WAG My little one has started getting migraines

[Deleted member D3987]

Hi,
My eldest daughter started getting migraines at age 8. She had many mri's, they tracked what she ate and they can't figure out why. Anyways, we were given a prescription for these really expensive pills, though when ever my daughter gets a migraine she takes one and the migraine goes away.

okay, then. what's the name of those expensive pills???

 

[skschlag]

Yeah. trust me, I have been paranoid about that. HIs best friend has a brain tumor so we have been watching that for the past year. I did talk to his regular doc who has agreed to a scan if we have another episode, just to make sure. So scary to think about the what ifs.....

they recommend the neurologist to rule out any other insidious problems that may cause the same symptoms. like brain tumors to name one. and other cervical abnormalities that change as they grow which can cause the same symptoms also.

 

[sglemon]

My 9 year old son has a Chiari Malformation (10 mm) but has not had decompression surgery (the cool procedure that Dunno referred to). He has insane headaches very similar to what I've been told a migraine is like (oftentimes gagging and vomiting). He also has sensitivity to light, and swallow and reflux issues and minor fine motor delays. His diagnosis came because he had sudden onset of a droopy eyelid (talk about scary) and they rushed us from doctor to doctor to MRI in a matter of hours (when it normally take weeks at the local Childrens hospital). Sometimes, he has difficulty going to sleep and he has lots of muscle aches. Given your history, your dd most likely has a migraine but our neurosurgeon suspects a lot of "migraine" sufferers might have undiagnosed chiari malformations. You might consider a trip to the neurologist?!

Oh no, has surgery been discussed yet? My son's friend who is getting surgery next week, was 9mm. It is not so much about the herniation as it is about the symptoms. His symptoms started as occasional migraines (years of them) and then developed into one which will not go away. His eyes became very light sensitive, and he was starting to have some trouble with vision. Like migraines, Chiaris can also be hereditary. Like most, the discovery is often accidental. My DD was having headaches off and on for about 6 weeks. Her ped ordered a CAT. She had 4 completely blocked sinuses, with no sinus infection symptoms. The Chiari was also discovered and less than 24 hours later, she had a MRI. It was read immediately. Hers is only around 4mm, and that can either get better as her head grows, or become more herniated. But at least we know where to start when and if the time comes. I will keep your son in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[ivyagogo]

My son takes Topomax and Tenex every day to help prevent migraines. The drugs have really helped. He was getting them several times a month and I don't think he's had a really bad headache in 6 months. He also develops tics. The medication also helps to control that, which is why we are keeping him on them. Good luck!

 

[emorymom]

There is some new evidence that some ... Well see Gluten Free Diet in this article. Might want to do a simple celiac panel (blood draw) and gluten intolerance test (stool) to rule out gluten causing inflammation.
Prevention of migraines - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Deleted member D3987]

My son takes Topomax and Tenex every day to help prevent migraines. The drugs have really helped. He was getting them several times a month and I don't think he's had a really bad headache in 6 months. He also develops tics. The medication also helps to control that, which is why we are keeping him on them. Good luck!

those are very expensive drugs. yowzer!

 

[cbone]

My family takes the Maxalt orally disintegrating tablets. $45 a pop.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

holy cow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ALgymMom]

There is a girl at our gym that does the gluten free diet to help eliminate her migraines. She doesn't miss as much gym as she used to, really made a difference!

 

[Bajanswife]

My dad gets migraines from eating certain foods, some of which are not common migraine causers e.g. all seasoning bothers him. So when my son started getting migraines as well, we looked at his diet. We went to a homeopath who did some sort of electrical test on him and discovered what foods were stressing his body. We cut them out of his diet completely for a few weeks, and then we were careful after that with how much of them he ate, and he went for a long, long time without a migraine. He has now started getting them again because his diet has gone haywire. Trouble is, he's almost 13 and a very independent kid - I don't get to control everything he eats anymore. His biggest issue is pepper, but he also has problems with pork products and chemicals in foods - guess what, he loves spicy food, pork products and junk food containing MSG, preservatives and colors! He is currently resting at home trying to get over his most massive migraine ever, made worse we believe by some awful, glaring lights at a performance we went to on Sunday night. When he gets migraines he cannot even drink water for a while - he can't keep down anything - so medication is difficult to get into him unless we catch the migraine really early before he has started to feel sick. Sunday's migraine came on suddenly in the middle of the performance, and I could not even get him home fast enough - I had to stop at the side of the road so he could puke. He had a milder one a few weeks ago, so it's time to clean up the diet again. Trouble is, I need his buy-in, and his dad's! He needs to want to do this, and his dad needs to help him when they are out all fishing and working on boats.

It's a tough thing to deal with.

 

[gymcricket]

I'm so sorry to hear abot your kiddo! Two of my kids get migraines. We try to avoid chocolate (very hard!), msg, and nitrates (like in hot dogs). They take OTC pain meds (ibuprofen works best on migraines) as soon as they feel even a glimmer of a headache. Also, they sometimes put something ice cold (popsicle, ice cube) touching the roof of their mouths. Crazy but sometimes it works!

 

[ivyagogo]

No, not really. Insurance covers them and I only pay around $10 every few months for each perscription.

those are very expensive drugs. yowzer!

 

[CoachGoofy]

No, not really. Insurance covers them and I only pay around $10 every few months for each perscription.

=/

Check out how much they are out of pocket sometime. It's obscene.

*don't mind me, I'm expensive to keep running*