Worried about 12 year old boy - bad, recurring headaches

[FlipFlap24]

Hi there. I have got a GP appointment booked in for Thursday but am concerned about my son. He is a 12.5 year old ex prem baby. He has experienced semi-frequent headaches for a little while now. He doesn't drink enough water but the headaches seem to be getting worse and more frequent. He had a bad headache and was sick at the end of the School day just before half term and then was fine a couple of hours later - no one else in the house got ill so don't think a bug and he didn't have any other symptoms. He woke up at 2am during half term with a terrible headache which made him distressed. Calpol did nothing. He has had at least 2 more headaches since. Last night he got home and took calpol and then fell asleep for an hour at 4.30.

He has also complained it hurts more when he coughs. It also hurts at the back of his head when he shakes his head or if he is jolted - say banging into someone playing football.

We have had his eyes tested a couple of weeks ago and they didn't see anything wrong.

He does have dyslexia but seems to be struggling more with stress and organisational skills lately.

I am very worried about him. Please can anyone shed any light on an innocent explanation for this? I am going to request an MRI but not sure whether the GP will want to wait at this stage. I know if it is something untoward the sooner we get it dealt with the better.

I have had cancer myself a couple of years ago and do suffer from health anxiety but the pattern of symptoms are not helping.

Thanks

That back of the head/nape of neck pain is something I get when I'm stressed (which it sounds like he is) and don't sit properly when writing or reading. Particularly if I slide down so my chin is close to my chest.
It could easily be just dehydration for the headaches - heating is on at school and it's stuffy and he's not drinking much.
Best of luck x

Hi OP, your son sounds exactly like mine. I took mine (also 12yo) to the GP due to the sudden spate of headaches, when he’s never been a headachey child. The GP thinks he suffers with tension (stress) headaches, and to keep a headache diary. His eyes were tested and all fine too.

Do you have private health insurance? I would definitely see if you can book him in with a paediatric neurologist. It is worth visiting the GP armed with details of what your son is experiencing and seeing if they will refer you on for a scan.

The PP is right though about hydration and position of his neck - my DS has been saying his neck hurts, yet I see him with his head resting on his chest when he’s watching his iPad!

migraines? I can feel the pain where they've been when I shake my head or bend down / get a change of pressure.
they also often make you vomit

You are right to get this checked. However migraines and tension headaches can have amazingly strong effects, many of which you list.
Read the NHS pages on migraines and headaches - they will tell you when to see the GP, when to see the GP urgently, and when to go to A&E.

@FlipFlap24 how did you get on at the GP? Im just worrying myself because my son just told me he had a “pulse” in the back of his head after running around like a loon. Thank you, anxiety 😥

Mirgraines….this is how my DD started…she’s 32 now and under neurology

The headache being worse on coughing is a red flag. That should get him a scan. Having said that, they only scan the ones with red flags, and 99% of the scans turn out to be normal.

Thank you all. The GP was lovely but said she wasn't unduly worried at present. She has asked us to keep a diary and to make sure he drinks more water! He has been stressed at School and I think tiredness is a big trigger. He slept badly last night and woke up this morning ok but as soon as he had a drink the headache started again. I have flagged that with the doctor and asked about a possible referral. I know morning headaches are more of a concern but that is the first time that has happened and he had a test at School today that I know he was flapping about. We do have health insurance so I won't hang about if it carries on like this.

Hi @FlipFlap24 how is your boy doing? Did he have any headaches over weekend? 💐

Thankfully had a quiet uneventful weekend. Lots of sleep and water! He was tired this morning but perky after breakfast. Will keep a close eye.

Have a look at the migraine trust website and see if any of it rings bells.

I am not medically trained.

I have had migraines and tension headaches for years and had MRIs and been seen by neurology. The neurologist said that it's classic for children at 12 or 13 to start with headaches. It goes on for a few years. And then they disappear. Until you mid to late 30s when you get migraines.

Which is scatty what happened to me. As a pre teen and young teenager I had horrendous headaches. I discovered that lying very still in a dark room helped. As did painkillers.

They disappeared. And then in my 30s I started get terrible migraines. With aura. Silent migraines. Cervical migraines (thay affected my arms) and vestibular migraines.

In the end I took a course of preventatives and (touch wood) have been more or less migraines free ever since.

Now it might be that theres something else going on with your son, but I thought I'd tell you this and the advice I was given. A can of coke can really help the symptoms of a headache (to do with the caffeine and blood vessels constricting). Sleeping on one firm ish pillow is the key to neck health and will help with headaches. This was hard for me but I have transitioned to one pillow and I think it really does help).

Also, have you ever shown home the Google images of migraine aura? He might recognise one and it could help. This is most similar to the ones I get...

My DH has recently had an increase in frequency and severity of migraines. He’s had lots of tests, nothing overly worrying has come up, but he is deficient in Vit D, B & Iron. He has started taking high quality supplements and eating more fortified foods, as well as taking magnesium, and they have hugely reduced. It might be worth a shot, and definitely won’t cause your DS any harm.

Re stress and dyslexia. Dyslexics often have poor working memory and the brain reaches cognitive overload much quicker. It’s a brain processing issue (not visual) but many dyslexics report fatigue/headaches/blurred vision. The workload ramps up in secondary school so this probably isn’t helping. Is he using AI tools to help with essay writing, voice to text etc? Is he struggling with languages? For dyslexic kids it’s worth cutting out subjects they really struggle with to focus on achieving GCSEs in Maths and English. Also get the scan done just to be on the safe side.