Young teen with migraines, help! Triggers?!

[FreudianSlippery]

my nearly 13yo DSD has been diagnosed with migraines. :(

She's been told to keep a diary but she didn't know how so we are going to make her a chart here and hope she keeps filling it in at her house. What should we look out for?

I'm thinking food, sleep, screen time... Or can they just be random?

TBH her diet is shite (not for lack of trying by myself and DH) so hopefully the GP will suggest healthier eating at home... In the meantime though any tips?

Mine are stress, caffeine, wine, lack of sleep and low blood sugar. I would second the people who said you usually need more than one trigger to get a migraine. This makes the whole diary thing difficult - however you could try just sitting down after each episode and running through a checklist, rather than recording every single day.

There is also a theory that the only real trigger is stress, and all other apparant triggers are things we do when we are stressed (e.g. we don't sleep, we eat more/less than usual, drink coffee, eat comfort foods etc.)

I take sumatriptan, which knocks out 80-90% of my migraines. However it does make you feel quite 'trippy' and then very sleepy - but better than being out of action for a day. You can get it OTC (it's called Imigran relief) but it's very expensive. You can also get it on prescription.

Final recommendation is a wheat bag type pillow - stick in the microwave and then plonk it on your head. Some people prefer cold, but I like heat.

For me it's not so much lack of sleep as too much! If ever I have a really bad night, I'll be shattered the next day but not headachy, then if I get an early night the migraine will be the next day. I have read lots of articles saying that is a common trigger.

My DD2 has been having migraines since the age of 6, she is 14 now and still suffers on a regular basis it's usually on a Monday! yes I know...very odd, I can only think it's stress that causes it, I am a migraine sufferer too, but I've read they can be hereditary.

Mine are triggered by tiredness and caffeine withdrawal.

Soluble aspirin right at the very beginning is the in vogue drug. (As an adult I was told to take 900mg which is a massive dose - not sure about kiddy recommendations).

Mine were mainly hormonal and change in sleep patterns.
Saturday morning migraine is very common due to having a 'lie in'
All of these things are such a pain when you are younger though.

My brother used to get them every saturday morning and spent most of the day in his bed in the dark. Turned out it was pepperoni, every friday night we had pizza as it was food shopping night so a quick tea. Didnt get them once he cut it out. Lots of trial and error i think.