Abdominal Migraine

[FizzySeaWorld]

My DD aged 9 has been diagnosed with abdominal migraine last month. She is complaining about permanent stomach pains and she seems to be bloated most of the time. Our GP has prescribed 0.5mg Pizotifen to be taken at night.

She has missed school for two days already, but I really don't think I should make her go to school when she is clearly in pain. The school have been understanding so far, however did say that this condition was quite common and not really a reason to miss school. I agree that she can go when she has mild stomach pains, as school will most likely take her mind off it, but I am a bit helpless with the bloating, as this can be quite antisocial, IYSWIM.

Does anyone have DDs with that condition, how does it affect them and which type of food should I avoid? I am reading up on this, but I would really appreciate advice.

Thank you all.

Not a common condition then?

I don't know anything about abdominal migraine (sounds made up to me by doctors to explain something they don't know the cause of) but has your DD been tested for coeliac disease and food intolerances of any kind? Does she watery stools or need to go to the loo quite often? Is she very windy? Does she seem easily tired? Seems bizarre not to investigate some actual potential health problems when she's bloated as well.

Here's a link to the symptoms of Coeliac disease and gluten intolerance.

Thank you duchesse she is mainly very windy (huge embarrassment factor for her) and bloated and has the typical stomach pains around her tummy button, but she is does not seem to any other symptoms that are usually associated with abdominal migraine.

I had not even heard of it before and I assumed that it was a food intolerance and hoped to get some clues from the GP, but he quickly diagnosed her with stomach migraine and prescribed tablets. I obviously want to help my daughter as much as I can, but I did not really like the slapdash approach to just prescribe these tablets with side effects and all that. They did not even make any difference, but it is apparently too early to tell after a few weeks and the GP has now doubled the dose. I am not at all happy and really reluctant to do that - and have to confess I have not given her the higher dose so far.

I strongly feel that this has not been investigated enough and decided to do some research myself with the help of MN

I will certainly look up Coeliac disease.

My DSis has Crohn's and it started off in the same way, but the GP does not believe it is Crohn's.

I feel for your DD, I had abdominal migraines as a child, I remember the crippling stomach ache and sickness was horrible. I could not have gone to school when I was really bad but rest usually helped to clear them up within a couple of days.

Abdominal migraines are more common in children than adults but apparently children that had abdominal migraines tend to suffer from 'headache' migraines when older, like me

So do the stomach pains typically settle after a few days, Ruby? My DD seems to have stomach pains all the time, in particular first thing in the morning.

Mine did yes after a few days of complete rest. Symptoms sound different though, you don't mention any sickness? I had awful sickness with mine and can't really remember any bloating? Does sound like your first thoughts of a food intolerance more than the symptoms I had of AM

This is why I am not convinced that the GP got it right, Ruby. No sickness at all, she is eating well, but the stomach pains seem to be there all the time, if only just "sort of there" some of the time.

I am very reluctant to carry on with the medication but continue with the lower dose for now.

Gluten Intolerance, as duchesse said sounds far more likely to me. It would be a pain if she had that, but I think it is worth looking into. I don't know if she can be tested for that, though, or is it just about cutting out gluten and see what happens?

I remember the sickness as a big factor with my AM. I would definitely go with what you feel and try cutting out gluten, just to see how she responds.

Hope your DD feels better soon

Fizzy, I was just browsing through the threads to see if any information in Coeliacs Disease and came across your thread.

Did you ever get things sorted out.

The reason I ask is my dd is just 9 and for the last few years has complained of tummy ache, usually located around the belly button. I have lost count the number of times she has been to the GP and each time, told me it was 'abdominal migraines'. Like your dd it is 'always sort of there', but sometimes is worse than others. Her tummy also bloats, but I just thought this was normal, so didn't think about it really.

A few months back she was in real pain over a weekend and the OOH dr sent her for blood tests, they cam back extremely high for Coeliacs and she has just had a biopsy, which has shown inflammation of the intestine and the stomach in line with what would be found with Coeliac Disease.

We are waiting for the final results before changing her diet and the diagnosis is confirmed and she has been put on Omniprazole each day, to settle the acid and inflammation, for three to six months.

The questions the consultant asked, were

If there was bloating
Intermittent diaorea
Tummy pain
Wind

I feel like saying 'abdominal migraines? My arse!'!!!!!

Ask for blood tests, but don't change her diet just yet, or it could show negative.

I too would send dd to school (sometimes with Calpol), hoping it would take her mind off it. I even wondered on more than one occasion if they existed :( except some days she would wake up and say 'great, tummy doesn't hurt today!

my husband gets these abdominal migraines he has many digestive disorders all part of package for him. The abdominal migraine is the brain gut relation. All to do with the vagus nerve the main nerve that stems from brain to all of your organs keeps them all working. Its all confusing but get a paediatric gastroenterologist to explain of stuck.