7 Year Old with Migraines

Have you ever thought about a cyropractor(spelling ?) My daughter is 10 months and she has been to one a few different times. Getting adjusted really helps a child from getting sick and also very good for headaches. Just a thought.
C.

I see you have received tons of responses, so I will make sthi short: Have you looked into any allergens that may be causing this? When my daughter was 5 yrs. old, we had her tested due to other health issues and found out she was allergic to corn. I got tested: allergice too. Now, I only get migraines if I eat something which unknowingly has corn in it. It is great to finally know what was CAUSING my migraines. Best of luck to both of you.

I was skeptical of using chiropractic but my teenage daughter was suffering with headaches and fatigue. I knew something was wrong when I had more energy than she did. She took tylenol almost every day. She also suffered from frequent sinus infections. Following three months of seeing a chiropractor she can't remember the last time she took tylenol, hasn't had a sinus infection for a couple months and is bouncing around the house again. A friend recommended a chiropractor, with much hesitation and skepticism, I took her to a chioropractor (2 years of an ENT, family dr, and allergy dr. hadn't helped) and can't believe the difference. You may want to try it.

My daughter was 11 when she was diagnosed with migraines in September 2007. She was having severe headaches with vomiting almost daily. She has been taking a very low dose of Inderal every day since then and it has helped a great deal. The headaches are much milder when she gets them, and she does not get the nausea. Inderal is used to control high blood pressure in adults, but has also been used for years to control migraines in children per my pediatrician. We have another check-up in June; at that time we will probably go to an even lower dosage. The doctor wants to see if we can get her off the medication entirely. He said sometimes if you can "break" the cycle of migraines, as the child gets older they go away on their own.

Hello Sorry to heard about your 7 year old. I am 32 years old and I started having migraines when I was only 2 years old and my mom didn't know what was wrong. I went under so many test at the time and that was what they determined. They tried me on prevented meds have they said anything about that. The doctor that I take my children to is specilist in the field of migraines because he actually help me out when I was younger. Hope things get better and hopefully they get better. Also try laying in a dark room when the migraine comes on sometimes this helped me but everybody's body is different. Good Luck!!

Does your daughter get items laced with artificial sweeteners?
My husband uses them and gets along fine. My system will not tolerate them. They hit my stomache and I start throwing them up. We were discussing this at a family gathering and my son-in-law said he was having a lot of headaches and he thought maybe the artificial sweetners was the culprit, he was getting in his diet soda's. He stayed away from it and he did stop having headaches.
One size does not necessarily fit all. Our chemical makeup varies in all of us.
Just like the cure all wonder drug penicillin. It helped a lot of people - killed some and many more were allergic to it.
One size does not always fit all and we need to be very careful of all pharmaceutical claims when they are pushing all their drugs for their profits.

My daughter was also diagnosed with migraines at 7 years. My brother has suffered from severe migranes since early childhood as well.
Our pedatrician said to give her 1 ibuprofen as soon as she feels one coming on. Also not only cut caffine but also food coloring... especially red. NO red Gatorade! Hot dogs with red food coloring will give my brother a migraine. He is very sensitive. You make want to write down some things she has eaten the day she gets one to see if something may be triggering them. My daughter must get plenty of sleep. She always has a migrane after a late night. The best advice I have is avoidance of the headache altogether!
If as all possible let her lie in a dark room until it eases. Ice compresses on the back of the neck help sometimes as well.

My son was diagnosed with these when he was 8. They put us through all of the tests and came back with the diagnosis. They told us to give him plenty to drink so that he was not dehydrated and to increase his dark green vegetables. He was also to take Ibuprofen as soon as he noticed the headache, which took some time before he got the hang of that. The doctor at Children's wrote a note for the school nurse and we instructed her to inform his teachers that he was to be able to leave to go to the nurse's station at any time when he felt the headache start. They told us that if he couldn't get to any ibuprofen, that eating something salty and drinking a sugary drink, such as gatorade, may help to delay it until we could get him the medicine. They also said that he would probably grow out of it and I'm happy to report that he is now 14 and every year I notice less of them. He hasn't had a severe one in quite a while. I hope this helps.....

Angela,

My son (he is now grown) started having migraines almost on a daily basis when he was in the 3rd grade. Our family dr. sent us to a specialist. He told us that most children who get migraines grow out of them. He put him on medicine for one year after which he stopped. The migraines were gone and to my knowledge he never had any more after that. It has been too long ago for me to remember what he prescribed. I would talk to your family dr., hopefully he/she will be able to give her some relief. Good luck!

Hi, Angela --

I don't know if this will be helpful for you or not... but, how's your daughter's sugar consuption?

When I was in 3rd grade,I ate half of a gigantic chocolate bunny at Easter time. The next day, I went to school and had to be sent to the nurse's office and finally taken home because I had a terrible migraine. It lasted an entire day. My parents were always careful thereafter to not let me OD on chocolate or any sweet things because the effects had been so bad. Perhaps your daughter has a sensitivity to even a small amount of excess sugar - or, perhaps, it was the caffeine in the chocolate that got me.

In any case, maybe even smaller than expected quantities of these ingredients affect you and your daughter.

I'm sorry to hear of your troubles, and I hope you can find a good solution!

