Migraine

Hi Daisy here again.

I have read a bit about migraines being triggered by weather but it seems for my son who is 6 and has hemiplegic migraines that the winter is migraine season.

For 3 winters now he has had months of really bad migraines that just seem to all merge together. The Dr says migraines can be triggered by minor illness and winter is the time kids catch everthing but he also says that Ollie is the picture of health (except for the migraines).

We have had a particulary long and cold winter this year and are still really struggling to get the migraine under control. My friends have noticed that each winter Ollie can barely function and ask how are we going to cope next year and to be honest we don't know.

Last winter he made a big recovery when he switched from Periactin to Sandomigran but now I think that also coincided with the weather getting warmer. This year his migraine cycle was triggered by his "medication holiday" but he has been back on the medication for 2 whole months now and is still struggling. Seems like it is really hard to reign in the beast once it gets a hold. We are waiting on an appointment with a Pediactric Neuro with a special interest in headache to try and get a better management plan as it seems not much is helping. We are just managing the symptoms at the moment.

Off to the Dr again today because he is complaining of "bubbles of water in my ear that make it hard for me to hear sometimes". We went through all this last year with 2 different ENT"s. One said it was just glue ear and wait until it gets better. The second did a more thorough investigation and said it was not glue ear and doubted he ever had it. He then referred us to the specialist who diagnosed the migraine. Anyway we need to get it checked out just incase this time he does have something up with his ear. His Dr says sometimes it may be just an ordinary kids illness and we still need to get him checked.

Although it has been one week since his last vomiting episode he is just really phyiscally tired and worn out as are the whole family. While the vomiting is bad and draining for him the constant aura symptoms are the worst. I think this is why I keep posting on this forum. Just need to get the frustration out. Every day I think he is going to be better and each day is a bit of a struggle.

In a few days it will be spring here. The forecast is for some slighly warmer weather and I am hoping for some improvement. We also have school holidays in three weeks and we all need a bit of a break.

Cheers Hope all those other migraine kids are doing well.

It's definitely not unheard of for Migraineurs to have particular seasons that are worse for them. For example, I have a lot of trouble in the summer when it's very sunny, as opposed to our overcast and rainy winters.

Beyond just the weather aspect of it, is it possible that your son is encountering more triggers or a change in his schedule in the winter, that he doesn't experience in the summer? I'm thinking of school in particular - many kids with Migraine have more trouble during the school year.

Feel free to come and vent here any time you need it. Your son is welcome to read along with you. We have a very family-friendly atmosphere here, and many kids read along with their parents. I'm not sure how old your son is, but if he's 13 or older, he can even have his own account here.

I wish you both the best of luck. Migraines are no fun, especially as a kid. It must be so hard for you to see your son sick and in pain. Know that all of us are here for you both.

Thanks for the support MJ.

My son has just turned 6 and is in his first year of school. His first really bad episode was when he was 2 although he was only diagnosed with HM just over a year ago. When he was 2 he had a shocking winter where he was constantly ill. He spent 2 whole months just lying on the couch awake but barely moving, pale as a ghost. He was tested for everything from diabetes (3 seperate tests) to leukemia. The hospital concluded that it was a series of unrelated viruses causing the lethargy. He gradually returned to our normal happy boy over a period of 6 months only to get sick again the following winter. Looking back it was clearly migraine.

Each year his communication skills have improved and we have a much clearer picture of what is going on with him.

This year the Paediatrician ran all the same tests again this time because he has been so sick.

I have noticed that he often complains that it is too hot when we go from outside to inside and gets really agitated at times. He gets a burning red patch on one side of his face. He gets really hot in summer and does not cope well with that but it does not result in a migraine. As I write this I am thinking that the constant temperature variation in winter may be part of the problem.

Our GP thinks he has glue ear again now but given that the 2 ENT's he saw last year both disagreed on that he is not sure.

The whole family is feeling a bit better today. Ollie went to sleep at 6.30 last night and slept until 8 without waking. This has been the first full nights sleep for the entire household in weeks. He complained of a sore ear this morning but went off to school OK. He seemed happier than he has been in a while. I think a good nights sleep has done miracles for us all.

Hi Daisy,

Have you kept a Migraine diary for Ollie? This may be a good way to involve him in his care, even though he's just six years old. You can track what triggers his attacks, how long they last and what medications are used.

We did this with my son, then 10 or 11 years old and found some of his Migraine triggers to be chocolate, dehydration, changes in sleeping patterns and too much sun and excitment!!

Click HERE for our free downloadable diary.

Hi Daisy

My son who is now 15 seems to have more migraine problems throughout the winter too. I'm not quite sure why, but he always improves over the summer.

I believe there could be things at school triggering the migraines. Although, I'm not exactly sure what those triggers are. This year my son is starting school with a cyber school that he can do from home. I'm hopeful that this school year will be better with fewer migraines.

Anyhow, don't give up hope. We went through a few awful years with Andrew's migraines, and he has recently had a significant improvement. For us it was a matter of finding the right doctor along with the right combination of medication.

When things were bad they were really, really bad. I know it affects your whole family and your whole life. This forum was a great support for me when I was dealing with the illness. I know it will be a great support for you too.

Take Care
Jean Ann