My 11 Year Old Daughter, and Her Migraines

A friend of mine suffered from debilitating migraines since the age of 10 - including numerous blackouts. She hated taking the meds because they just masked the pain and changed her behavior/mood. She added a nutritional supplement to her diet and after 6-7 weeks was migraine-free. It's been about 8 years now. She also solved her digestive issues. If you want more info, I can tell you more about what she did and connect you with her. The supplement is patented (safe, unique, effective) and completely safe for kids, pregnant women, etc. Glad to help.

I saw one post stating that she had a hole in her heart that caused her migraines. I too, have a PFO ( an opening between the left and right atria) and have frequent migraines. This is very common in people with this condition ( the condition is fairly common, just doesnt usually have an affect on people..most people who have it, dont even know!) I would strongly recommend seeing a cardiologist and having them do a bubble test to see if this could be the problem. Fixing the hole is said to stop or reduce the migraines.

First start takign all preservatives out of her diet.
No red dye, no nitrites, try really hard, no premade anything.
Also try taking out garlic and onion.
I would go back to the pediatrician and get a referral to a headache specialist or neurologist
My daughter's best friend is on migraine meds but her neurologist took her off all preservatives and all milk products. She has been headache free for about a month, this is really phenomenal progress.
I also had a friend go to a headache clinic in Chicago and he basically took away the trigger foods too, she is not on medication but watches everything she eats and won't even go into certain restaurants. Her triggers were garlic and onnions.
My son's triggers were extreme changes in light, going from a dark room to a bright hallway in school, after a movie, the aquarium, I got him transition lenses, that helped alot.

If you don't want to try an elimination diet, try keeping a food diary and see if any foods seem to trigger the migraines. My migraines when I was young were caused by all cured meats and fermented foods (including cheeses), chocolate, peanut butter/peanuts and as I got into my teen years and tried alcohol, that, too. I grew out of all of these by the age of 20. Also, chiropractic care did wonders for me. Good luck.

Hello
has any doctor ever suggested that this could be at least in part dietary? so many people have allergies that manifest themselves in a variety of ways.. one of which is with headaches..
Try (if you haven't already) to read up on diet and how it may cause and or help with migraines. A good starting point might be on DrMercola. Com << he has some good info on there. Additionally, environmental toxins might also be the culprit. I know it's hard to pinpoint things exactly.. Also, keep a journal and begin to track when she gets them.. I think in the long run this will help you begin to discover more about when they occur. I know it's a pain to write everything down, but I just have a feeling it will come in hand..
Truly, I believe that so many things are diet/lifestyle related. At least if those two things are the culprits, you can adjust that aspect and then if the headaches don't go away, you will have at least ruled out food and such.
I wish you the best of luck.. keep us posted ..

I am so sorry for both of you. I have read several things that suggest a chiropractor and acupuncture to help get rid of the migraines. I am a firm believer in acupuncture for other things, so its worth a shot. there are usually low cost clinics in the bigger cities if your insurance won't cover it. I have also read that migraines can be from hormone imbalances, so you may need to take her to an endocrinologist. Good luck!

So sorry for your daughter, J.. I suffered from migraines from age 18 on. The only drug that ever helped was Ergostat, but it has been taken off the market. It turned out my main problem was a hole in my heart and hormones. I have have rarely had one since having the hole repaired.
I know another girl who tried everything and acupunture was what finally helped her.
I also think it is a good idea to see a neurologist.
Good luck and God bless.

Is she seeing a neurologist? That would be my next place to go. Don't stop until you get an answer for her.

Well, I don't know if you have ever thought about the headaches being related to anxiety. My daughter is 5 and gets severe headaches to the point she is throwing up and sick to her stomach, but after going through all the tests we thought that maybe it was more related to anxiety problems. Her doctor actually was against putting her on meds- but try to pay more attention to what her behavior was like before the headaches start, and go from there...I'm with you I don't think I would want my child on a med that has those side effects, especially only at 11. I'm a nurse and I know that being on those meds can cause problems later on down the road the longer you are on them...

my husband has been going through the same thing, i know they started when he was REALLY young (not sure of an exact age) and they continue now (he's 24) Hes been to drs but none of them can really give him any answers. the nose bleeds come and go and the migranes happen pretty frequently. he always keeps a bottle of excedrine migrane handy since thats the only thing that seems to help. when she gets a migrane try getting her to lay down in a dark room with an ice pack wrapped in a towel, That gives him some relief if the excedrine doesnt work. Its hard watching someone you love go through it but unfortunately if drs cant find anything causing them then theres not much that can be done except find ways to relieve her of the pain... I hope she grows out of them. no one deserves to go through that. Poor baby =[

Here is a link about possible triggers for migraines and how to treat them:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/0...