Take care,
H.

I started getting migraines when I was a child. I have recently discovered they are related to some allergies and chemical sensitivities, in addition to hormones. They are not typically seen as related to allergies, but it is possible. There is a good book about migraines called "Gotta Headache?" by Carol Foster. It's available on Amazon. You might also explore the allergy possibility with "Is This Your Child?" by Doris Rapp. I would watch anything with MSG. It can be a real trigger. This goes by many different names, so it is not as easy to spot as one might think. You may also consider a physician or alternative practitioner who uses supplements after identifying deficient vitamins and enzymes in her system. Be careful with the Tylenol. It can cause rebound migraines. I know you have to do something. I still suffer with these, and they are truly terrible! Of course, the Tylenol will not have much impact on a migraine, anyway. Also, the Gotta Headache book describes what migraines look like at different ages. I was treated improperly and lost a semester of high school due to misdiagnosis. Migraines can look very different in adolescents. It appears more as depression or a chronic fatigue type syndrome. I feel for you and your daughter and hope you can find some answers before she suffers with them for a lifetime.

K. (Mom of 8,5, and 3 year olds.)

My 12 year old daughter and I get migraines. A frozen bag of peas at the base of the neck is very comforting & dulls the pain. It is worth a try! Good Luck!

My son is 9 years old and has been getting migraines since he was 6 years old. Although they have not been officially diagnosed, I am pretty sure this is what they are. All the things that you describe and then violent vomiting and then he finally falls asleep. We think that they come after he is chronically overtired. If we keep him well rested then they don't come, but he just had one on Monday and he had been up late for quite a few nights in a row reading or just not going to bed.

I have not found a good way to provide relief during the migraine yet. It is terrible to watch them suffer. I also have the added worry about his blood sugar since he has type 1 diabetes. When he starts throwing up it gets scary. I hate to say it but I just think that when they come they have to run their course. I try to provide support and comfort, but it never does that much.

Not much help, but your daughter is not alone.

I am sorry to hear about your daughter, it's tough when you have a little one with a medical problem. I would seek a second opinion from a pediatric neurologist. I suffer Migraines as well, and headache pain can be indicative of other issues. I have not heard of Migraine starting in children so young, but anything is possible. Is she depressed? Has she had any head/neck injury recently? (mine started after a relatively benign skiing injury). Do you have Thyroid disfunction, or seizure disorder in your family? These can all cause headache/Migraine like symptoms. Tylenol and other OTC meds can cause rebound headache which makes the cycle worse if she is taking it with any regularity. I work with Neurologists in the area for my job, there are a lot of great ones out there- John Kelly has a center for headache and pain exclusivly in N KY. He is a wonderful MD but I am not sure if he sees kids. There are always amazing docs at Children's too. I always find if I have any doubt, to seek a second opinion. Best of luck to you and your daughter.

Hi Angela,
I have suffered frommigraines since I was 5. I am 44 now. Back
then the medical field didn't know about food allergies as much as now. I found out a few years ago I was allergic too MSG, Nutrasweet, pretty much anything artifical. You might want to look into that for your 7 yr old. I averaged 4 migraines a week.
Now I have only 2 or 3 a month. I also found out it can be inheritted. Most of my dad's family were migraine sufferers.
Good Luck
B.

My son, who is now 11, began getting migraines at age 7. It also broke my heart to see him in this pain. And most of the time could not comfort him. He missed alot of school and seen a couple of different Dr's. It got real scary when they sent us to a cancer Dr. Thank the almighty lord it was not cancer. It was allergies. We had him tested and is allergic to almost everything. The Dr's started him out on a low dose of Singulair, 5 mg. This was about four years ago and is doing great. Still on the same dose of Singulair. He no longer gets the horrible headaches. You might want to check into the allergies. Best of luck and I hope she is well soon.

Angela,
When my son was three he was diagnosed with migraines brain ct scan confirmmed it. He would get a migraine every couple of months. His pediatrician put him on 250mg Tylenol at onset. As he grew it was increased to 500mg. In his teens he was put on Imitrex which can be given orally or injection in case she can't keep anything down. At 20 he started having them more frequently every 10-14 days. So at the age of 21 he started getting nerve block injections which broke the cycle (it took injections every 2-3 months for 1 1/2 years) and he has had only 2 migraine in the last 9 months as apposed to every 10-14 days.
Some reports say that they are hereditary. After my son was diagnosed my mother remembered that I used to complain of bad headaches when I was little. She always thought I was faking to get baby asprin so she swithched me to adult strength tylenol and WOW my headaches got better faster. What a relief. She now believes I was having migraines and feels guilty that she didn't believe me. I now get them but not as frequent as I used to.

Angela, try a pediatric Chiropractor. I can recommend Dr. Misty Senz at Family Chiropractic in Perry (Lake County)
###-###-####. I suffered from migranes from 10 years old, and my kids get migranes. Going to the Chiropractor totally eliminated my migranes that were starting to occur 3-5 times per week with vomiting from the pain. I am virtually migrane free after only several regular visits to her. She has 2 young children herself and is very good.

I used to get migraines when I was younger and I remember putting either hot or cold compresses on my forehead and neck and that would ease the pain. Or sometimes a real hot shower with the water beating down on my forehead or neck.

