment

 

I get it at iherb.com

 

 

Massage tecniques for migraines

[Denisemomof4]

Thanks everyone.

 

Just to respond to a few things....she is the one who feels that Tylenol tablet has worked the best for her. She usually only takes a few tablets to take enough of the edge off and then she goes to sleep until she feels better. She has had them for 5 years and we have tried many things :(

 

I got dd3 into the bath and tucked in with a movie in another part of the house, so she stayed pretty quiet.

 

I called the pediatrician on call to ask their opinion and to get some ideas to get us through the night. I didn't want to go to the ER and make dd sit in the lobby if it wasn't necessary. Luckily I got a great doctor who suggested trying Zofran tablets before the next Tylenol dose. I ran to the pharmacy and was able to get back in less than 30 minutes. DD is asleep but now we have them for the night if we need it. I was able to get dd to wake up enough for a dose of Tylenol and then she went right back to sleep :001_smile:. She was willing to take the Tylenol knowing we had the nausea med on hand if we needed it but wanted to wait to take it.

 

 

I feel bad for her. The doctor suggested talking to our regular ped about having access to some more heavy duty meds as she enters puberty. I am going to research that option to have on hand just in case. I am not sure what age they start giving them to kids so she may not be eligible for a while. Hopefully, tonight was a fluke and not the sign of things to come.

 

Thanks for the idea of adding caffeine. I had forgot about that one!

 

We were told dd would get much worse with puberty, too. The thing is, since she's been out of school, she's gotten TWO migraines in two years. In school sometimes she'd have a cluster migraine for SIX DAYS!!! I'm SO positive the lighting caused this for her.

 

Her dr wanted to put her on preventive Topomax. I read enough to decide against it, which of course was the right thing to so since she hasn't gotten migraines. We will have to revisit this at a later date. :(:(

[Tap]

We were told dd would get much worse with puberty, too. The thing is, since she's been out of school, she's gotten TWO migraines in two years. In school sometimes she'd have a cluster migraine for SIX DAYS!!! I'm SO positive the lighting caused this for her.

 

Her dr wanted to put her on preventive Topomax. I read enough to decide against it, which of course was the right thing to so since she hasn't gotten migraines. We will have to revisit this at a later date. :(:(

 

 

This was our story too. Dds are usually caused by her doing too much and getting stressed out about something at the same time. Drs wanted to medicate her but I refused, wanting to try a few other things first. We have been successful so far. She doesn't have nearly as many migraines now that she doesn't take the amount of classes as she used to.

 

She says that this migraine was very different than before. They are usually very localized, but she said it hit hard and fast and was 'all around her head'. Maybe that is why she threw up this time but hasn't in the past.

 

She was able to sleep it off and woke up about 3 hours later, migraine free and hungry. Today she says she feels a bit week, but fine otherwise. Dh took her to the lake kayaking so she seems good.

[Mommyof4ks]

Have you been able to find her triggers? My youngest son had migraines several times a week for months at the age of 3, and it turns out that his trigger is bananas that we were giving him to increase his potassium intake while on steroids as part of his cancer treatment. Good grief, you treat one thing and cause something else lol. Anyway, we eliminated bananas at the suggestion of his pedi, and sure enough his headaches went away and have not returned.

 

The list our pedi gave us was caffine, msg, artificial sweeteners, nitrates (hot dogs and lunch meat), milk/dairy, chocolate, artificial colors, and bananas. I think I missed something, but those are what I remember.

 

My dh had migraines for a while, and he threw up with them frequently. Thankfully they have gone away.

 

Hopefully your dd feels better in the morning. :sad: