WAG My little one has started getting migraines

[cbone]

A gift from my mother to myself and all four of my children- migraines. My daughter has started to get them. For me, stretching and proper hydration have been the key to limiting the number that I get. My daughter stretches and carries a water bottle, but still gets them. Has anyone dealt with migraines specifically as they relate to gymnastics? Advice is appreciated.

 

[txgymfan]

Has she seen a physician about it? They will have the best advice. Have her checked by an Optometrist, when eyes have to adjust it can trigger horrible headaches.

 

[cbone]

Her brothers have been seen by the doctor. They're hereditary and my boys have prescription meds they take when they come on. She'll likely have to take them, but I was hoping there was some gym-specific things that people have seen work.

 

[gasrgoose]

Her brothers have been seen by the doctor. They're hereditary and my boys have prescription meds they take when they come on. She'll likely have to take them, but I was hoping there was some gym-specific things that people have seen work.

A level 10 at our gym has struggled with them for years. she drinks a glass of milk and has a protein bar before every workout. of course that's not a bad idea for any high level gymnast. But her mother says it is to specifically to help prevent migraines. She still gets them but not as often according to her mother.

 

[sleeplessinnewyork]

Hi! Oh, I'm sorry. How old is your daughter? I started getting migraines in about third grade, but they were pretty rare. When I started level 5, and started working out 4 days a week, they got more common. Now, as an optional, 20+hours and very little sleep, they are pretty common. My biggest piece of advice to you is NOT to practice with migraines!! The jumping around, flipping ect will make it much worse, and it's hard to improve. If it isn't too bad, you can condition, but flipping tsuks or doing backhandsprings will only make it worse. Make sure you keep hydrated, carry around water/coconut juice and make sure you drink during events. Lastly, tell your coach if you have one/feel one coming, just so he/she knows. Good luck!!

 

[gymmomtoo]

My oldest got her first migraine at the level 7 State meet--presented weird in that she started seeing everything in black and white, then couldn't see out of one eye--that all came back, then a horrendous (in her words) headache. Worst part? She didn't tell ANYONE because it was during the meet and she didn't want her coach pulling her from the meet! She did floor and vault with vision in one eye--bars and beam with a horrible headache. Thank God she didn't hurt herself.

As far as what we did--saw a neurologist (ped referred because of the odd presentation), got prescription that she never used (she hated taking pills), encouraged her to spot the symptoms that one was coming on and act early--rest, hydrate, etc. Hers were related to stress and hormones. Nothing to do really gymnastics related.

 

[thegymfreak]

I get migraines, and if it is in the middle of workout, the coach calls my mom to pick me up. if it is at a meet, I take advil (I carry it in my gym bag) and if it is at home I take advil, drink water, and lay down.
Hope it helps!

 

[gymmomof1]

My oldest got her first migraine at the level 7 State meet--presented weird in that she started seeing everything in black and white, then couldn't see out of one eye--that all came back, then a horrendous (in her words) headache. Worst part? She didn't tell ANYONE because it was during the meet and she didn't want her coach pulling her from the meet! She did floor and vault with vision in one eye--bars and beam with a horrible headache. Thank God she didn't hurt herself.

As far as what we did--saw a neurologist (ped referred because of the odd presentation), got prescription that she never used (she hated taking pills), encouraged her to spot the symptoms that one was coming on and act early--rest, hydrate, etc. Hers were related to stress and hormones. Nothing to do really gymnastics related.

WOW that's amazing! Guardian angel was with her that day. I ended up out growing it hope your dd does too.
Cbone hope your little one also grows out of it. Caffine helped me.

 

[cbone]

A level 10 at our gym has struggled with them for years. she drinks a glass of milk and has a protein bar before every workout. of course that's not a bad idea for any high level gymnast. But her mother says it is to specifically to help prevent migraines.

I think we'll try the milk and protein bars since she loves protein bars anyway. Thanks for that.

Hi! Oh, I'm sorry. How old is your daughter? ... My biggest piece of advice to you is NOT to practice with migraines!!

She's 7. I'm glad I have migraines, because I know (and agree with you) that you don't try to push through a migraine.

 

[cbone]

I realize that I just said, "I'm glad I have migraines..."Never thought those words would come from me.

 

[Flossyduck]

Aghh, that's tough on her. I don't have direct experience (my husband gets them, but he's no gymnast!); but a dear friend who is a professional dancer gets them and gave me the following suggestions:

She said that massaging her scalp and pulling her hair upwards helps. She also said that how she has her hair tied back can make a difference - if her hair is getting long and heavy and is starting to pull down after a long session it can make it worse.
Basically her scalp seems sensitive and getting the blood flowing and relieving pressure there helps.

