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Original poster

12 year old migraines

12 replies

FurForksSake · 21/03/2025 18:44

12 year old has had to come home twice this week with migraines. He’s probably had 15-20 this year. Consultant saw him a year ago and told us ibuprofen and carry on with what we are doing unless he starts missing a lot of school. I think we are there.

has anyone got experience of prophylactic medication for children with migraines?

he really can’t keep coming home and always tries to stay but comes home in bits to throw up and sleep for hours. It’s getting so miserable for him.

OP posts:
handmademitlove · 21/03/2025 19:31

DD has chronic migraines. You can look up the nice guidelines for migraines in children and they cover prophylaxis.
DD has tried pizotifen and is currently working her way up the dosage of propranolol, next step may be topimirate.

okydokethen · 21/03/2025 19:51

My DD 13 has used sumatriptan since 12 with success, she was also missing school. You take it the moment the headache starts, even if it’s not a full blown migraine it’s ok to take. DD takes the medicine everywhere with her and it’s reassuring. She tells me if stop the headache but sometimes the vision/wobbly/leg pain and continue.

Original poster
FurForksSake · 21/03/2025 20:11

Thanks for the responses. Trying to get to the gp is a mission in itself, but he needs help this is untenable.

with the sumatriptan - how does she manage at school? DS has to go to medical for ibuprofen but that can take up to 40 minutes and by then he’s fucked for stopping it ripping through him.

it’s awful seeing your child in pain, he literally collapses in to bed and it’s awful for him. He gets so embarrassed if he gets sick in public. We carry sick bags everywhere.

OP posts:
handmademitlove · 21/03/2025 20:20

Schools should allow him to carry this himself, in the same way as an inhaler, if time is of the essence. You might need to ask them to create a health care plan that specifies this and what to do if he develops a migraine while at school. Your GP may be able to help with this, or you can ask them to contact the school nursing service for support.

ToffeeForEveryone · 21/03/2025 20:27

DS9 has had migraines every 6 weeks or so since he was about 3. Still too young for triptans so no experience there sorry, but he is also often sick and has been given ondansetron syrup to stop that. Doesn't help the migraine but means he can reliably keep painkillers down at least.

okydokethen · 21/03/2025 20:57

It’s probably against the rules but she carries the medicine in her bag - it’s a tiny tablet that she just takes with her water bottle. No one notices and I trust her with this. I asked GP same question and she said do this otherwise it’s a faff and too long a wait as you need to take it straight away.
school do know she has migraines and takes medicine but didn’t ask about when she takes it.

Original poster
FurForksSake · 21/03/2025 21:04

ToffeeForEveryone · 21/03/2025 20:27

DS9 has had migraines every 6 weeks or so since he was about 3. Still too young for triptans so no experience there sorry, but he is also often sick and has been given ondansetron syrup to stop that. Doesn't help the migraine but means he can reliably keep painkillers down at least.

It’s miserable isn’t it? We’ve been dealing with them a long time, so feel you. I might ask for the anti sickness, it would help some what.

today he tried so hard to stay at school, he was in so much pain he just couldn’t.

we have a health care plan at school, which includes them sending him home. Previous to this they’d give him a glass of of water and tell him to push through which was horrendous for him and left him vomitting outside school and in bed in so much pain. So this is an improvement. The medical room at school doesn’t have facility for him to lie down, which is a shame.

OP posts:
penparrot · 21/03/2025 21:11

My child had a spate of head aches, a brain scan revealed a cyst.

Foxgloverr · 21/03/2025 21:14

DD takes 50mg topiramate. She was getting headaches every day and missing school. Now she has one in every 3 months at most! Had to go private to get it though as it was an 18 month wait to be referred on the NHS and she was missing so much school.

Original poster
FurForksSake · 21/03/2025 21:16

penparrot · 21/03/2025 21:11

My child had a spate of head aches, a brain scan revealed a cyst.

Were there any other symptoms that indicated the cyst? I’d really like a scan to rule anything else out but it’s not been offered.

OP posts:
Original poster
FurForksSake · 21/03/2025 21:16

Foxgloverr · 21/03/2025 21:14

DD takes 50mg topiramate. She was getting headaches every day and missing school. Now she has one in every 3 months at most! Had to go private to get it though as it was an 18 month wait to be referred on the NHS and she was missing so much school.

That’s a good improvement. We can go private, I hadn’t considered we might have a long wait on the nhs, but I guess that is par for the course

OP posts:
Foxgloverr · 21/03/2025 21:29

Yes the GP was completely disinterested and kept telling us to do a headache diary but she was getting them every single day and there was nothing that tied them together. They didn't even want to refer and said if we did it would be an 18month+ wait. Now the GP is also refusing to prescribe the topiramate so we have to see the private consultant every 3 months to get a private prescription. Another example of the poor state of the NHS! They didn't seem to think that her missing hours of school every day was important.

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