Migraine

Hello everyone, I am new to the site but, not new to migraines. I started in Middle school getting Migraines when I ate chocolate or tried to sleep over a friends house. My son started getting "migraines" at age 5. He will be 8 next week and has recently started getting them 2-3 times a week. We had him to a Neurologist who wants to do a MRI to check for any other problems instead of Migraines. I am a nervous wreck, the idea of putting him under and worrying what the test will show is killing me. Everyone I know says it is just Migraines but the DR's say he is young to be having them so often. I kept track of his diet and activities. He seems to get them in school (straight A student, 2nd grade), when he comes home from school or when he is going to do something (play in a hocky game, go to watch a game etc) that is the only thing I can see consistantly causing the migraines.

His headaches are less severe if we get the Motrin in him ASAP but more frequent. The Dr wants to try a low dose blood pressure med after the MRI (if the MRI is good) Not sure if I want him on a daily med since I have read that they aren't really shown to work. I guess the Dr's just have me in a tizzy that it is more than migraines since he is so young and they are occurring more frequently. I just sent him off to play hockey with a small headache. There is a strong family history of Migraines on both sides of the family. Please help ease my mind. 95% of me feels it is migraines the other 5% is scared for the MRI results. The idea of even putting me under has me a wreck. No one else seems to understand my worry. Thank you

Cheryl

First off, hello, and welcome!

Considering that these migraines are frequently happening at school, I'd wonder if something might be triggering him there. One big culprit for a lot of us is flourescent lighting, which is the lighting most often used in schools across the country, because it's cheaper. If something in the school environment is triggering him, and it's a factor that he's exposed to constantly at school, then it's quite conceivable that it could be contributing to more migraines than you would expect to see in someone his age. That could be all it is.

As for the MRI, try not to worry. It's very common to have an MRI done for a baseline with migraine. Almost always, they come back nice and clean. Considering that migraine runs in both sides of the family, and is genetic in nature, the odds are very much in your favor that your son's will come back negative, too.

It's natural to worry a bit, and think of all the options, particularly when it's your child that's involved. But...the odds are really on your side here. And now you've got all kinds of us rooting and hoping for your son with everything we've got. We do understand. You just go on leaning on us for support, okay?

Big hugs to you and your son!

Welcome. Both my kids at one time or another have had migraines. My daughter's seem to have slacked off (she's 16) but my son gets them four or five times a year.

He gets all the good stuff - vomitting, sound and light sensitivity, a fever and he sleeps alot. The fever part had me worried, but Teri, our expert patient guide here, reassured me it was normal in children.

Give family history, me, my MIL and dh (I think) I was pretty confident just to go to the pediatrician with the symptoms and he agreed with me.

You sound pretty confident, too. Tests are to rule out other concerns. But kids do have them frequently.

There aren't many pediatric neuros, but here is a list if you want to see if there is one by you:

Member Recommended Migraine Specialists

Thank you for your words of encouragement. I am a very nervous mother when it comes to my kids health (who isn't I guess) But I physically feel ill right now worrying. I go back and forth thinking he will be fine and worrying it is something worse. His MRI appointment isn't until March 13th. It was supposed to be this past Thursday (Feb 21st) we got to CHOP and were told that our appointment was for friday not thursday so now we have to wait a couple of more weeks. I was so hoping to get it done. I asked my son's pediatrician if he could just get a CT scan since they are so fast and much easier but, she thought the MRI would show more. Thank you for being there. I just called my husband to check on him, he is playing hockey right now. I guess the motrin was working. I just don't know how long he can take motrin. He has been taking it 2-3 times a week now. I try to tell myself that if it was something more serious he would have other symptoms by now since he started when he was 5 and he is going to be 8 on Tuesday. Then I read something on the internet and it shoots down that theory. Does anyone else have a child who seems to get Migraines when they are going to do something the child would consider fun? He loves hockey and has gotten quite a few headaches before going to play a game or watch a game. Thanks again

Cheryl (who feels like she is going crazy)

Welcome, Cheryl. I think it's pretty normal to worry about your children's health, so don't worry about worrying!

