Help please.....Migraine?

[Saggarmakersbottomknocker]

Does this sound like a migraine? No-one else in the family has them so I don't have experience.

Dd is 12. She had what I thought was a classis migraine last week, bad headache, feeling sick, needing to lie down.

Today she has woken with another (although it seemed to be brewing yesterday). This one is a little different - bad pain on the top of the head, much worse when standing, pain behind the eyes made worse by any movement of the eyes upwards or to the left. No nausea.

So, migraine....or not?

And what do you find helps your pain if you have them?

She's 12 so could take most adult stuff. Has had paracetamol, which doesn't touch it, has had ibuprofen but shouldn't really take it because of other meds she takes. She's had codeine which was prescribed for some post-op pain but I don't like to give that regularly as it's addictive.

sounds awful, poor child
something that i always find helpful for my headaches, usually sinus related, is to tie a scarf really tightly around my head, sort of like a hairband, from under the hair, to above the forehead, it gets at all the right pressrue points and relieves the pain far better thaan medication.

the other thing that my dad used to do was to massage my head. when i was little, and had a headache, id lie down with my head on his lap whilst he was reading, and he would gently massage my head with oen hand. i dont know if it was the pressure of his hand, or just the loving comfort, (being a daddies girl!) but it was always very soothing.
hth

It does sound like a migraine, poor thing. If she's had codeine for this attack, that might explain why she's not been sick.

I suffer from them and find that cooling pads from the chemist - "cool 'n' soothe" for migraines really help.

Have you taken her to the GP? - there must be something that could help - there are lots of migraine treatments about, but I don't know which would be best for a 12 year old.

You have to give the medication before the attack sets in - when she first notices it brewing - as when the migraine is established, the digestive system shuts down making her sick and stopping anything from being digested. By the time you get to the sick stage it's too late to take anything and you just have to wait it out, and in my experience it can take 2 or 3 days to get over an attack.

I hope she feels better soon..

cold coke can on the back of the neck might help. some migraine sufferers are better for something cold there, some better if its warm. the only way to know which you are is to try. in this heat i'd go with the cold option first.

try to work out the trigger - light is often a cause and with the hot weather its possible she has been dazzled and that has set it off. if so invest in good sunglasses and hats

Other triggers I've found, apart from this muggy weather - cheese, chocolate, red wine (although doubt your 12 year old hits too much of that!!), stress, period coming, needing my eyes tested.

The poor think, Ive had a migraine like that for the past few days and Paracetamol and Ibuprofin dont touch it.

The only thing that really helps is a dark room and sleep.

I get them if I eat to much chocolate, drink too much coke, am stressed, or have been crying.

Thanks.

I took her up to the GP last week - he seemed to think migraine but I wasn't sure about this one today as it seems a bit different.

He mentioned triggers - she does eat quite a bit of chocolate (well she's her mother's child). I'm thinking more hormonal though as she's not yet started her periods but has pretty constant PMT. The stress thing could be a factor too as she has a chronic medical condition and it's been getting her down recently.

I just want her pain-free

I don't know if that sounds like a migraine. I think I'd be at the GP for this. (and I don't quickly run to the GP)

Migrains are typically:
One sided
Throbbing
Sensitive to light
nausea
Sometimes preceeded by visual disturbance "aura"

Some of what you say sounds like migraine, but some doesn't.

Another trick, if it is migrain, is to alternate running cold and very warm water over her head. I've tried this and it sometimes helps, but not always.

Have to say my migraines are never one sided, but seem to cover the whole head! Definitely throbbing (I can hear my heart beating in my ears), sensitive to light and nausea. Re. the aura, I find it's more a kind of feeling that I just know one is on the way. It feels totally different to a normal headache. Some people also report flashing light type effects in front of their eyes.

I would also go back to the GP if I were you, esp. if you think it could be exacerbated by your DD's medical condition. And push if you're not happy with the response you get. Migraines on a weekly basis is not good, and I think your GP would want to know.

I suffer from Migraines and have since I was a child. There is a medication which is now readily available over the counter not prescription which is called anagrain it is specifically for migraines and it is unreal it also targets the nausea associated with severe migraines (This is in Australia but I'm sure it would be in England to). One of the best things I have also found is to lie flat on your back on the bed and place a tennis ball under the pressure points at the back of the head which are found on either side of the depression at the top of the neck, I have found this works really well to lesson some of the pressure. Having a lie down in the dark with the tennis ball and the medication works for me...

Thanks again for the input.

Well after I posted this morning she woke up and was promptly sick and had flashing lights - so pretty sure it is a migraine.

Think we'll be visiting the GP again though as I can't be doing with this every week (and neither can she

How late did she eat on Tuesday night?

I'm wondering because of her waking with a migraine today. I find my migraines can be caused by a drop in blood sugar so I can wake with them or have one soon after waking if I don't eat.

Trouble is I then don't feel like eating so my remedy is to have something small but high sugar i.e. sweets. That then gives me the time to take any meds and to eat something more nourishing before the attack is too fully fledged.

migraines are different in children, often just the stomach stuff, no actual headache. i would get her referred to a specialist, the one i met at alder hey was lovely, had a special interest in childhood headaches, let me see if i can find a link...
\link{http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/casenotes_20050621.shtml\here, you can either listen again or get a transcript}
migraines are usually diagnosed not by the list of symptoms (though aura etc which i get are often there) but on the severity of the impact they have on your life

Is she too young for the triptan medicines (i.e. sumatriptan, naratriptan, etc.)? They are wonderful!

SG - she ate quite late - although she has a very fast metabolism due to her heart problem and gets hungry again very quickly.

Bundle thanks for that link. There's some connection between migraine and holes in the heart and whilst she doesn't have a hole she does have unusual plumbing. I may try to get a referral for her as she's already under the Childrens Hospital.

Just been having a look at the triptan meds and I think she'd be contra-indicated because of her heart.