Here's an article written by Dr. Mark Hyman about the same subject (for the most part:

http://drhyman.com/how-to-end-migraines-69/

I hope this helps you understand what maybe happening with your daughter and give you some guidance on your possible treatment options. God bless.

My son began getting migraines really young and it was horrible. He would vomit and cry in agony. He had to have everything dark and silent. I did breathing techniques with him because it was hard for him to understand that the harder he cried, the more it made his head hurt.

I get migraines too, although not as often as I used to.
The doctors told me that the most important thing to do is keep a journal of everything that we ate and drank and what time of day and also to chart the migraines. It's so very true that certain things we ingest at certain times of day can trigger migraines so it's crucial to keep track of these things. There are lots of things that are "known" triggers and you can google them, but there are things that trigger for people that might not be on that list. What times of day you eat can be a real factor too.
My son is 15 now and rarely gets migraines anymore because he's so aware that if he feels one coming on, he knows to take medicine right away. He also knows to eat at certain intervals.

You really can manage migraines.
As for the nosebleeds....they could be completely unrelated. Be sure you check with the doctor about it.
My son still gets random nosebleeds, but there's nothing wrong with his brain...we've had him checked out for all of that just in case.
Also, in your daughter's case, it could be a side effect of the medication she's taking for her headaches.
(I never had a bloody nose in my life until I was pregnant and haven't had one since so it didn't have anything to do with headaches, etc).

Like I said, chart everything she eats along with the onset and duration of the headaches and the incidence of the nosebleeds. That way, you have something tangible to show a doctor. You might be surprised to notice a pattern yourself.

Definitely stay in contact with the school so your daughter doesn't get too far behind.

Best wishes.

if you haven't seen a neurologist you need to. I have suffered with migraines for close to 15 years now. The neurologist will possibly order another mri, unless the one yu have had done is recent. But they will work with you to figure out what's going on.

Things you will want to do. Get a note book and every day write down EVERYTHiNG that is eaten. Also write down the temp, dew points, pollen counts. Ask your daughter every day how she is doing and write that down as well. If anything happens write that as well. Such as first day of school. over time you may start to see a pattern. If it's related to anxiety, or if there is a food that triggers them. Or it might be something different, but this info will help out the neurologist to start narrowing down what might be going on.

good luck.

Sounds like you need to try a different doctor(s) because you don't sound like you trust or have belief in the ones you have. Have you checked into taking her to U of A or even someplace out of state?
You need to follow your instincts and keep looking for answers for her. I know it isn't always easy, but you can do it because you are the mom!
I wish you strength and courage as you search for the answers for your daughter.

The nose bleeds may be a separate issue. I had frequent nose bleeds as a child and the doctor found that the blood vessels in my nose were very close to the surface. She cauterized them when I was in grade school (can't remember my age) and the nose bleeds stopped.

My adult daughter has migraines and she also found that Excedrin Migraine sometimes stops hers if she takes it early on.

Have you tried acupuncture? Oriental medicine is an entirely different model than western medicine and I think well worth checking out. If she might be uncomfortable with acupuncture, there are other modalities as well like shiatsu or another form of energy-based healing. It can be rather remarkable without the need for meds. - Stress can also cause a real imbalance in us and once you can get a handle on the pain, I'd consider seeing what may be underlying it. I hope she can get some relief. Don't stop looking! It's an imbalance of some kind and the pain is her body's way of letting you know. You should have lots of resources in your area that you can check into. - Good luck!!!!

I would also try eastern medicine. Find an herbalist/acupuncture/chiro....are you just taking her to a general practice dr? If so please expand. I don't know where you live in phoenix, but try to get some referrals from people who live by you.

