My Six Year Old Has Been Getting Migrane Headaches!

I am a believer in chiropractors. It is amazing the relief I get for my headaches. I took my 2 1/2 year old for the first time this week. The doctor's specialty is in pediatric chiro. After her evaluation, she asked if my daughter had ear problems, especially the right ear. We have been dealing with swimmer's ear since August. She did very gentle manipulations. My daughter wasn't alarmed at all by what she was doing. So, try chiropractic but research it first and get as much info as you can. I remember having headaches when I was 5. I hope it works for you, too.

Have you kept a food diary for her??? It is amazing the number of kids that are getting migraine headaches from MSG - food dyes - and artificial colors/flavors...(school lunches are loaded with MSG and many other artificial ingredients). My son was having the same trouble and we went 95% organic with no artificial anything...he hasn't had a headache in two years!! Best of luck to you!!

Hi A.,
Personally I would not want to be giving my child any medication on a daily basis. Have you tried minimizing the headaches with sleep, diet, etc? Check out this info from the Cleveland Clinic:

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/Migraine_Headache...

Good luck to you and your daughter!

migraines are hard enough to diagnose in adults - let alone children - not trying to tell you that your pediatrician is wrong - but unless its hereditary i would think its not migraines. I would get a second opinion - dont know where you live but Ryder barnes peds is great great great. (they are in mech) here are my suggestions
1. have her tested for strep - some kids react differently to strep (my daugter does) last year (first grade) around this time she started freaking out about school and complaining of headaches and stomach aches and got really home sick etc - once she was tested postivie for strep and put onto antibiotics she was fine - i was amazed

2. test her eyesight - if she is having headaches it could be from her sight being bad - and think about it - if her sight is bad and she cant' see the board - then she may be getting nervous about school - which can affect her belly as well - and you maynot notice it bc of the difference of activies between hme and school

3. ask her teacher if she can make a "fam photo" keepsake to keep at her desk - one of you and your other child that she can have with her at all times. another suggestion along those lines is to get a special necklace (locket maybe) or bracelet that is really meaningful - so that she knows that whenb she is getting homesick she can touch it and Mommy is right there

Hope that helps - if you need anything let me know!

keep up posted!

S. w

I know you've gotten some great responses but I just wanted to say that you should definitely look for a pattern. Something must be triggering the headaches. I also suffered from migraines as a child and still do but I have learned my triggers (not eating often enough, stress, sunlight, etc) and I've learned to take precautions to avoid them (eat every two hours, wear a hat and sunglasses outdoors, etc). Maybe if you can find out what's causing them you can avoid them. I hope things work out.

I'm not at all discounting that it is physical, I'm wondering though if you could meet with her teacher and see if he/she can work with you, documenting the head aches, maybe monitoring what she is eating, maybe times at school when her energy is low. Stuff like that. I;m just saying you have another resource to aid you in pin pointing symptoms.

I always want to blame food allergies or sensitivies for everything. It would be hard but can you keep a food journal too. Does she have any Bowel troubles that might need addressed??

I would be scared of the meds too, but i know you don't want to see your little one hurting.
Good Luck.

I went through almost the exact thing last year with my daughter. I did give her the medicine because she would get sick while still asleep and I was afraid of her choking. The medicine helped with that. Does your daughter wear glasses? It turned out my daughter was having a focusing problem with her eyes. I took her in for therapy and now she actually wears a lighter prescription for glasses. The best part is this means no headaches and no meds. It may not be the same but it sure is worth ruling it out.

Wow -Not to alarm you but a migraine in a six year old is not something to look away. I know where you are coming from thinking "no it's not possible". My children try to pull the same thing on me and only to find out that it's due to not wanting to do somthing or it's school related (not wanting to go). Your six year old as well as your eight year old are old enough to know the word "danger". Headaches in a child especially migraines are not something to mess around with. Doctors don't always know and think the latter- that the kid doesn't want to do or be involved in something but will they tell mom or dad? No. That's their bread and butter too. Don't get me wrong, I listen to doctors but with so many issues with malpractices, I do listen to my gut and follow my instincts as well and take doctors orders with a grain of salt.
Here goes-the why's of migraines are serious especially in a young child-AN undiagnosed Aneurym. This causes the blood vessels in the brain to swell. There are rare cases, but do happen and if not caught-then the child's life is at stake.
AGAIN, Please understand I am not in any way trying to scare you here but these are facts. A neighbor of mine went through this same trauma and now she wishes she took her daughter in for an MRI, even though her doctor had check her out and said that there was nothing wrong.
SO-I would explain to both your children at this tender age that being sick is not something to play around with, their lives are very important to you and you want nothing but the best for them and you would be very sad if they weren't around. If your daughter still complains and she's being serious then by all means---get a second opinion from another doctor. I might as well reccommend a MRI scan. Rather be safe than sorry.
I suffer from migraines monthly so I can relate big time. Most People don't understand the effect it does to one.