My son starting getting migraines around 5(he is 8 now)! I feel so bad for him also! I am sorry I do not have any solutions to offer but there are others of us our here:-) He just like to sleep if off.

Hi Angela,
One thing I didn't see mentioned as I was reading through your responses was to get her eyes checked. I've been getting migraines since I was in high school, but I just got my eyes checked in the summer (I'm now 31) and lo and behold I have an astigmatism that was never noticed before (the other eye is 20/20, by the way). I got glasses and after a period of adjustment of a couple weeks where I was getting headaches nearly every day, they've reduced drastically! I still get migraines from other things (it seems to be related to my menstrual cycle, lack of sleep or skipping meals), but my vision-related headaches are pretty much gone.
You've gotten a lot of really great advice. Best of luck to you as you look for solutions for your daughter.
J.

A good friend of mine suffered for years from migraines so bad that she would often throw up and be down for several days at a time. She was introduced to OPC-3, a very powerful antioxidant, and has only had 2 in the last year. And those were mild.

Have you tried B-vitamins to help? In the research I have done, Isotonix OPC-3 and Isotonix Advanced B Complex is what has helped the most people. These are both all natural and would be perfectly safe for a 7-year-old.

If you want information, just let me know.
Good luck!
B.

My son is now 15 yrs. old but suffered from migraines as well at such an early age. He was put on medication to prevent them, Inderal, I believe was what it was called. His pediatrician said they were being caused by the nitrates in processed meats like ham, turkey, hot dogs and bologna. Hope This Helps....

My daughter had them from the time she was 2 or 3. I never had them until she was in grade school. Things were out of control for me in the stress area and I started getting occular migraines. From then on, I knew exactly what she was going through.

If she is getting occular migraines, the VERY best advice I can give you is to make sure before she tells you that it's to the outside of the eye and begins shimmering, get that Tylenol down and she won't get the migraine.

If she isn't getting occular migraines, the best thing I can suggest from my own experience with my daughter is to tell her not to cry. It makes it worse (sinuses get involved then!). Put her in a dark room, cool compress on her forehead, massage her legs or arms to relax her and wait. My daughter always wanted me with her and wanted my complete attention, but no talking, no music, nothing, but whispers and massaging. Eventually, she would upchuck and it would be over with. She couldn't keep any meds down. If your daughter can, all the better.

I've been through this and I know it isn't any fun. If you can (tall order) lessen the stress level in her life. That is generally what brings the migraines on. My daughter used to get them a week after a test, but I don't know why she got them at the age of 2 or 3. I suppose things were more stressful on her than I knew.

Good luck. I've been there...

Angela, I don't know if this would help your daughter, but my brother suffered with migraines since he was twelve too. Of course back then no one even knew what a migraine was! He would get them at least once or twice a week and nothing helped. He has been drinking a fruit juice called Mona Vie and hasn't had a migraine since he began drinking it over a year ago! World class doctors, biochemists, and PhD nutritionists put it together and over 800,000 people are drinking it, including other doctors, professional athletes, children, even infants etc. Call me at ###-###-#### or email me at ____@____.com for more info. I know how crazy this sounds, but this is the real deal. Microsoft took seven years to hit the billion dollar mark, Mona Vie has done it in three! That wouldn't be possible with a product that didn't work. God Bless! Hope this helps. N.

Hello Angela, my DD (who is almost 7) suffers from migraines. (her dad and grandmother also suffer) Our ped reffered us to a Neuro and he has put her on meds (I don't know the brand name because I have the generic form) It's called Cyproheptadine. She takes a half a pill at bedtime and since she has been on the meds she has not had 1. When she does get them in the past it was BAD, she could not keep ANYTHING DOWN, head pounding, light made it worse. She would be like this for atleast 2 days. She was beginning to miss alot of school because of them.
Her Neuro stated yes there are food and caffine that could trigger them but he thought the best thing for her was put her on preventative meds for them and gave me a packet of different things that could make them worse.
Hope this helps...I feel your pain!!
R. D

I would suggest seeing a specialist (ear,nose and throat doctor) because it may not be migraines. My son had the same issues and it was not migraines at all he had sinus issues. They did surgery on him and he is fine now. The doctor put tubes in his ears, removed his tonsills and adenoids and did what they call a roto-rooter job on his sinuses to help widen some of his nasal passages. It sounds horrible but it only took them a half hour to do it all. There is a possibility of this being caused from sinuses.
D.
I am 31. I have been married going on 12 yrs. this Nov. and my husband and I have 3 boys ages 10,7 and 4. It was my 7 yr. old that had the surgery. He had it done last summer when he was 6.

I am reading a book called "Sweet Deception" by Joseph Mercola that states that migraines are the most common complaint linked to aspartame. Your daughter's problem may be more complex than that, but I would personally eliminate artificial sweeteners immediately (but then, I did aside from migraines!). You also may want to investigate possible food allergies/sensitivities. Wheat and dairy are very common ones that don't always show up as recognizable allergies, but throw the system off. It upsets me when doctors recommend things like Gatorade... read the label and see if there's any real food in it, then notice how many chemicals there are. This is not a natural food source that will promote health! Sorry, this is my soapbox! Feel free to PM me if you want a little more detail.

