My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Children's health

Migraines in 11 yr old DS - WHY?

3 replies

BlogOnTheTyne · 27/01/2013 09:07

Why do children get migraines? DS2 aged 11 is having another bout of these on and off. They follow a typical pattern: he can go for months without any and even a year - then out of the blue, with absolutely nothing happening that's different, he starts to get them. No change in diet. No environmental differences. No change in his emotional state. He'll wake one morning and almost exactly 2.5hrs after waking, with NO symptoms, he'll get a migraine. It's always the same timing.

Last w/e he got the first in months and months and threw up all over the house. After resting in bed for about 2 hrs, he was completely fine for the rest of the day and absolutely normal in every way.

I gave him prophylactic Calprofen for the next two mornings, as our GP has suggested, even though he didn't have any further headaches - and he's been fine...until today, when it started again.

He has admitted that he's had a slight headache in the morning since the day I stopped the prophylcatic Calprofen (he ALWAYS pretends he's well even if he's really ill). However, it's only today that it's been really bad.

Before he admits to a migraine, you can tell something's going on, as his eyes go very puffy around the lower lids and he gets pale, cold hands, head and feet and blinks with watering eyes.

He's not allergic to anything we know of. He's had a referral about 3 yrs ago to a Consultant, who confirmed migraines. He's had very few bouts per year since. But when they hit, it's v obvious that it's a big physical change going on, just from his behaviour and visual symptoms.

I'm really not into giving him stronger meds., as he rarely gets the migraines and seems to respond fine to Calprofen but I just wish I knew WHY they happen. He gets constipated when he's got migraines but I don't know if this is a consequence or a trigger, nor is there any difference at all in his fluid intake whether he's having migraines or not.

Can anyone help or share their own experiences?

OP posts:
Report
Hopeforever · 27/01/2013 10:38

Sorry I've no advice, but just wanted to say 'you are not alone'. DS has migraines as do 3 other boys I know of aged 10 to 13.
I wonder if they are triggered by a change in hormones or growth stage?

As an adult with migraines I find dissolved tablets, paracetomol or aspirin work fastest, so sticking with liquid pain killers is good

It's also be shown that too many days of pain relief per month can case rebounds, as little as 10 days a month :-(

Does cold compress on hs forehead or neck help?

Report
BlogOnTheTyne · 27/01/2013 18:17

I putone of those cold strip things on his head that you can buy from the chemists and that helps. He's been having them for a few years that may have coincided with prepuberty and he's certainly reaching puberty properly now.

It's just so frustrating for him as well as the rest of the family. Nothing seems to start them and nothing we've tried seems to prevent them. They just seem to come and go as they will.

I can't find anything really helpful on the internet about whay they happen and nothing that's ever bene suggested (eg no chocolate or cheese etc etc) has ever had any effect on whether they recur or not.

Anyone else have any advice?

OP posts:
Report
kickassmomma · 27/01/2013 18:27

as a child i started having mirgraines. mine began after havign the meningitus c vaccine. there were no reasons as to why i had dveloped them but i had certain triggers such as caffiene, bright lights little sleep etc. has he been put on any preventative medications? at you ds' age i was taking a daily dose of pizotifen which helped. as i got older i was also trialled on medications called gabipentin and another begining with t (cant remember) it would be better for him to be on preventative medications even if they come in bouts (mine did) and probably keep a food and activity diary adn youll soon find out what his triggers are. then as you avoid them you will see a difference. some children are just prone to them unfortunatly.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.