One thing I wondered about; you referred to them "putting him under." Is it common to anesthetize children for MRI's? I've had an MRI of the brain, and I was wide awake. I have heard of adults, however, who had to be sedated because they got claustrophobic during MRI's. If it's the anesthetic that's worrying you the most, check with the doctor to see if it's really necessary.

Welcome to the forum. We are so glad you found us.

Oh, I guess I should have been more clear. He has to be put to sleep during the test because they are doing it with and without contrast (some sort of die) and because of his age. Thanks for your kind thoughts. I was thinking maybe I could ask for a CT scan this week so I don't have to wait til the 13th for the MRI. What do you think?

Cheryl

Adults are cautioned about taking any one class of drugs for more than two or three days a week (triptans, pain medication, OTC meds) because of the possibility of medication overuse headache.

Medication Overuse Headache

quote:

I just don't know how long he can take motrin. He has been taking it 2-3 times a week now. I

Often, a follow-up MRI is ordered after a CT is done. The MRI is much more detailed and, therefore, much more useful. If it were me, I'd wait for the MRI and avoid the additional time, discomfort, and expense.

The with/without contrast angle doesn't have anything to do with requiring your son to be sedated. I've had the w/wo deal, and the only difference is the stick to inject the contrast dye, and an additional couple of scans, maybe 10 minutes' worth, are done. In an MRI, you have to be very still for nearly an hour. That's hard for a grown-up. It would be impossible for a young child. A CT also requires lying still. I'd guess that a small child would still have to be medicated.

Be careful what you read on the internet. This site is monitored. The forum moderators, who are laymen, but informed laymen, keep an eye on the forum information. All non-reader information is physician-reviewed. There are many sites with very questionable reliability. You have to look at the "About Us" link to tell where information is coming from, and often, that's no help.

And you'll find the worst news about a condition on the web. Think about it. A person with migraine disease that is easily treated with a regimen of a simple daily preventive isn't going to take the time to post to a migraine website. They're going to go about their life, not thinking that their migraine disease is a problem. And it isn't for them.

There's a lot of controversy whether stress is a true migraine trigger, but stress is often involved with a migraine attack. Good stress is as stressful as bad stress. On "How stressed are you" quizzes in magazines, marriage and a new baby, both wonderful things, are among the most stressful. So if stress is involved in your son's headaches, the anticipation of seeing or playing in a hockey game could be a factor.

Personally, I've had many attacks set in right before an event I've looked forward to. Last year, I was all dressed for my husband's office Christmas party when a monster set in. I was bitterly disappointed.

Daily preventives can be extremely effective. Again, you won't see many success stories on the web. Teri, our Lead Patient Expert, went from migraines 5 and 6 times a week to one attack every 2 or 3 months with the right regimen of preventives. There's every reason to believe that if your son has migraine disease, there is an effective preventive out there for him. Blood pressure meds are often one of the first types tested. Verelan, a blood pressure med, is an important part of Teri's regimen. There are more than 100 meds used for prevention, and countless combinations.

It's normal to get frantic about your child's health. My son is 21, off at college. He had a severe virus, not the flu, last week, and it was all I could do to keep from jumping in the car and driving 2 hours to hover over him. I'd much rather something happen to me than to him.

Wander around the site. And post questions to Ask the Clinician. Click "More" in "Find" on the left side of the page. A link to Ask the Clinician is in the middle of the page. The form for submitting a question is in that link.

Gretchen in Mississippi

Yeah, I have thought about it. Do you think that is true for just one dose on those days. If I give him the Motrin early enough it can prevent a full blown migraine. When we went to the neurologist at CHOP he started getting a headache in the waiting room. They didn't have any motrin and his headache was getting worse during the exam. By the time we got home 2-3 hours later he walked in the door and threw up. I gave him some motrin and he was better within an hour.

Sound like classic Migraines? I am hoping so The stress of worrying is killing me though. When I gave him the motrin today before his game his headache was a 2-3 out of 10. His headache left within an hour and that was 7 hours ago and hasn't returned. I guess I just need some reassurance that they sound like Migraines. The 3 he had this week were during his DR appointment, before a standardized test (2nd grade), and before his hockey game. Any thoughts?