Have you addressed it from an alignment standpoint? I'd have her x-rayed. I worked with quite a few clients with headache issues....migranes and others......and we have addressed with regard to hydration, ALLERGIES (certain chemicals, dye & additives and/or processed foods) AND alignment. Have YET to fail & we've been able to come up with a solution. Each of them have been different. There isn't one pat answer. I CERTAINLY would address it from a nutritional standpoint, too.

One of my clients had headaches EVERY day. NOT hydration....NOT allergies to specific foods, dyes, etc.....NOT alignement......so we went for the nutritional deficiency focus. BINGO!!! Four days after taking a high antioxidant supplement.......NO MORE HEADACHES AND HASN'T HAD ONE SINCE!!!!

Hi Angela - my name is K. and I understand as my son was 3 years old when the migraines started. Like you I had no idea a child that young could have migraines. They would be very hard on him, he would vomit several times and then fall into a deep sleep for 11-15 hours then he would wake and feel fine. We saw an allergist and a doctor that specialized in migraines. We did change his diet and he eventually had to take a prescription - the worst time for him was spring when there would be thunderstorms. We knew the day before a storm that he would have a migraine. In changing his diet we went one step further and I became a distributor of a product of whole food nutrition of fruits and vegetables for a company Juice Plus. This was a huge change for all of us and I believe that so many things we eat and drink affect us. We take the capsules everyday and have for several years and what a change for my family it has made -- our health has improved and our immune systems are much stronger. Best of all my son is now 17 medication and migraine free. We did watch his caffeine intake and we would use cool cloths on his forhead when he had one. I hope you are able to find a solution, feel free to visit my website www.juiceplus.com/+kb19454 for additional information on nutrition and contact me if you have any questions.
K. Bowman

My 15 year old developed migraines when he was just 5. He got tylenol, but the doctors also told us to keep him out of the sun. After doing that for a year, he was better able to handle things and now only has a migraine once in a great while.

Infinite Blessings!

You may want to try to document what she eats prior to the headaches to see if any one thing triggers them. I have seen items like chocolate, peanuts, tomatoes be linked to this problem. You could discover some connection which may help avoid headaches in the future. And please, don't be afraid to consult a specialist (pediatric neurologist) if you feel she is suffering too often or cannot get any relief from the pain.

About me: I am a grandmother and a nurse.
PSN

I had my first brain scan when I was 4. I have had migraines my entire life. I am now 41. I had no relief whatsoever until I got to the Diamond Clinic in Chicago. Dr. Seymour Diamond is considered the pioneer of headache study worldwide. He is the author of 30 some books and has completed more than 300 studies for the National Institutes of Health. He also is the founder of the National Headache Institute.

Most insurance covers a trip to that clinic and after an initial visit he will work with your pediatrician. Five or 6 other docs also work with him in his clinic, as well as a nutitionist, Pharm D., physical therapist and others. I know it is much more difficult than going to a doc here in Columbus, but over the course of my lifetime I have probably seen 30 or more docs including neurologists,family docs and "headache specialists" with absolutely no luck. I went to the Diamond Clinic 5 years ago and have not even once since had a headache that I could not get rid of in more than about 10 minutes.

I know kids are trickier so that is even more reason to make the trip.

Maybe you could get a Twofer and get rid of your headaches too!

Angela,
I am so sorry that your daughter is experiencing migraines. I have a friend whose daughter also experiences them. Currently, she is 12 but she has had them from pretty early on.
I have read that they can be triggered by certain foods, or food sensitivities. Have you ever tried alternative medicine? I certainly do not agree with all of what is out there. However, I did have a number af food sensitivities that triggered certain reactions. I went ahead and had a blood test run that tested for food sensitivities (not medical allergies) and the results that came back were interesting. Once I got off of the ones that had higher sensitivities, there was an amazing turnaround in my health.
Try it for you and your daughter.

E.
20% off your order of $40.00
www.marykay.com/elissaward
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Is she seeing a pediatric neurologist? I would definitely contact them. They can help you with meds and how to avoid migraines. They are the specialist you should take your child to see. I learned the hard way that specialists exist for a reason, and it is best to use them to treat a condition. If you have cancer, you see an oncologist. So if you have migraines, you should be managed by a neurologist.

Hi Angela, I moved from Australia to America two years ago, and immediately began to suffer with severe migraines (never had any before this). I found out that MSG is in nearly all packaged foods, under different names like broth, natural flavors etc. I stopped buying packaged food and cooked everything from scratch - no more migraines! It might be worth looking into this for yourself and your child....blessings, H..

