headaches in 16yo DD

[ShrinkingViolet]

Took DD to the doctors yesterday as she's been having bad headaches for the past three weeks, but he couldn't see anything wrong, and has referred her to a neurologist. Presumably if there was anything major wrong (am reluctant to google brain tumour and the like) he'd have been able to find another symptom? She's very reluctant to take any medication, so has been limiting the paracetamol, but I felt the GP was a bit that she wasn't on max doses of it, as the headaches have been stopping her sleeping properly.
But was I right in thinking that relying on paracetamol isn't generally a good idea (especially in a 16yo), and that if she was waking up at 4am saying that it felt like she had a knife stabbing into her head, then going to the GP was the right thing? (I had a triage phone call with a nurse first, who arranged the GP appointment, but I got the impression the GP thought we could have been doing more ourselves without bothering him)
Am not sure whether I should be worrying more or not really. And what's likely to happen at the hospital appointment?

[CharlieBoo]

Hi, did he examine your dd for other neurological symptoms? It seems a wee bit drastic to me, especially as it's been going on for 3 weeks. How debilitating are the headaches? Have you tried an eye test? Other over the counter meds? Sorry can't help but wanted to answer your posts.

[belgo]

Agree with Charlie, perhaps an eye test. Does she grind her teeth? If you don't know, the dentist can usually identify teeth grinding.

But of course if the doctor has referred her to a neurologist, then she should go.

[belgo]

Have there been any changes in the last three weeks to her life - for example a change in diet, or exercise?

[CharlieBoo]

Meant to say when I was doing a levels I suffered terribly with headaches, gp said eye test and I needed Reading glasses. My 14 year old neice suffers migraines and her triggers are cheese and chocolate. The neurologist will want history of symptoms, examine her and then tell you what ge/she thinks. Try not to worry if it were anything nasty she would have lots of other symptoms. Caffine withdrawl is another major cause of headaches too. Is she stressed, diet changes etc? X

[ShrinkingViolet]

thanks all - eyes are fine (her eye test in Jan had no change to her prescription), she doesn't drink caffeine (one or two cups of weak tea a day maybe), no change to diet ro exercise levels, not especially stresses - school work is going OK, AS exams in May, but she's on target for what she needs.
Debilatating-ness - she's been drooping round the house all half term with huge black bags under her eyes not able to concentrate on anything for any length of time. Hardly on the computer, hardly watching TV, not arranging to meet up with friends to go shopping, not even wantign to do Maths (that's how I knew she was properly not well, as this is a child who would rather do a Maths exam paper than go out on on a Friday night ).
CharlieBoo - what other symptoms could/should he have checked for? He did blood pressure, looked at eyes, all the meningitis tests, sinus problems.

[CharlieBoo]

He would have checked her gait, reflexes and visual problems, double vision, etc. I know people are referred for headaches/migraines and seeing how they are making her so underpar that's prob why the referral. Have u got a date yet? Try not to worry, headaches make u feel awful (I suffer migraines too) and at times I can hardly lift my head. The neurologist will be able to suggest treatment, meds to try etc. Let us know how you go. X

[ShrinkingViolet]

he didn't check gait or reflexes (but assume that if we'd thought there was a problem with any of that we'd have said?), but did spend quite a bit of time checking out her eyes.
No appointment date yet (not sure our surgery is set up to book stuff like that while you are actually there).

She's a bit better today, but is taking paracetamol every four hours, so we'll see how that goes.

[ShrinkingViolet]

well, she's got worse over the weekend - we've upped the paracetamol to 2 tablets every four hours, and whereas before one tablet would take away all the pain, this is just numbing it, and only for two-three hours. Plus she's just walked out of school as she couldn't concentrate (teacher didn't give her a chance to explain she wasn't feeling great, and was very abrupt, so she got up and walked out - will be having Words with her once this next lot of painkillers kicks in).
Not sure what's best to do really - hang on another couple of days to sse when the hospital appointment is, or go back to the GP who couldn't find anything wrong, and said to take paracetamol. Is there anything else he could do in the meantime till the appt comes through?

[ShrinkingViolet]

update - headaches still bad, went to A&E on Wednesday as her eye was all bloodshot and swollen, and the headache was worse around and behind that eye. Won't rant about the inefficiencies of having to start the explanation from scratch to three separate people as none of them managed to pass on the notes to each other [grr], but....

CT scan showed no bleeding in the brain; "there are hundreds of causes of headaches and all we can do is exclude the more serious ones"; told her to take co-codamol rather than paracetamol; go to the optician to get her eye checked out. Not exactly helpful!

So, we can't get an optician's appointment till Monday, and I'm still keeping the neurology appointment (again on Monday) - what do I need to be asking/demanding they do? This has been going on now for nearly six week (and one week with her eye), and I'm really not happy about the quantities of painkillers she's having to take. Plus she's missing quite a bit of school, and certainly not being able to keep up with the revision she's supposed to be doing either.

[DramaInPyjamas]

I've been having headaches (sharp pain at front of my head, dull pain at the back) for the past month. Can't sleep, losing concentration etc.

So, went to the Doctor, got told to go and get an eye test. Eye test results = ok.

Went back to a different Doctor got given Co-Codemol and was asked if I was stressed - I said no, everything is fine, the only thing I'm worrying about is the headaches because I'd searched head pains and symptoms on the internet (I'm a Googler, anything and everything and I'm straight on Google!)

Anyway, Co-Codemol not working and now I've started getting a twitchy arm/knee/eye.
Got a 3rd appointment next week with yet another Doctor, having to explain yet again what is wrong with me and probably get palmed off with even more drugs.

Sorry, got no helpful advice for you at all (and sorry for hi-jacking your thread with my problems!)
Love to your Daughter, hope she feels better soon.

[BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny]

Could be migraines. Don't google, it's an evil thing.

[ShrinkingViolet]

further update - she has uveitis (inflamation of the iris) in one eye - it's really severe apparently and the eye clinic were Not Impressed that A&E hadn't looked at her eye last week. So the treatment for that has helped the worst of the headaches, and neurology are doing some more blood tests and x rays to see if they can come with anything to explain the rest of it.

So at least we're making some progress, and although she's not at school this week (can't focus due to one of the drops which is dilating the pupil to almost totally cover the iris - look v. strange ), she's not drooping around being ill thankfully.

Thanks everyone for letting me ramble.....

[CharlieBoo]

Lets hope that's what's been causing it, your poor dd!! And poor you. Did u see the neurologist yet?