Hello, you have run the gambit of treatments like so many other people that finally stumble across the one therapy that made all the difference. MigreLief Natural Migraine Prevention Supplement. THIS IS HER BEST SHOT AT GETTING HER LIFE BACK BAR NONE! WWW.MIGRELIEF.COM Akeso Health Sciences just released Children's MigreLief in Dec 2010. It is the exact same formula as their Original MigreLief, just smaller caplets and smaller doses so it can be administered incrementally according to age. Parents no longer have to break the tablets in half or crush them. Safe for age 2 and above. Although many physicians and Neurologists are prescribing it...it is non-prescription and can be obtained at www.MigreLief.com As you know, their are NOT alot of safe options for kids and NO FDA approved prescription treatments for kids. READ THIS PRESS RLEASE: http://bit.ly/ChildrensMigreLief Do me a favor, if you try this for your daughter, and she gets her life back, please contact the brilliant scientist who formulated MigreLief, Curt Hendrix at ____@____.com and then "pay if forward"...tell the parent of another child that this safe, effective alternative exists and may be the hope and solution they seek as well. BEST OF LUCK TO YOU... AND YOUR BABY GIRL.

Have you tried the dentist? Sometimes migraines are caused by pressure from ill-aligned teeth/jaws.

I know that is hard...my son gets migraines and we went to a Neurologist, had an MRI, etc. We went to see Dr. Melani Burgos Alarcio and she is great. At this time, the headaches stop with over the counter Motrin, but she said if they get worse, to try a natural remedy of B2 (riboflavin) - 200 mg and chelated magnesium - 200 mg. There is a bottle that has both: Migrelief and you need a perscription. The Dr. said there has been research and many people have benefitted from it. She has patients, that get migraines almost daily and they take it and it has made a difference. Each bottle has 1 month supply and costs $19.99. There is a website: www.migrelief.com. I hope this helps!! K.

Hi, my girlfriend had a similar situation with her daughter. After months on medication with no results, she decided to try the natural route. She went to a naturapath who did some lab work and then put her on a gluten-free diet. Apparently, the daughter had some food allergies. Anyway, after a year on this diet, she is fine, no more migraines. It is worth a try - go for it.

I suffer from migraines. Granted, I am 30 years old, not 11. However, my neurologist says that over 50% of women suffer from at least 1 migraine a month, most starting in their teen years.

My story does not matter - though there could be several contributing factors to my pain, the MRI noted nothing of significance. It did however show many white spots which proved to my dear husband that I was not faking my frequent spells. At 28 years old I was pretty much incapacitated 5 days a week from a sever headache. Unable to do anything that was not absolutely necessary - had gained 40 lbs, and was miserable. So I took my MRI results to a neurologist and he prescribed Topomax in the smallest dose possible. I was supposed to take it for a year, but had some side affects that were less than pleasant, so stopped after 6. The headaches had been reduced to about one a week and I was feeling pretty good. During that time, I found my new best friend - Excedrin. I learned that when I start to see any sign of a headache, to pop an Excedrin. Within 20 minutes, I was fine - better than fine thanks to the caffeine ingredient.

I am not recommending medication right off. For about a year, I was able to mostly control the pain through physcial therapy and deep tissue massage to relax my pectoral, neck, and cranial muscles...but that stopped working. Exercise didn't help, in fact made it worse. I've always eaten quite healthily, so it wasn't that. I don't have any allergies other than dander and saliva, and we don't have any pets, my blood pressure is actually low....medication was my last resort.

I finally accepted that my migraines could not be explained - medication was the only option and it worked.

It's been two years, and Excedrin is still working for me when I need it - 1 or 2 times a week. I've lost 30 lbs, have the energy I need to be a good mom, wife, and friend. Yes, I still get migraines and don't know why.

So my suggestions would be...
Drink a lot of water
Cut out sugar, hydrogenated oils and processed foods
Exercise
Take vitamins religiously
Get 8 hours of true sleep
Meditate or do yoga
and learn to see the early signs of an oncoming headache...no matter how small and treat it immediately, because it will turn into a migraine, she's wired for it...at least that's how my doc explains it.

All the best for your sweet daughter - I hope you can get them under control soon!

I know this was suggested a couple of times already, but examine her diet. My husband had migraines often and he did an 'elimination diet' to figure out if there was a food that was causing it (His MRI as normal and his Dr. suggested he try this). Turns out his are triggered by artificial sweetener. He can have a little (like 1 diet soda) and be okay, but if he eats a 'No Pudge' brownie, he is out for the count. If your daughter is on a 'normal' kids diet, she is exposed to a lot of ingredients that could be causing her migraines. My son has a corn intolerance and corn is in everything (truly shocking when you actually start reading the ingredients list of some of the favorite foods.)

I know this is not an easy answer to do, but meds treat the symptoms, not fix the problem. If nothing came up on the MRI, there is nothing going on in the brain that should be causing the problem. Most likely it is something that is going into her body.

Good Luck and hopefully you can figure out what is causing the issue.