I'm just looking for some advice regarding my daughter. She has suffered with stomach issues since she was 7, now thought to be abdominal migraines. The year before last she started getting cranial migraines as well and was given propranolol, which worked well and she stopped taking them last summer. They started again in January and max dose propranolol did nothing. She was also given a triptan- the name escapes me now - but that didnt work either. The hospital ended up discharging her after our first conversation in July where she'd had a mild improvement for the 2 days before the call , we were not told until it was clear the meds were no longer working and had to get a referral again in August🤦♀️. I tried complaining but it was not upheld.
We've been trying CBD capsules for a week now with no success so far. She feels so poorly every day and has barely been to school since January. It's horrible seeing her like that every day and not being able to do much. Nurofen helps on occasions when she can't tolerate it any longer but we're aware of the risk of overuse headaches.
She's had a physio assessment to rule out any physical cause and the pediatrician thought it was likely hormonal, this seems unlikely 10 months on. I'm now wondering whether to try cutting out foods to see if they make a difference as I just don't know what else to do for her.
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friars126
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Our son is 14 years old and he has had abdominal migraines since 2nd grade. It took us 7 years to diagnosis them. When he first starts in a "cycle", I give him Zofram. If that doesn't stop it then I give him Rizatriptan ( many times if there is not reaction, the dose is not high enough).
Here are things that work for us: lots and lots of water daily, every meal has protein and he can not skip a meal, we make sure he gets lots of sleep ( he takes melatonin at night to help). There have been some studies that should magnesium at a high dose helps. We were told that when he gets out of high school they should change from abdominal to cranial.
We give him ice for this stomach and a dark quiet room when needed. He has a 504 plan and medications in school ( when we are in person).
Out GI Specialist has recommended Elavil, but we are holding off on these.
He has gone 2 months without having a reaction which is great for us.
I have had migraines for many, many years and have found that Feverfew and magnesium have helped a lot, but I also have a pill version and injection version of Imitrix in case I need it.
I would really recommend you find a migraine specialist to help her.
A few resources that have helps me a lot: the Heads Up podcast- they are 2 migraine specialist from the UK, they have a entire show on children.
Hello Friars. I'm so sorry to read that your daughter suffers so badly with migraines. I don't have any answer for you, I'm afraid but I'm writing below a few things I'm thinking of.
I don't know what your financial situation is but I I would say that you need to see a private consultant and possibly try other avenues such as acupuncture, osteopath, etc...
The NHS is crumbling under the weight right now and they will not investigate any further if they are convinced (and try to convince you) that your daughter has 'only' migraines.
Your daughter being 14, it is quite likely that it is hormonal, unfortunately. The only specialist in the country who has done extensive research on the relationship between hormones and migraines is Prof Anne MacGregor. It costs a lot of money, though and it is not covered by any private health insurance.
You mentioned that a physio has assessed her. Well, there are good physios and bad ones. Different physios have told me many things through the years. For instance, that one of my legs is shorter than the other and got me to wear an insole for over a year so that it helps with my chronic lumbar pain. This year a chiropractor took an Xray of my entire spine and told me that my leg is not shorter but that I have a lumbar scoliosis (plus many other things), which is the reason why my back is not straight and why core muscles exercises have never worked for me. The insole has probably done some further damages to my back, by the way.
It could be useful if you could find a therapist specialised in chronic pain and who deals with young people. I would guess that your daughter needs support to go through this challenging time for her. She might need to talk to someone outside of her family about her fears, her pain and her hopes. I've heard that therapists specialised in chronic pain can give you the tools to deal with the pain, using methods like Biofeedback therapy.
Is your daughter keeping a diary to see if some foods make the migraines worse?
Hiya, I am so sorry your dayghter is suffering so and as a Mum it's heartbreaking being so helpless when they are struggling.
Sorry I don't know anything about abdominal mugraines, but have plenty of experience with cranial migraines. I and my son have both had surgery for raised ICP, I had a permenent VP shunt put in when I was 11 and I have been told as an adult I now have cluster headaches and suffer from migraines.
You probably already do, but if not then it might help to keep a headache diary for a few months, knowing where in her menstrual cycle the headaches are at their worst will help establish if her migraines are hormonal or not.
You could note things like:
- the time of day of onset of headache,
- how long it lasts
- severity (pain scale 1 to 10)
- and what helps and treatment and medication given
- meals & mealtimes/snacks.drinks consumed would highlight food intolerances,
- also note your daughter's place in menstrual cycle ( knowing where in her menstrual cycle the headaches are at their worst will help establish if her migraines are hormonal or not.
- nausea and any other symptoms like vomiting sensitivity to light, etc.
Dr's are often more willing to listen and appreciate the extra information in a headache diary. Getting a neurology diagnosis is a very slow, arduous and frustrating process. Trust your instinct as a Mum, you know your daughter best and so you are the best person to be her advocate in the fight to get her help. Perseverance is key.
Trying and finding the correct medication takes time. My neurologist the other day was very positive about the research on magnesium and its positive impact on migraines. So magnesium and Feverfew are next on my list to try.
Not sure what country you are in or your financial situation, if you can't go private then perhaps could speak to your GP re your concerns to get another referral?
I take Gabapentin 3 x a day and it's helped me a lot and doses can start small, although it does cause drowsiness. I have always found anti-inflammatories have helped me the most which is frustrating with trying to avoid the overuse.
Take care and hang in there! I hope your daughter's migraines improve soon.
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Migraine relief please
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