Migraines in kids.........

[LvMyLaxKid]

I think my son has been getting migraines. At first we thought maybe he just needed his eyes checked, because he would squint when he read and stuff, and was complaining frequently of headaches. So, we got his eyes checked, and he DID need glasses. He's far sighted, and just uses them when reading, ipod, DS, etc. Well, he's been wearing them for almost 3 weeks, said they were helping, no headaches, etc.

Well, he's had 2 headaches the past week, and the other night it was so bad he couldn't eat. He said it was the back of his head, and it was hurting "SO bad" and he kept thinking he was going to vomit. He HAS vomited in the past when he got bad headaches. I'd say this happens about 2-3 times a month- bad headaches with vomiting. He actually asked to go to bed at 8, and took a bucket, in case he got sick.

Well, a friend told me that it DOES sound like migraines, and suggested he see a chiropractor. Since I've seen one in the past, and he helped my back, and is a family friend, I made an appt to see him. (today actually) Some other things I'm going to try are:

Making him drink more water (he doesn't drink much- mostly milk and juice)
Watching his diet, and see if certain foods trigger it
making sure he gets enough sleep

So......if any of your children have suffered migraines, what did you do for them? What (if anything) seems to help? I was REALLY hoping his eyes were the problem and that glasses would help. But, no such luck......

 

[pwsowner]

You do want to get him looked at. I don't want to scare you, and it's most likely this will have nothing to do with your son, but you might want to know.

I suffered a bad migraine when I was 13. When I was 15 I had my first epileptic seizure. I didn't know it was epilepsy until months later, after having a few of them, then getting looked at.

Turns out I had the blood clot in my brain, which one day caused a major migraine, and later on caused my petit mal epilepsy. A couple years later a ct scan showed the clot growing, so they did brain surgery and removed the clot. That also cured my epilepsy.

Unless they find the cause of the migraines soon, I suggest you ask your doctor about a ct scan, just in case there is a blood clot in his brain. If there is, you want to know now not later.

As for the migraine itself, it's very common for foods like cheese and chocolate to cause headaches, including migraine, so if he has a lot of that in his diet, trying cutting it out for a while.

 

[cybele]

It does sound like a migraine however a chiropractor should never be a first port of call. Chiropractors do not do any investigative work so he needs to see a GP to make sure there isn't an underlying condition because if there is then a 'spinal adjustment" (oh how I loathe that term) is a temporary fix and if there is any neurological issues it can cause permanent damage.

 

[LvMyLaxKid]

It does sound like a migraine however a chiropractor should never be a first port of call. Chiropractors do not do any investigative work so he needs to see a GP to make sure there isn't an underlying condition because if there is then a 'spinal adjustment" (oh how I loathe that term) is a temporary fix and if there is any neurological issues it can cause permanent damage.

Well, we saw him this afternoon, and he knew what was wrong with him, as far as his end. He adjusted him, and said he only needs one more adjustment. Although I feel it helped him, and it definitely didn't hurt anything to have things aligned, I plan on seeing a GP as well. We're in the process of a cross country move, so will probably wait until we move, and find a Dr. there.

 

[IADad]

Kinda scary stuff. Glad you got him some relief and seems like the kind of thing to followup on and keep monitoring.

You mentioned you're moving to a rural area, what part of the country are you going to?

 

[LvMyLaxKid]

Kinda scary stuff. Glad you got him some relief and seems like the kind of thing to followup on and keep monitoring.

You mentioned you're moving to a rural area, what part of the country are you going to?

Thanks! We're moving from Christiansburg Va, to Pullman Washington. BIG move!

 

[IADad]

Thanks! We're moving from Christiansburg Va, to Pullman Washington. BIG move!

Wow, that is a big move.

Good Luck - say "Hi" to M2M on your way through...(I guess technically I'm on the way through too, maybe even moreso. If any part of your trip uses I-80 you'll go a mile from my office.)

 

[babysitter]

It sounds like your boy suffers from migraines. There is nothing you can do to limit their frequency by any large degree. Some people suffer from chronic migraines, some people only have the occasional one, and some people never get them; it's the luck of the draw. Most people that suffer from frequent migraines know when a migraine is coming on. It is best that the sufferer isolate him or herself from as many external stimuli (e.g., light, sound, and odours) as possible before the migraine fully sets in. It doesn't sound like your boy suffers from severe migraines. If he has trouble speaking and/or experiences minor hallucinations, numbness, weakness, and/or vertigo while have a migraine, don't worry; these are all common symptoms. The symptoms of migraines vary widely as do their severity.

 

[akmom]

What motivated the move to Pullman? I personally don't like the place at all, but I do envy the cross-country drive. I love that drive!

 

[singledad]

It sounds like your boy suffers from migraines. There is nothing you can do to limit their frequency by any large degree. Some people suffer from chronic migraines, some people only have the occasional one, and some people never get them; it's the luck of the draw.

You may be right, but I'd still have him checked out. Migraines can also be symptoms of underlying problems which can possibly be cured, leaving him few from them, or, alternatively, it can be something serious that NEEDS attention, as per pwsowner's story...

 

[LvMyLaxKid]

What motivated the move to Pullman? I personally don't like the place at all, but I do envy the cross-country drive. I love that drive!

We're originally from Spokane, and that's where ALL of our family is. We've been trying to relocate back home for awhile now, and a great job opened up at WSU. We've checked out the area, and we like it. We're really excited about moving closer to family. At least if we find out we don't like it, we could just relocate to Spokane, if he can find a job here. We're not going to buy a house right away or anything.

Can I ask why you don't like it?? Just curious.......

 

[akmom]

I like Spokane, but Pullman is quite a ways out there. The only thing to see is farmland, and the only thing to do is go to the university...

 

[mom2many]

My son used to go to Idaho State up in Moscow. We will only be a few (ok 6) hours away from each other. I had many thing delivered to the Pullman Walmart when he lived up there lol'

As to the migraines, the same son was prone to them really bad right before/early puberty. The doc kept an eye on things and really felt they were hormonal. He did outgrow them for the most part. He still get's one every now and then, but not enough to worry about them.