My daughter is also 7 and has had severe migraines off and on since about the age 3....but she has had so many other problems at birth, yet the dr's (which is numerous) keep insisting that these are nothing to do with her previous medical conditions..she was born with a cataract in her right eye and had it removed at three months and now is legally blind in that eye...and also was born with her soft clef pallet partially open...she had that fixed at a year and also tubes in her ears at the same time due to numerous ear infections...they have never been able to tell me the source of either but did everything normal during pregnancy...she is now 7 almost eight and when her head hurts as she says she gets pale, tired, sleepy, lethargic and it scares us so bad...she has had 4 cat scans and nothing found which is good, but not the answer at all...as a parent very scary stuff...the women in my family all have history of migraines as well...
Im on imitrex shots which are not fun...my daughter just stared propanol for her headaches which did not want to do, but no choice...seems to help but now she has her tolerance built and still have to give a round of ibuprfren as well and alot of fluids...wish i had better help for you
AS A PARENT THAT IS THE SCARIEST THING IN THE WHOLE WORLD...AND ALSO SHE HAS TO SLEEP AND GETS SICK TO HER TUMMY AS WELL IF NOT TREATED WITH DARK, QUIET, AND IBUPROFREN.......

When my daughter was younger and had migraines (she is 14 now and she does not have them anymore) I gave her the children's dosage of Advil and the recommended dosage of Benedryl. The Benedryl helped her to sleep it off.

Hey Angela,
Google search "artifical sweetners and migraines" and see what you get. Your doctor is on the right track with the caffine and dehydration, but, I think you should see this, too.

T.

My husband had horrible migrains and I figured out on my own that, 1. stress brings them on and other things too. I had read that the blood vessels in the brain constrict and that causes the pain. We were taking contact for colds and it makes your blood vessels in the brain exspand. I feel the tingling in the top of my head. So when he had the first sytems of the migrain coming on I gave him a contact and it worked. He finially out grew them at about 65 yrs. I think hormones may have something to do with them too.

I also suffer from migraines. My son will get them occasionally. His started around age six, he's now nine. He usually won't feel better until he throws up. Instead of tylenol I would have to recommend ibuprofen, advil. It's an anti inflammatory drug. That helps more because the cause of migraines is constricted blood vessels. Hope that helps.
-H. C.

I too suffer from migraines on occasion. I know that Tylonal would do about as much as eating Skittles for the pain. When I was pregnant with my first they occured quite often (the doctors said it was the hormones)and they gave me something that was a combination of Tylonal and caffiene. At the very least maybe check into a different type of medication that relieves the pain! The poor kid!!!! I take Maxalt and it works wonders. I can even take half a dose at the beginning of the migraine and get relief. Until they find out why I would demand relief for my child. Also, has anything changed that would be causing stress to her? This could also be a trigger. Good luck!

Hi there,

My husband gets migraines and his are triggered when he doesn't get enough protein. Mine are triggered by dehydration and stress. Have you noticed anything that might be a trigger for the migraines? Too much sugar or caffeine, too much stress, not enough protein, not enough sleep... just some ideas.

My son had the same problem when he was 7. Our pediatrician prescribed a blood pressure medication which we did not like giving him so we took him to a Chiropractor and after a month of treatment his migraines went away. He needs to go in every few months for a single treatment but it really worked well.

I am a mom, Celiac and Dietitian. I run a support group in Ohio. If you have never been tested for Celiac, I would encourage it. They are discovering with more and more people, that migraines can be a symptom of Celiac disease. Celiac is an autoimmune disease and is genetic. It is only diet controlled where you avoid wheat, barley and rye. I have several members of my support group, with symptoms of migraines, who are migraine free after starting the gluten free diet. Its just a thought. Good Luck!

Angela, My son had migraines that started at age 7. He saw many doctors who prescribed numerous medications, many of which had not been tested on children. The pharmacy assistant at my pharmacy suggested that I try an herbal remedy called feverfew which is use in Britain as a migraine treatment. I bought a liquid form without alcohol putting it in his tea three times a day. After about a month his headaches began to subside inside of three months they were completely gone. Today he is 17 and has not had a migraine since.

