Teenager and migraines.

[Dontgiveamonkeys1350]

So. My son has been diagnosed with migraines. He is 15.

Can I have tips on foods and things to avoid. Doctor says it is trial and error for what triggers it. But. If I can rule out the obvious ones first that would help.

What causes your kids or ur migraines. This has kind of thrown me a bit. So currently trying to gain as much information as I can to help him. So any advice from a real person who deals with this or helps their child with this would be a huge help.

Go on the migraine Trust website. Keep a migraine diary. My triggers (me not my child) :
Tiredness
Dehydration
Skipping meals
Alcohol
Caffeine (but can also help stop a migraine)
Everyone is different
Good luck

I have quite a lot of triggers - chocolate, red wine, citrus fruit, too much sleep, not enough sleep, stress, strong smells (especially cigarette smoke, woodsmoke or perfume), fluorescent lights, too much screen time, bright sun, changes in air pressure....life, basically! A diary will be the easiest way to identify his triggers.

Oh yes air pressure. Smell of bleach

Yup. I’m going to start a food diary. I would imagine the tv and Xbox don’t help. That’s going to go down well.

Well yes if he's spending a lot of time on x box that could be the issue. Or going to bed really late.

There are so many triggers! Empty stomach, eating too much, stress, some lighting, - it’s trial and error!

I had horrors as a teenager but grew out of them by late teens. I get one or two a year now (stress triggered)

Thanks for the replies. I have written them down.

Have you looked on the migraine Trust website?

Try fever few he can take daily it in capsule form from health food shops or as a tea. It really helps lessen attack’s

I used to suffer with them and still do occasionally. Mine was too much sleep, but mainly not enough sleep. Stress, hormones. Now it's mainly hormones and stress!

Migraine trust, yes.
By far the commonest trigger is being tired or having too much sleep. Any trigger like that is observational. Keep the diary and watch. DS is triggered by getting over heated eg at games and is more likely to get one if unwell .DD was triggered by citrus and illness but gets very few as an adult. If you suspect a food stuff cut it out for a decent length of time eg 6-12 weeks depending on how often he gets the migraine . If it isn't a clear association reintroduce. Don't ( obviously ) cut out more than one thing at a time as that will muddy the waters and you don't want to restrict his life and pleasures unnecessarily.
It is really horrid for kids , I sympathise

Citrus fruit was my worst trigger... even the smell of it would make my tongue tingle and go numb. Did you know there is even citric acid in mustard? It's hidden everywhere.

Pork was another trigger, but not always. I am one who needed caffeine to get over an attack but there are many people who can't go near the stuff. Stress is a huge trigger for most people, as is dehydration.

Mine faded away post-menopause, which is odd as they never linked to my cycle. I feel for your son, it's a horrid horrid thing to live with. I passed out with it a few times, was accused of being drunk many times due to slurring words and was constantly vomiting.

Make sure he gets all the help he needs and push for answers.

My teen has them too-they seem to be hormonal though and she will without fail come on a day or two later.

The GP has prescribed high dose soluble ibuprofen which works well.

Oh yes, and TV. But I was fine with a computer screen. Someone did explain this to me but I can't remember now.

I have chronic almost daily migraines so can't really avoid them and my 4 year old dd2 has them once or twice a month (since she was 2).
My most common triggers are:
Strong perfume/ aftershave (oddly essential oils fine)
Smell of diesel or especially petrol
Skipping meals
Red wine or port (even in cooking)
Dehydration
Stress

Dd2 triggers are:
Chicken
Tiredness
Dehydration
Peppers
Smell of bleach
Strong perfume/aftershave

My triggers as a teen were (and still are): dehydration, generally overdoing things, insomnia, sugar crashes or not eating regularly/properly, too much caffeine – or too little when I was used to it – not treating a small headache straight away with paracetamol, water and rest. Also my period, but that probably doesn't apply here :)

Migraleve helps me, as does a ton of water, rest, dark room. And a recovery day afterwards where I will eat ALL the food in the world, mostly carbs.

Ive had them since i was 8 im now 39 my triggers are travling,lack of sleep,worrying and some smells. Im trying to drink alot of water to help control mine i am on medication i take at bedtime.
When u get one u have to rest lay in bed no noise.

My biggest trigger is stress. I avoid my other triggers (red wine, caffeinated coffee, etc) but I still get migraines.

I do think it's worth trying to find the triggers, but that shouldn't stop you from pursuing treatments as well.

Many people cannot eliminate their migraines no matter how hard they try, and it's easy to end up feeling like you're to blame because you didn't try hard enough.

My MIL asked me 'Why do you get migraines?' and I could only answer 'Because I get migraines, that's the way my brain works.'

Ironically today is the first day this week I haven't had a migraine, yet I only had 4 hours sleep which would usually be a massive trigger for me.

There's some evidence that magnesium, co enzyme Q10 and high dose vitamin B2 can reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. I was recommended them by a neurology nurse as I get several a month and they won't prescribe preventatives while I'm breastfeeding.

Might be worth looking into for your DS.

That’s interesting - I love the Q10 sprinkles and eat a lot of that these days.

DH gets migraines a lot. He finds that sticking to a routine (in terms of when he gets up, when he eats and when he goes to bed) definitely helps.

However he's a software engineer who spends all day looking at screens. On it's own, that doesn't seem to be a problem.

Other triggers have already been mentioned.

Hope your DS finds something that helps.

That’s interesting that your hungry after. He was starving when he woke up this morning ( still had a bad head but was easing ).

He fell in love with bagels with marmite and cheese a few weeks ago. And has done nothing but make them. So I’m going to cut out that and see what happens. He seems fine now. The doctor gave him some tablets to take in stages.

Bread can be a trigger (and cheese, mushrooms, orange juice, vinegar/pickles and booze - all my favourite stuff basically). I tried this as an elimination diet and decided I’d rethrt risk the migraines.

There's some evidence that magnesium, co enzyme Q10 and high dose vitamin B2 can reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. I was recommended them by a neurology nurse as I get several a month and they won't prescribe preventatives while I'm breastfeeding.

Yes my neurologist recommended them too, as did my GP who's a bit of a migraine specialist. I really should buy some more and start taking them again.