I wish you the best and really hope all turns for the better!
***update- I didn't realize this was an old post*** Sorry but hope all remains well.
~M.
(mom of 4)

A.,

My daughter was 4 yrs old when she had her first migraine; she had her 2nd one the very next day, while at our doctor's appointment re the headache! The doctor said, "this is a migraine." I had migraines for about 4 yrs, in my 20s, and my mom and her brother and my cousin have had them their whole adult life. Our ped. said my daughter is prone to them. She had them somewhat often, for years, but she is now 13 and I can't tell you the last time she had one! We never needed anything beyond Tylenol. She would take Tylenol the moment she felt a headache coming on, to try to nip it in the bud, and it usually worked...that and a dark room. We still put it on all the medical forms...that she is prone to migraines and must take Tylenol IMMEDIATELY. We don't know all the triggers for her, but we know some: fatigue, hunger, noisy or bouncy bus rides, DVDs on a moving vehicle, etc.

Maybe just Tylenol will work for you...and maybe she will outgrow them.

Good luck!

If it were me in the situation, I think I would talk with a child counselor. It sounds like there still might be anxiety issues about school that might be causing the headaches. I would be weary of drugging your little girl before you explore all possible ways of helping her.

I would suggest seeing a chiropractor before you put her on any type of medication. It might sound strange, but they may be able to ease the pain without medication. It would be a shame to have her on meds at such an early age...maybe as a last option. Most insurance will pay for Chiro w/ a copay from you - a lot of them even give free consultations so you aren't locked into anything. I've had success with a Chiro for a few issues. good luck!

i would get a secound opinion...my step daughter gets them because of her hair if i keep it short she doesnt get them but she has alot of hair...i would think they would do blood work and mri or something...it could be stress but the waking up is concerning ask for a referral for specialist..

She wakes up at night with pain?
Get her an MRI. or at least a CT.
In the meantime, check out the school thing, her feelings about your relationships, anything else that's going on emotionally.

Also... and this might get some static... give her a placebo. Make a syrup and put it in a bottle. Give her a spoonful. If it's emotional, this is her "exit".

Here's the story of my friend's 8yo who had migraines:
http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/viewMyStory.do?method=exec...

I can really feel your pain. I started with migraines at the age of three and my daughter started a week before her third birthday. I just went through a 48 hour period of bounce back migraines with her. She gets that glazed over look in her eyes, cannot stand the light and at times it gets so intense that she throws up. Since she started so young the doctor told me to just give her a dose of motrin every 6 hours when she is going through them. It does seem to help but it seems they come back between hour 4 & 5 so she at times has to suffer for a little before the next dose of meds. She is now 5 and in 1/2 day Kindergarten. She has gone to preschool 1/2 day since she was 3 but over the past two years I have noticed that the worst time for her is fall and spring. Last fall she was so sick with them that she lost 8 pounds. The doctor then prescribed Fluticasone 50 MCG Nasal Sprox. I give it to her once a day in each nostril when she seems stuffed up and it seems to help also. For some reason whenever she gets the migraines she also gets stuffed up. I don't use the spray often but I haven't noticed any side effects. Hope all works out for you both.

Sounds like she really is getting migrains. the question is why? How is her eyes? Is this everyday? Is she sleeping well? Is she waking up tired? This always makes us mommies sad when are kids hurt.

Hi A.. Before you fill that perscription talk to a specialist about modifying her diet. I had a friend that suffered from migranes all the time. Her Doctor put her on a very strict diet for 6 weeks then began to re-introduce foods and found that anything with caffeine was one of her main "triggers". It turns out that even one small candy bar could set her into a migrane! Of course some migranes are stress "triggered" and that's when you have to teach her how to relax herself, and have self-confidence. It's a tough road, but you can do it and so can she! You can be giving her a gift of a lifetime! Good luck and best wishes.

A.,
Does the doctor think she can productively spend her life on antihistimines?
I would find an integrative medicine MD -I can help you find one if you like, I know many - and have her tested for food INTOLERANCES, as well as allergies. That would be one thing that often triggers inflammation. An integrative MD will find the ROOT cause of her migraines, and help you fix that. Sounds like you could use that too!

It worked for me. I suffered SEVERE, debillitating migraines for years. Now I get, maybe one per year.

What worked for me that you can try on your own:

I gave up all artificial sweeteners and MSG and all derivatives of such things - they are poisons for the neurological system. Too much trouble? NO WAY. I feel a million times better - I won't touch that stuff. I eat simple real food, no processed stuff.

Correcting magnesium deficiency. I would never tell anyone to take a supplement, but I do take magnesium every day. Epsom salt baths are a great easy way to try this. My son hasn't gotten a headache since he started these and he too was getting wakened with headaches at the age of 4.

Chiropractic adjustments once a month to keep pressure off the nerves.

Massage Therapy every 2-3 weeks keeps the muscles in the neck loosened up, creates healing changes in your body and mind.

Meditation and Yoga

Getting enough sleep, eating every 3-4 hours.

Anything I can give you more info on or send you to someone who knows about it, or websites for more info, please let me know. Life with migraines is a nightmare and no one should have to live that way. I lost too much time from migraines and made many lifestyle changes, one little baby step at a time, to not suffer anymore and it has been worth it a million times over. Very few MD's are adept at helping with this - you are going to have to do some research and be your daughter's advocate.

L.