An addition to my previous note, the specialist we saw was Dr. Andrew Hershey at Cincinnati Childrens. There are many sport drinks out there that have the same effect but may have different ingredients.
Hello Angela,
My daughter Sara was diagnosed with Migranes at about 10 yrs. She is now 20, in college, and for the most part able to manage her headaches to have far fewer of them. It is a condition that runs in our family.
We were fortunate to find excellent help with Cincinnati Children's Hospital. At first she just saw her pediatrician who could help some but the best help came from a specialist, a neurologist, who treated many children with migranes. Because of our almost immediate success with a specialist I would recommend this route if you don't get much relief from your pediatrition. We had to wait for several months to get in to see him but it was worth it. What Sara learned from this specialist she is still using to manage her pain today.
The drugs used for pain relief have changed drastically since our time. Triptans were just in the early stages then. Triptans, then a miracle drug for Sara, appear to be widely prescribed now and maybe some forms are over the counter (I'm not entirely sure about this. I thought I've seen ads).
At first Sara was put on amatriptolene (sp?) then changed to other daily drugs, the names I cannot remember. After some period of time these drugs were tapered off and then she could manage her headache with simply Advil, fluids and bio-feedback exercise. When we began treatment she had a headache almost every single day. Within several months it could be weeks between headaches. We kept a log to track prevention and treatment.
The most effect treatment was what I call "good clean living". It was recommended that she get adequate sleep going to bed at the same time and rising at the same time each day, even on week-ends (maintain a consistant sleep cycle). Afternoon naps, if she wanted one, was limited to about 30-45 minutes. Caffine was absolutely prohibited. (For adults absolutely no alchohol.) She took some vitamin supliments, a multivitamin and a B vitamin, B12 or B6 (I can't remember which). Good diet was stressed (fruits veggies etc) but especially limited sugar which effects blood sugar levels. Hydration was #1 including drinking plenty of water every day and carrying a water bottle to school. The doctor's recommendation to her was to look at her pee. If it was yellow in the middle of the day she needed to drink more often. Carry a water bottle because drinking from a fountain tends not to give a big enough volume. I had to actually get special permission for her to carry a water bottle at school. She was sometimes hesitant to do this in elementary school but at other times more willing. She is an avid water drinker now. We were always particularly mindful of hot weather activities where she would become dehydrated. Gatoraide was #1 on days with pain or hot weather exercise.
Her doctor always stressed taking the pain reliever at the very onset of pain. I recall they told us that if allowed to continue the pain will build in waves and become stronger therefore harder to relieve. If treated at the onset you are relieving a very small wave vs. a big sunami.
At the onset of pain she was to take Advil and Gatorade. However she was limited to the number of doses of Advil she could take in a given month to avoid rebound headaches. Apparently rebound headaches from over use of alagesics is a very common problem. Before getting treatment, I gave her Tylenol but when we found help was told she was having rebounds because we used it too much.
She was also given information about bio-feedback relaxation which she could do lying down or even seated at her desk in class. (This appeared to me to be very similar to the breathing and relaxation techniques I learned in child birth class.) No drugs required! She still uses this and it gives her relief. She also became very aware of her body's signs that a headache was comming on i.e. flashes, light sensitivity etc. so that she could take preventive action. All this treatment and prevention was alot to handle for a young person but over time she became very good at managing her own body. I had to do alot of encouraging along the way. I also found that times of stress (ie exam time, or peer drama) contibuted to episodes but we muddled thru. Over time we learned what the triggers could be. We were also told some of this was tied to hormonal changes and levels. Sara sometimes gets headaches within her monthly cycle.

A side note: Recently a friend who is a nurse, and parent/nurse volunteer with our marching band, mentioned that one should be careful of the amount of Gatorade drinks to consume in one day because the body can "overdose". She suggested balancing it well with water. Not to consume all gatorade. I've not researched this with doctor or elsewhere.

I'll bet there is plenty more of this sort of info out there on the web. It seems as tho there was very little info to be found when we sought help but now I hear/see migrane information often. I've had migranes most of my life but did not understand the reasons or prevention until I took my daughter in for treatment. Looking back I could see that many of my bad episodes were tied to not practicing everyday "good living" and prevention when I felt one coming on. Now it seems practicing prevention is the most successful relief.

I too was surprised that young children suffer migranes but after our experience I would believe that it is common. Our doctor at Children's was doing research at the time and his office hours were filled.

Hope this helps.
D

My 7 year old daughter gets them too =/ breaks my heart, i don't know what to do anymore...i got them when i started puberty ect...and she's had them since she could tell me what a headache was. we've done a Cat-scan...seen a neurologist and all they said was try cutting out MSG and i have a ton but school lunches suck...her dads house then our house its hard to take it completely out. Tylenol every week...i don't think its good for them i hate it i don't know what to do. she lays in the dark screaming and throwing up.
I know this doesn't answer your question but just know you're not alone and if you find anything please let me know. Im trying to teach her to know the "triggers" but it's hard

My boss used to get really bad migraines and then someone told him about Sinol. Now I use it, family, and friends also use it for sinus issues and general headaches as well as migraines. It is an all natural nasal spray that comes from the pepper plant so you aren't putting another pill into your body. You spray it in when you feel an headache coming on...it's that easy! It feels weird the first few times but then after that it is no big deal. I hope that your 7 year old will be able to try it...it really works! Good Luck!

I would look for a cause if possible just don't cover it up with taking something. I know many migraines are related to addititves in food. My sister gets them if she eats anything with MSG (chinese food, Doritos etc)

Their web-site is good you can read all about it and where to buy it. You can buy it at stores like CVS, Meijer so it is easy to get and try. Not too expensive either. Ours was $14 for 200 sprays...so I would think it worth the money to at least try!
Here is a clip from their web-site.
www.sinolusa.com
Most headaches are caused by a spasm of the blood vessels around the eyes and across the forehead. Sinol is a fast acting all natural remedy that relaxes the muscles in blood vessels. Our Sinol nasal spray can relieve headaches when they first begin and is extremely effective for migraines, cluster and tension type headaches. Get fast headache, allergy and sinus relief now with Sinol Nasal Spray.

Angela,

I know what it is like with migraines, I suffer from then and so does my sister (her's are a lot worse than mine). She has went to the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago and we found out that her headaches were brough on by Imtrex a medican given by her doctor and it also made her have two strokes. After visiting the Clinic in Chicago then determined that she could not eat anything with MSG in it and other foods. You should keep a journal of what your daughter is eating every day and document when she has a headache, if you see that she is getting a headache with certain food just take them our for a month or two and see what happens. Also when you go out to eat check with where ever you are eating at to make sure there food do not have MSG in it, if you ask most will tell you with no problem. Also if your daughter like to dip fresh veggies in dressings check the dressings for MSG. I hope this help if you would like to talk me you can email me at ____@____.com.

