To go to a&e considering the circumstances

[Ffswhatnoww]

My 13 year old son has been suffering a massive headache since around 3pm yesterday. He’s lay in a dark room with a flannel on his head. Every time he gets up he vomits.

He was up some of last night crying it was so bad. He usually has quite a high pain tolerance. He has suffered headaches and vomiting before although not to the extent he cries usually he just needs a lie down.

Genuinely worried

.... and don’t give suppositories either without being sure that theyre necessary!

Call your doctor or call 111 or go to urgent care.
Don't go to A&E.

Ah sorry about the suppository advice... just sharing what worked for me. I had teenage migraines for YEARS and they were horrendous.

Hope your son gets better soon. I totally sympathise x

Yes call your GP ASAP op, they will tell you what to do.

Get medical advice but don't go to A&E. They can provide anti sickness so he can keep the meds down, or suppositories.

Is he able to tolerate light? Can he look at a computer or mobile phone screen? Can he be in a room with open curtains?

Does he have stiffness in any part of his body?

You can't give Aspirin to a child. OMG, there's dangerous advice given out on the internet. OP, call your surgery.

Try ibuprofen? Can he put his chin on his chest or raise both knees. Is he confused, rash? Fever?

Call the gp practice.

Please get urgent medical advice OP.

Ds was like this, we ended up at A & E, they gave him diclofenac after doing basic tests & ECG. After the diclofenac the headache & vomiting stopped within an hour.

To everyone saying don't go to A and E - this child may actually need A and E. A and E is still open and operating for illnesses other than COVID.

OP - do go to A and E if your GP tells you to, and do go if you feel he is worsening.

Hope you have managed to speak to your GP.

It sounds like migraine. I would call the GP. I don't know why anyone's first port of call would be A&E tbh, and that not because of CV it's because it is what the the GP is for. If he needs signposted on the GP will do that.

Has he banged his head recently?

I’d call the GP but not panic- sounds like it’s probably a migraine? You definitely need medical advice though.

If it's a migraine then get him to use a bag of frozen peas at the base of his neck and keep feet warm. This draws blood away and gives instant relief

Before A&E, phone your GP surgery as most as offering telephone appointments. If not, get advice from NHS 111. I wouldn’t rock up at A&E and risk exposure to COVID19 without having at least spoken to a medical professional.

To the people asking if there's a rash

I've had bacterial meningitis. I spent 5 months in hospital.

The rash is the last thing to come. By that time you're usually too far gone and don't survive. I got a very small patch of the rash and was told I was incredibly lucky to of survived.

So don't look for a rash. You'd rarely see it. And. If you did they be unconscious pretty much dying.

I don't know if this is still of any use but can he move his neck? See if he can put chin to chest. If he can't then that with such an extreme headache I would take to A&e straight away.

I'd take him to a and e. Pain so serious he's vomiting from it and in tears is not to be trifled with.

Sorry guys I didn’t realise, I have reported my post to be removed.

@Ffswhatnoww how's your son?
I hope you're ok.
I know how it feels to watch your strapping 13 year old son suddenly felled by a nasty virus.

Thank you for asking I did call the gp yesterday who said it did sound like a migraine and that she could send a prescription for migraleve if I wanted although If he was vomiting it wouldn’t help much more than the paracetamol. His headache started to clear yesterday afternoon but Im wondering if anyone knows what kind of things can be giving to prevent migraines?

Given*

I used to suffer quite badly. Migraleve does help, but it needs to be taken at the first sign of a headache - don't wait to see if it gets better. I found that it did stop it in its tracks if I did that.

The pink Migraleve tablets also contain an anti emetic, so just buy those. Don't get the mixed pack with pink and yellow tablets. The yellow ones are just paracetamol and codeine.

The main reason I used to get headaches is if I was dehydrated and/or hungry, and if I had a headache starting I found the best way to rehydrate quickly was to have a glass of full fat Coke.

I'm glad your DS is feeling better, and I hoe that my experience helps.

My 10 year old has suffered from migraines for a few years. Nothing we have done prevent them but now he knows himself when one is coming and will go and lie down, take pain relief and sleep if possible as if he leaves it too late and the vomiting starts it’s quite horrendous sometimes pain relief doesn’t work (he used to refuse as he linked calpol with sickness) but now knows it’s the migraine so takes it and accepts sometimes he’ll be sick anyway. Tablets help too rather than liquid for him. Perhaps a few days off screens for your son until he’s feeling better, it really exhausts my son. Hopefully migraleve helps him and he will recognise the start of things and take them straight away to prevent it becoming this horrendous again. Poor lad it’s a horrible thing to suffer from