His eyes are fine, I had them checked last week. Thanks

Cheryl

Just thinking is there testing for food allergies? I know chocolate is one of his trigger but, not all the time. He just stopped eating Peanut butter as well. Thanks again

Cheryl in NJ

Hi Cheryl

Welcome to the site. I"m so sorry to hear about your poor son.

My son started getting migraines at age 5 too. I don't recall how frequent they were back then. Our dr. at that time ordered a CT scan. It was normal.

My son is now 14. Over the past year and a half his migraines have gotten much worse. He did have an MRI with and without contrast. I definitely think you should wait for that rather than the CT scan.

Can you get the MRI sooner someplace else? Can you get on a cancelation list? Our doctor is several hours away, but we have all of our testing done locally. I know how nerve wracking it can be to have to wait.

I can't stand waiting for doctors apptmts or anything else. If I get on some waiting list, I call everyday to see if there is any new opening. I am super nice about it. The person on the other line gets to know me and then they become very helpful. (Just an idea to try.)

I understand your worrying. I worry all the time. I worry about the migraines, the pain, the medications and everything else. I'm still worrying.

This site is an excellent resource to have. It's full of great information. The people here are wonderful too. They really understand what you and your son are going through.

If you don't already have a pediatric migraine specialist, I think you should consider one. I currently use one of the doctors on the list from this site. He is wonderful, and he is an expert on migraine.

Also, the daily preventative medication is very successful. My son used a preventative for 3 years successfully. Unfortunately, it stopped working. But we are searching now for a new preventative regimen.

It might be helpful for you to read some books on migraine too. I have one called "Headache and Your Child" which helped me a great deal over the years. Teri also wrote a book recently called "Living Well with Migraine Disease and Headaches." It is excellent.

Jean Ann

Thank you for your kind words. We went to see the neurologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. I assumed that was the best thing to do. I looked on the site and saw a Dr associated with Dupont in Philadelphia. Maybe we'll see that one. I guess it is all just a waiting game until the MRI.

I am also very nice when talking with people. I think it gets you much further in life than being hostile. Yeah you get mad at things but, people are more willing to help when you are nice.

I physically feel sick while waiting for tests or results. My husband thinks I'm crazy but I can't help it. I had a life threatening illness as a child so I know unexpected things can happen (Guillian Barre syndrome after chicken pox- similar to Rye syndrom after taking asprin) All was well after a couple months but it has left me a worry wort.

Thank you again for your kindness.

Cheryl

Hi Cheryl, and welcome. It is very typical for a doctor to order an MRI in a headache patient, just to ensure everything is normal. (In most Migraineurs, MRIs are almost always normal.) I would think if your neuro thought it was something more serious than Migraines, he would get him in sooner as an emergency case. Since he has a while to wait, your neuro probably thinks everything is fine and is just having the MRI done as a precaution.

There is testing for food allergies - both blood tests and skin prick tests - but that may or may not indicate triggers for your son. Have you tried keeping a Migraine diary for him? That's really the best way to try to discover patterns, and is great to show his doctor. We have an excellent diary developed by our own Teri Robert, which you can find HERE.

"Classic Migraine" is an older term that has been updated by new diagnostic terms. These articles may help clarify things for you:

Anatomy of a Migraine

Types of Migraines and Headaches

Migraines at Work? Check the Lighting (also true for school)

Migraine Triggers

Like others have said, a lot of the Migraine information on the internet is misinformation/wrong information. This website is very well researched and well maintained, so you can trust what you read here.

Take a look at these articles and let us know how else we can help you. In the meantime, hang in there and know that all of us are rooting for both you and your son.

It's hard to say - some members here get into MOH with one dose of the offending culprit.

Testing, yeah, I can see that as a trigger; waiting for the doctor, yeah, that too (btdt).

These do sound like migraines to me. Easy to say, but try not to worry so much.

quote:

Yeah, I have thought about it. Do you think that is true for just one dose on those days.

Burnsie, have you tried any relaxation exercises or anything? I really don't want you getting physically ill. For one thing, I don't want that for you. Second, I want you to be able to meet your son's needs--something I know you also care deeply about. So you might talk to folks on this forum, and any local resources you have, about books, tapes, or breathing exercises to help you relax. Most of those techniques require some practice, but it's worth it.