A.

Contact Michelle Turner at University Physicians. She is a Nurse Practitioner who specializes in treating migraines. She has been a god-send to me. She totally changed my medications and really educated me to the causes of thoses monster headaches. She also corrected what many other doctors had prescribed for me in the past. She is wonderful and WILL help your little girl. Her number is ###-###-####. I hope this helps!!!
L.

You have had a lot of responses that are very good --I would like to also urge you as others have to change her diet. MSG is hidden in so many processed foods, HFCS and all artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners are all extremely bad for EVERYONE--but worse for those of us who are prone to migraines. Do have her drink lots of water--but any Dr who would recomend Gatorade which is full of migraine triggers does not know enough to trust for advice on this issue! Also tylenol is toxic to the liver and kidneys except for very small doses on very rare occasion--using it frequently is dangerous--and does not help most people with migraine pain. Also, magnesium and B 6 can do wonders for migraines--most migraine sufferers have been shown to be low in those. My 2nd daughter and I have migraines and take those nutrients and ibuprofen, immediately when getting the first signs along with doing acupressure and that usually does the trick. Also my daughter has to be very careful to get enough protein--low blood sugar will trigger her. Slide your finger up into the space between the first and second toes at the joint and also between the first finger and thunb and press gently but firmly until it "hurts good" along with any place on the head that hurts. These are Liver 3 and Large Intestine 4 points. There are others that be more specific to your daughter--an acupressurist or acupuncturist could assist you. www.jinshindo.org or www.nccaom.org or www.aobta.org for referrals.

My daughter also had this problem at an early age. We found that hers were brought on by foods containing msg, autolyzed yeast extract, sodium nitrates and such. Excessive chocolate and nuts ( hello Easter! ) were also a problem. Mine outgrew most of her triggers - yours may not. Keep a food diary of the times she eats things like bacon, sausage, hotdogs, lunchmeat and dry packaged products ( dinner-in-a-box, flavored rice/noodles, chinese food, frozen entrees, etc. ) I know it sounds like a lot, but really is worth the effort. Worst case scenario, your daughter won't exhibit symptoms after eating these examples and at least you'll know these are not causing the migraines. Stress can also be a huge factor. Kids in school today are subjected to more peer pressure, more homework and higher expectations than we were at that age. Good luck in finding the cause. Let us know how she is doing! R.

Angela,

I also have a child with migraines,they started when he was about 5,they are horrible. My husband and take a cold wash cloth and place it behind his neck and one on his forehead. We also have used vicks vapor rub on his forehead, when he will let us because of the smell. ( I haven't used "head-on" but I have a friend who has on herself and thought it was ok) My son sometimes doesn't want to stop playing and come in when they start so we end up with the throwing up along with everything else. I know that can be a problem to try to get them to understand how important that it is to let you know when they feel it coming. Also, I don't know if you have figured out your daughters triggers, that can help stop some of them. My son's is chocolate, he can have a very small amount with out it causing a problem but anymore then that were in trouble. Some people eating chocolate and having caffeine stops them from getting migraines.. I hope that something works for you because my son it now 11 and we still try different things if we find them. One more thing, you said your Doctor said to use Gatorade because of the electrolytes. Try the new G2, the purple taste the best. C.

I too suffer from migraines what I have found to take the edge off is cooling stripes. They are called Be Kool by Kobayshi I found them by the pharmacy. They stick to your head and they don't have medicine in them but they have a cooling effect. I use them after I take my medicine when I lay down. I have also found that if I avoid sugar that helps a lot. Best of luck.

Hi ..........i have two daughters 23 and 16 and they both get migraines, i would always keep in mind what they ate. there biggest thing was chocolate. but caffeine in pop triggers it. now they do not eat anything that will trigger them. what works for them when they do get one is a dark room, cool,very quit and a cool washcloth at the base of there neck.

My daughter is 16 now and has been getting migraines for about 10 years sometimes up to 5 days a week. My doctor advised me because of the frequency to stay away from Tylenol (acetmenaphen) and to use ibuprophen because Tylenol use can lead to liver problem if used to frequently.

She saw a children's headache specialist who also suggested the gatorade as well as a high protein diet and did a complete work-up.

I also got migraines and sympathized with her sometimes too much and found myself letting her miss way too much school. It took a while for me to realize that she had to learn to deal with them as did I as does everybody and try to lead as normal life as possible and not use her headaches as an excuse not to do things she doesn't want to do sometimes. Sometimes they still get the best of her but she is doing much better.

I have a 4 year old who started getting migraines at 3. I am in the medical field myself, but cringed at the thoughts of MRI's and meds for migraines when he was so young. His migraines followed a very clear pattern, he wouldn't eat lunch, wouldn't be able to nap, then he would get suddenly hungry around 4:30 (but not actually be able to eat), then his tummy would hurt, then his "forehead hurt", then he'd lie down for a while, vomit and then pass out for the night. At first it happened once/month and eventually progressed it's way up to 1-2x's/week.

