8yo had first migraine - can anyone advise on best migraine remedies for kids?

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Does anyone else have a child with migraines? I've had them myself since I was 12ish but not sure about the best way to treat it for a child this young.
Should I take him to the GP or are there obvious things I could be doing first?

My dd used to have them when she was dehydrated but she was a bit older than 12. I would then have given her paracetamol and she went to sleep.

She hasn't complained lately of many headaches but she drinks loads, at least 4 pints of water a day. Hardly any soft drinks, no tea or coffee.

I would also check child's eyesight.

Thanks Antimatter. I don't think ds1 drinks enough, so that could be related.
I have very clear triggers (chocolate, stress, flashing lights, damp weather) but none of mine apart from stress were present for him.

dehydration also kicks in migrane for me

DD started with migraines at 4yrs - very consistent with family history so I wasn't surprised. I took her to the GP as I wanted confirmation, up to date advice and also just to have it noted in her records so that I don't have to follow the 48hr rule when she vomits with migraine. Meds are available for the over-5s but they're a daily preventive dose and I personally wouldn't want to medicate a child daily if the migraines are infrequent.

The GP was very helpful. She told me that everything I was doing was right - all the same things you do for adult migraine eg good hydration, dim lights when it starts, rest, keep a diary of the 24 hours prior to a migraine to see if you can spot triggers over time. So if you have migraines yourself I'm sure you're doing the right things.

The only point she made to me that I hadn't considered was to always take and monitor the temp when the child has a migraine. She said that parents of children with migraine could sometimes assume migraine when it might that one time not be migraine. She made a particular point that you can miss vital hours with meningitis and said that if it seemed to a migraine but also had fever you should always take them to a doc.

I'd also agree with regular sight tests.

Thanks, Openthecurtains - that's very useful advice.

ds 12 has nasty ones where he has partial paralysis and temporary blindness.
he takes topiramate nightly (prescribed by neurologist)
touch wood - symptom free 5 months.

Yikes, wfrances! Good to know the medication is keeping them under control - I hope he continues to improve.
When I get mine I can't talk because the words come out wrong.
I have been relieved to see ds has been full of beans and back at school today. My childhood ones used to wipe me out for up to a week so it's good if he hasn't inherited that aspect.

See the gp right away as there will be medications but also other medications for other things are contraindicated so they need to know.
I got a proper telling off for not telling my gp right away.

My DS3 (now 14) started getting migraines when he was at pre-school. Paracetamol/Ibuprofen weren't much use as he usually went on to throw up before to sleep right after taking them. I found the cold gel patches quite good - one on his forehead, one on the back of the neck. He's more or less grown out of them now thankfully.

Sorry to hijack your post but wonnlder if im making something of nothing. My 8 year old son has had headaches quite regularly his latest being sunday night to the point it made him dizzy. It eased off but was still present tuesday so I took him drs. Did full range of tests all clear except he suggest slight dehydration but not enough to show on urine test. Said increase fluids and will disappear. He still has the same headache tonight which is not shifting even though drinking loads and taken ibuprofen. Should I take him back to drs?

DD started to get migraines at 8 with fabulous projectile vomiting.
Dehydration is a factor as is stress.
Not all GPs are helpful the first one we saw on day three of a migraine really fobbed us off.
The next week we saw after another 6 months of hell said anything over three incidents per month deserved preventative medication which helps.
Full sugar coca cola taken with paracetamol really helps the caffeine dilates the blood vessels in the brain which are constricting causing the pain and the sugar boost helps bring energy levels back up. School is totally on board with this and have a box of small cans of coke in the sick bay fridge that I supplied. She gets a dose of paracetamol and a can of coke and lies down for 20mins. If still present after 20 mins she gets a dose of ibuprofen.

I just know something not right. He isn't his normal self. Its not immense pain but enough to stop him doing what he normally does. Thinking they will fob me off if go back tomorrow

Rainbow I would take him. Maybe they can refer you to a specialist (neurologist?) or prescribe something.

DD had migraines from 5 yrs - if at all possible try and get a referral to Great Ormond St's which has a specialist migraine clinic ( or at least they did 15 yrs ago). We found we'd been given a lot of poor advice from a paediatrician at our local hospital and the advice and medication given by GOSH made a huge difference. When she was older we also self referred to the Migraine Trust.

Generally though migraine triggers were poor hydration, light flicker and stress at school (undiagnosed dyslexia).