headache followed by vomiting - what is it?

[sundew]

Hi all - just after some advice! DD2 has on 2 occasions had a bad headache followed a few minutes later by being sick. She has had no other symptoms - no fever and is fine afterwards.

The first time was last weekend and again last night. Any clues as to what it might be - I was wondering if it might be migraines or a food intolerance as it doesn't seem to fit with a sickness bug.

Any idea?

Migraine? Mine started when I was 5. Is the headache on one side just above the eyebrow? Does she see lights or have blurred vision? Does it happen after certain foods/drink? Mine were always triggered by chocolate and coke (caffeine).

Headaches are around her left ear. I was wondering about food - could well be chocolate - as she has had more than usual over the last few days .

I'll try the food diary - good idea and see if they are triggered again. dd2 is just 5 btw so fits with when yours started guitargirl - did they go away or do you still suffer from them.

migraine.

i had them from when i was about 2 or 3 onwards.

for her if it is, they make my life hell.

a major trigger for me as a child was hunger, if my blood suger dropped too low i inevitably had a migraine.

pinktulips - I am hoping it isn't migraines as my mum suffers from them and I know how disabling they can be

I used to have them about once a week from that age and it would inevitably happen when I was really looking forward to something like a party . Eventually I was referred to consultant paediatrician as they seemed to be getting worse. He suggested the food diary and it was then we identified chocolate and coke as triggers. I also learnt to tell when one was just beginning and lying down in a darkened room would sometimes help to stop it before it really kicked in. Otherwise the only thing that worked was sleeping it off. The relief to wake up with no pain was great!

They got less frequent once the food triggers had been identified and by the time I was about 12-13 the main trigger was stress or again if I was really looking forward to something or if I skipped a meal (like PinkTulips). Now as an adult I get them rarely and when I feel one starting Ibuprofen often helps. Now though when I do get them they are whoppers and almost always stress-triggered. I had a terrible one the day my Mum had a stroke, for example.

They are miserable, I feel for her if that is what it is. All the women in my family get them. Do they run in your family?

I don't suffer from them but my mum does - her are triggered by stress (like you) and caffeine.

dd2 really looking forward to her best friends party - and last week we were visiting close friends so it does all sound horribly familiar. I think an appointment to the GPs is looming.

thanks for all your help.

Ah - just saw your message about your Mum. Would definitely agree with the food diary suggestion, you could also see if they are associated with another pattern - a certain activity or pattern of eating, for example. Preventng one is definitely the key as once one has kicked in you kind of just have to let it run its course. Another thing that helped me when I was a child was whenever I had one Dad and I would swap beds (mine were always at night) and I would go in with Mum who would talk to me about fun things, Christmas, stuff like that). Really helped to take my mind off the pain and sickness. This would usually work when the headache was starting to fade anyway.

My dd (4) has been suffering from tonsillitus and was up last night complaining of a headache - kind of back of the head though and she has thrown up twice today.

ouch guitargirl... that shows how differant they are for every sufferer as if anyone talked to me when i was bad with one it made it so much owrse, the only way i could cope was to go into my room, make things as dark as possible and lie as still as possible as every movement hurt and made me throw up.

smells also made mine much worse... in fact sensory input of any kind whatsoever had a realy bad effct on me when i was suffering a migraine.... i always thought one of those sensory deprivation tanks would have suited me perfectly

mine are definitely related to my circulation in some way, at one point as a teenager i used get nose bleeds (really heavy gushing ones) that would instantly stop the pain. a reflexologist once told me they were due to the blood vessals in my head being too narrow and oddly enough after i received a bad cut to my forhead at 17 they eased alot, i still get them but only about once every 3 months as opposed to every week or 2 like i used to.

my mother never brought me to a doc though which i think was bizarre as i did get them very severly from an extremely young age and i always wonder if they could have done something to help me.... or for that matter how much danger i was in from them considering the nosebleeds