With much skepticism, I tried the chiropractor last April and we then went from 1-2 headaches/week to maybe 1 in the last 11 months (which was triggered after a large dose of MSG!). Our chiropractor used Atlas Orthogonal type of treatment which is so ridiculously non-invasive it's unbelievable. No cracking/popping or twisting, just placement of a simple tool behind the ear a short vibration and done!!!! Please consider checking it out, we were amazed and very happy!

My 7 year old daughter has recently been getting migranes. I know because I had them as I was growing up also. She seems to know when they are coming on. She had one this evening and it was so bad she vomitted. I made her lay on her bed put an ice cold washcloth on her forehead and made her hold an ice pack between her wrists. I then rubbed her feet to help her relax. Within minutes she relaxed and went to sleep.
I too have given her Tylenol. But doesn't seem to want to drink anything because she is sick to her stomach.

My Sister has this problem with her 10 year little boy! Their DR. gave them a list of things that could be making him have them! My Sister saw that yeast was one of the things that can effect migraines!!!! Well my Sister makes her on rolls and breads and stuff! So sure enough that is what caused his migrains.... Fresh bread right out of the oven wasn't a good thing for him to eat!!! So now he has to wait until it cools down and it later on!!!! Hope this helps you!!

I too am a long time Migraine suffer. My daughter started having Mirgraines at 3 years old. I use Ibuprofen for her and it seems to help alot better than Tylenol. I would also look into a Pediatric Neurologist. Migraines can be controlled even in children. Often the solution is finding what triggers the "attack" and steering clear of that. What triggers your migraines may not be what triggers your daughters. Good luck!

Angela,

I am so sorry you DD has to deal with these I know mine are horrible. My nephew gets them all the time, my sister prevents them with water believe it or not. When he forgets to drink water on a regular basis he will get a migraine so really push the fluids. In the summer have a water bottle everywhere you go. I hope this helps you I know it helps my nephew.

Don't know of it's effectiveness with children but I have two friends who suffered from migraines for years. They started a vinegar therapy about 8 years ago and haven't had one since. They take 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar in 8 oz of water a day. It apparently works because it balances the acids in the system. They swear by it. Can't imagine it tastes good but it has to beat having migraines. Best of luck. God bless.

I agree with other posts about potential food allergies and the importance of hydrating - a daily diary will help to determine some triggers (chocolate is a big one). I suffer from migraines and while I was pregnant could not take my prescription meds. While tylenol normally didn't help - I found the following would help me: I would take tylenol with a coke or cup of tea (to add a little bit of caffeine) then I would lie down in a quiet, dark room with a cool cloth on my head and neck. Normally after a half hour I would feel better - not normal but functional. I suffered from migraines all my life and was not diagnosed until college. I feel for your little one!!! Good luck!

My youngest son (now 24) had juvenile migraines starting around 7 or 8 years old. Our pediatrician put him on a medication that was new at that time (something they were trying at Children's Hospital) and said the migraines would decrease as he aged. He started to get them back occasionally when he was 18 to 20 years old. The doctor was concerned because he was still taking the same medication. But then my son informed us that because he felt better and the headaches had gone away, he had stopped taking the pills!!! Because he was older, the doctor switched him to another medication that he took when he felt a migraine coming on (big red horse pills). I can't remember the name of the medication he took when he was little, but they were little white pills that he took every day. Your doctor might be trying other remedies before he resorts to medication. My son occasionally has a migraine even now, but they are infrequent and not as strong and debilitating as when he was younger. Ask your doctor about medication if his other treatments don't work.

My son was in Kind. when he first started getting them. come to find out he was allergic to milk. You might want to keep a journal of the foods she eats and see what she is eating when she has one.

I'm so sorry to hear that. Although none of my children have experienced migraines (yet), I have. Mine are mostly allergy induced (who knew). My suggestion is to watch what she eats and drinks as corn and corn derivitives such as corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, dextrin, maltodextrin, etc. cause them. Gatorade is loaded with corn. If you find they are worse when she has had that, I would look into the allergy aspect of it. I suffered for years (and with other health issues) before we stumbled upon the food allergy. Also, a naturapathic dr. can give you some treatments. I am pregnant for my 4th child and have been having a lot of migraines again and I have been seeing a naturapathic dr. and she recommended I take a homeopathic approach to prevent and treat them. I have never felt better. Good luck. I really hope you can find the trigger to make these stop.

H.

Hi,
My son started having them when he was 3 yrs old. I know it is heart breaking. They are hereditary so it is very common.
Mom has them, passes them to child. This has happened for more than 5 generations in my family. Unfortunately she probably won't outgrow them. Boys have a 70% chance of out growing them, girls have nearly 0%. My son is now 12. At the age of 6 he was admitted to Children's Hospital for 4 months for medication studies and treatment since he had them every day. I lived there with him. Good luck. Keep up the work that you are doing but also seek out a good Spine and Brain specialist for your daughter. There are much newer and better medications out there than plain Tylenol for her. There are also preventive medications that she can take daily to keep her from getting them very frequent. Word of warning when she hits puberty they will increase in intensity and quantity. I feel for both of you. I've spent many days and nights in the ER when my son was so sick with them that he had thrown up to the point of dehydration and had to have IV fluids to get him back on track. Good luck and email anytime you need an ear.
Tonda (____@____.com)