Advice please....
My daughter has been suffering from migraines since December of last year. They occur every month when she due her period. The Dr put her on the pill 3 months ago. This has helped...briefly. But her migraines knock her for 6!
She just sleeps for up to 5 days...waking only for a wee or meds a drink or sometimes a mouthful of food. She misses up to 1 week pm from school....
Help.... xxx
Hi my 33 year old daughter is just the same , every time she has her periods she has headaches , so debilitating, she has two young children too.
The doctors has just said it's her hormones , but have given her nothing to help
I too had this for years....but they did lessen off eventually. By my late teens I was down to getting over them within 24-48 hours, although university was also the time that they began to come in clusters, lasting anything up to 10 days at a time. I was one of the first people to have the triptans drugs, which at the time were only available in an injection pen. Nowadays you could ask the doctor for sumatriptan or one of the others as a tablet, although not all will use them for menstrual migraine. They will often stop an attack in its tracks if taken early enough, although they do have a tendency in my experience to just put it off for 48 hours or so...but if that gets you through a school week/exam day/special celebration event or whatever that's no bad thing.
My mother (who had suffered similarly) taught me meditation and breathing techniques to deal with the pain, and relax into the condition, which over the years has meant that it has become far less intensive and invasive. Some research suggests that migraine may be connected with adrenaline and noradrenaline in the brain, so trying to do all you can to dampen down your nervous system is a good thing, albeit a bit difficult when it feels like someone is slowly winding a hand-drill through your skull....but start teaching ner now and that will reallly help her to deal with a condition that is, unfortunately, likely to be with her as for as long as she is menstruating.
It does lessen off though, I am in my mid-40s now and my migraines (which oscillate between menstrual and regular aura migraines) have in recent years slowed from being regular fortnightly events to being only every other month or so, bar the odd cluster, which still occur. I take the hit when they come, taking it as a sign that the body can't cope with something, whether it's a surge of hormones or an excess of adrenaline, usually caused by taking on too much. Withdrawing to a darkened room with eye protectors, wheatbags and ice packs for 24 hours of deep breathing seems to solve it, eventually.
hormonal migraines are quite common, unfortunately, though it does sound as if your daughter is at the extreme.
would your GP consider referral to an organisation like the National Migraine Centre or a neurologist specialising in migraine and hormonal headaches - there are a few around.
Dealing with somebody that young is likely to bring specific complications as meds that work for adults aren't necessarily suitable for adolescents.
Hello
I have chronic migraines with sleep, stress/excitement and hormones being the main triggers. I found the triptans tend not to be that effective for hormonal migraines. They tried putting me on the pill too the type that means you don't have periods at all but it only helped at first and then unfortunately gave me skin pigmentation problems on my face that are permanent. I was angry about that bc it is quite disfiguring and is a known side effect for the pill that no one warned me about. I would say her best hope is to be put on a preventative drug, they may at lessen the severity of the attacks and maybe even allow her to miss less school.
You need to make a lot fuss at the GP and get her a referral to a neurologist, you definitely have good grounds to expect a referral bc she is so young, severe and missing a lot of school. With the next few years all being about exams now is the time to act. If the first GP doesn't refer you see another and if that doesnt work write to the practise manager. The more fuss you make the more likely you will get a referral. Good luck.
Thank you.
I go at least twice per head ache. The preventative treatment is the next thing.
I just feel so bad for her x
Sounds like you are doing the right things, persistence is your main weapon with doctors and migraines. There are lots of things I do to try get through episodes, exercise and coffee being the most effective! Trouble is nothing works that well on menstrual migraines in my experience. In a way she is lucky she can sleep through a lot of it, the pain keeps me awake day and night. You could try supplements that are good for menstrual cycles like evening primrose oil or try acupuncture etc, none of these worked on me but they do work on some people and other than the money won't do her any harm. Anything that keeps her spirits up is important depression is obviously a real danger in her position, adolescence is hard enough. In my experience hormone cycles ebb and flow in their severity she may have good years and bad years. My first year of A-levels I missed a week of school every month but not the year before. My mother fought for me for years because I was unable, I couldn't have survived without her it's a lonely place! Just knowing you are fighting for her will make all the difference in the long wrong. Plus read everything you can, educate yourself as much as possible being informed makes the medical world take you more seriously and you can get more out of them!
Hi Kirst
Sorry to hear about your daughter's terrible migraines.
If she hasn't had one recently, I would take her for an eye test. You can get them free, but check with the opticians. The opticians can see a lot, just looking at the eyes.
Also, the GP can help in arranging further tests and prescribing appropriate medication, that can help immensely. However, you have to ask about the side effects.
Hope this is helpful for your dear daughter and that she gets some relief very soon. God Bless
That's awful, has your daughter been to the hospital or docs yet or been given any medication for them? I had to come off the pill because the combined pill can make your migraines worse especially if you get migraines witu aura so that could be why they are getting worse? And I found my migraines did get worse before time of the month because of the drop in hormones but to your daughters extent sleeping for that long can Make them worse 
Hope you get sorted x
Hi
Thank you
We went back to the Drs again today to be told a different way to take her meds. So will see how that goes...
I suggested she doesn't stay in bed and maybe just sit up or have fresh air but it doesn't last long until she falls asleep. She eats very little during an episode too. X
Hello Kurst
I hope things are getting better for you and your daughter.
If your daughter is not eating, maybe she could have blended smoothies or soups with vegetables, to keep up her nutrition.
I tend to blend food in a Nutri ninja and my girls will drink most of it.
Also, I have discovered spray vitamins by a company called 'Better You', that works very well when you don't wish to swallow tablets. The spray is for under the tongue or inside the cheek. They have their own company website, or buy on Amazon.
I do hope this helps and she feels better soon.
Hello I know exactly how your daughter feels as I went through a similar time myself in my teens. It did get better as I got older so hopefully it will for your daughter. The national migraine centre in London accepts self referrals and they are fantastic. When I went there I felt for the first time someone understood. They also came up with a personalised treatment plan and advised on medication. They now offer Skype appointments if London is too far. Just one other thing, I really struggled with school because they didn't understand. Migraine is classed as a disability under the equality act so they must make reasonable adjustments for her. I wish you all the best I know how hard it is. Xx
How awful! My daughter has the same but nowhere near as bad as your daughter - it's so hard watching them suffer. My daughter (18) takes sumatriptan (from 16) which work brilliantly - I also read in the World Summit on Migraine that taking them before the menstrual migraine is expected, works well. Our GP also tried my daughter on beta blockers but she felt a bit woozy on them and was not bad enough to pursue that medication. She has also got a pill implant for terrible periods and they said it could make her migraines worse but it didn't. Don't give up - after 6 years of trying everything I think I am getting somewhere with my own (menopausal) migraines. Every drug is slightly different. Try everything! New one coming out next year. All the best!
Hi there,
So sorry to hear about this - may I ask what sort of contraceptive pill she is on? Some containing oestrogen can make migraines worse, maybe changing brands or types is worth exploring with your doctor? Hope this helps! 
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