She also said peppermint oil or Vicks vapour rub - (sort of menthol goo you rub on your chest) on a tissue and gently inhale when she starts to feel one coming on can help keep her head clear long enough to get home.

She agreed with milk and also peppermint tea.

Good luck!

 

[skschlag]

My ds just started having them too. He hasn't gotten to the point that he can recognize the symptoms yet, but we are hopign it comes soon. Usually he gets to the point that he throws up. They only last about 3-4 hours. Funny thing is, his coach spots the symptoms quickly.

I am excited to hear about the milk and peppermint tea! WE will try that.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

this sucks. no 1 remedy works for each child. i have know advice or remedy at all. migraines are a pain in the...head. and most are to young for some of the things they give adults. things like Imitrex (sumatriptan).

 

[skschlag]

dunno-
We were recommended to go to a neurologist by the PA we saw. THen she said that there wad nothing they could do at his age to help. I questioned why she would send us to a neurologist, since he passed all his tests, etc. So we ended up not going. I do think they will scan him if things get worse, but for now, we are powering through.

cbone-
don't you love this little genetic gift? I was lucky enough to have it pass over me, so I was hopeful that it would pass my kiddos too. Apparently not. My mom, my sister, both her kids, all have them. And now, D. Hope you can figure out something that works for her!!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

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]

I would take her to the doctors just to rule other things out. It is dangerous to assume migraines, because of a family history. I have friend who did that with their 9 yr old DD. Even told the Ped, that is what it was and he also assumed. She would even throw up from them, because, well, that is what people in our family do. Anyways, she got one, one day, that wouldn't go away and they scanned her brain and there was a HUGE tumor (grapefruit size) in the middle of it, smashing her brain into the back of her skull. The day before the scan, she was doing round off back handsprings in the gym with no problem. She immediately went to UVA and the removed part of it, but if they waited any longer, she could have died. It is not a cancerous tumor, it is something caused by placenta cells being wrongly placed during fetal development. The tumors can grow at anytime, so when the headaches come on, she immediately goes for a scan.

Another condition that can mimic migraines is Chiari Malformations. My DD has one, it was discovered during a CAT for headaches. It was immdiately followed up by a MRI. Luckily her "migraine" at the time was caused by 4 completely blocked sinuses, but if the symptoms develop again, we know what to look for. My sons friend, 13, all of a sudden developed migraines and there was also a family history, so it wasn't something they were concerned about. 6 months later, it is found that is Chiari is cutting off fluid from circulating around the brain. He goes for decompression surgery next week.

So, I beg you to take her to the doctors to rule anything else out, before assuming something and writing it off as a family history.

 

[gym law mom]

She needs to see the doctor regardless of the genetic predispostion. Every person is just a little different so you want to make sure she is having migraines. Likewise there are many different triggers and she will have to learn what may cause a headache for her and the best way to treat it.
Keep a journal with food/activity/amount of sleep to see if some pattern shows up.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I would take her to the doctors just to rule other things out. It is dangerous to assume migraines, because of a family history. I have friend who did that with their 9 yr old DD. Even told the Ped, that is what it was and he also assumed. She would even throw up from them, because, well, that is what people in our family do. Anyways, she got one, one day, that wouldn't go away and they scanned her brain and there was a HUGE tumor (grapefruit size) in the middle of it, smashing her brain into the back of her skull. The day before the scan, she was doing round off back handsprings in the gym with no problem. She immediately went to UVA and the removed part of it, but if they waited any longer, she could have died. It is not a cancerous tumor, it is something caused by placenta cells being wrongly placed during fetal development. The tumors can grow at anytime, so when the headaches come on, she immediately goes for a scan.

Another condition that can mimic migraines is Chiari Malformations. My DD has one, it was discovered during a CAT for headaches. It was immdiately followed up by a MRI. Luckily her "migraine" at the time was caused by 4 completely blocked sinuses, but if the symptoms develop again, we know what to look for. My sons friend, 13, all of a sudden developed migraines and there was also a family history, so it wasn't something they were concerned about. 6 months later, it is found that is Chiari is cutting off fluid from circulating around the brain. He goes for decompression surgery next week.

So, I beg you to take her to the doctors to rule anything else out, before assuming something and writing it off as a family history.

for those not familiar with Chiari, it is when the brain periscopes down the spine. luckily, they have a repair for this syndrome and it is 1 of the coolest procedures i have ever seen. medicine at its best.

 

[Momof1boy2girls]

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.

 

[2gymmies]

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?!