So Kid 1’s migraine is back. We are controlling it for now. We have a follow up on Monday and that’s when we will figure out a more long term solution. Right now mostly it’s severe nausea. She is taking medication for that too, and it’s keeping her from vomiting but she still feels nauseated, which is awful.
But this morning we managed to get half a protein shake and a few sips of coffee into her, so yay.
We haven’t written in weeks. This has been a long and painful ordeal. It seems like I always wake up because my child is in severe pain.
I sent a thank you note to Eloisa James. I ended up reading SAY NO TO THE DUKE, and it kept me sane.
Thank you for all of the awesome recommendations.
SAPPHIRE FLAMES was reviewed by Publisher’s Weekly. They like it.
SWEEP OF THE BLADE will be available in paperback on release date or shortly after. Because it’s a POD (print on demand) book, the company that prints it won’t let us take preorders. I don’t understand why we can’t do preorders. What difference does it make if they receive the order on the release date or prior? I wish I had more information for you on why that is, but I am really dumb right now, so I don’t.
Still haven’t figured out who sent the diamond painting. The investigation continues.
Some of you asked if the deleted scene/short story Misadventure is referenced in SAPPHIRE FLAMES. It is. You will now have insider knowledge of what went on. It fits very nicely with the narrative, so we are stoked to see if you laugh when you start reading those parts. š
Kid 2 has set a daily reminder on Gordon’s phone to “poop his pants.” We can’t figure out how to turn it off. Kid 2 is old enough to legally drink, by the way.
Finally, I did this silly meme on Facebook.
I have realized that Samuel L. Jackson is my Patronus.
I absolutely hate migraines. I’ve been a M sufferer for 2 decades now. I tried all the drugs and nothing helped without knocking me out.
Then I got diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in my late 20s. They put me on Meloxicam to start with and it became my miracle drug. It is a prescription NSAID that is stronger than Naproxyn.
I went from daily migraines to no migraines after 4 days of being on the Meloxicam. I was migraine free for almost 4 years (I had to be off meds for surgery and recovery). Just waiting for the OK from my surgeon to go back on my miracle drug.
Hopefully they find your kid’s miracle drug, or the cause of the migraine.
I have a similar problem, but I was diagnosed with lupus. Iāve had migraines since I was 9. ? hope youāre doing alright. Hope Kid 1 is doing okay too.
Get well soon, Kid 1?? And can’t wait for SF! The mysterious painting looks intriguing.
Poor dear. Nothing is worse than “My kid is in pain and I can’t help.” – Nothing.
I hope your doctor figures out the problem – or at least the triggers.
All I can do is send virtual (platonic) hugs to you both.
Thank you for thinking of us worriers when you are already so stressed. I am looking forward to Tuesday, or rather Monday night, when the book hits my kindle account.
Take care and have fun, if you can…
Make sure someone at least discusses IV Reglan and Benadryl (together) and daily magnesium for prevention. They work wonders for certain types of headaches.
Yes! Also botox shots. The botox is the only thing that helps my kid prevent the migraine (most of hers are muscle/stress with a small part diet).
Botox – nonadictive, lasts 3 months to a year, doesn’t alter brain chemistry. It saved my daughter’s life since the meds made her loose time. It does cost about $1000.00 for 100 units. Hers are administered across forehead, temples, jaw line, shoulders and big muscles at back of head neck.
Last unsolicited advice – start the food, activity log (if she hasn’t already). The log is not a life time commitment. Once she figures it out she can quit.
I am sending pain free good thoughts to you all. Thank you for all the great stuff.
+ 1,000! 800 mg magnesium took the migraines from 4 a week to 2-3 a month, and yes, that IV combo is a life saver when nothing else is working. (Just wish it hadnāt taken 30 years for a neurologist to ask ādid we ever try magnesium with you?ā) Most important thing to remember – Everyone has different triggers and solutions, itās not a one size fits all situation! Best of luck to you all and take care!
Have they tested Kid1 for Lyme disease? I live in an area that is a hotbed for Lyme and it can mimic many diseases including Meningitus. My son was first diagnosed for meningitis then mono before it was confirmed to be Lyme.
My moms been battling her migraines for years. I do know she cant look tv or computer screens for very long or else she will suffer. Hope you guys find something that works for her soon. Good luck!!
My daughter has had migraines for a few years now. They have done multiple sets of MRI and Xrays and can’t find any physical cause so possibly just stress and anxiety. BUT the reason I am commenting is if she is taking meds for nausea – they gave my daughter Ondansetron – (Zofran) and you have to watch that as you can get very constipated which then might lead to stomach cramps and pain. My daughter takes Vitamin B2 and propranolol (blood pressure med) and has Rizatriptan for bad days. We did try some other things but these seem to work the most consistently right now. She probably only has migraines about 8 days a month which is still too many. But it is better than all the time as it was for awhile. She also had a shot which basically got rid of the pain while it was in effect, also making her a bit loopy but the shot they gave her has drugs which can be habit forming so that was a one time thing to give her some temporary relief.
My dad had a REALLY bad migraine for a couple of weeks. He tried everything and nothing worked. He ended up going to a chiropractor, his neck was really out. He never noticed because he just thought it was a migraine, it instantly made it much better. He went in a couple more times to make it go away all the way. I don’t know if this is what’s up with Kid 1 but it might be worth a shot.
i had migraines for years. nothing worked until i tried a chiropractor in sheer desperation. Awesome. Osteopathic doctors are good
Have had migraines since I turned nineteen. At least one a month that lasts two to three days minimum.
Sometimes visit to ER for shot of toridol, shot of imitrex and saline IV helps. One ER doc added a couple squirts of numbing meds nasally and that was only guy to truly ‘cure’ the migraine attack for the month.
No one else I’ve seen knows that trick, and cant remember that docs name as we were just passing through.
Current neuro has me referred to physical therapy. PT guy does tension release of pressure points in head and neck.
Was referred to PT when migraines became an every weekend thing. PT guy can stop one in its tracks without meds. I still get the crazy exhaustion bit not the pain & vomiting. Too bad I can only see him once a week.
Hope your kiddo finds something thay works for them. Migraines suck.
Iām sorry about kid 1, migraines are the absolute worst. But you might want to ask the doctor a few questions. Migraines usually start due to a change in hormones. (Hence why more women get then than men). When a patient is diagnosed with their first migraine it is usually one of two cases, either a) this is their first migraine and they are just reaching puberty, are pregnant, or have reached menopause; or b) they have been having these āheadachesā for years without knowing they were migraines. Look into why your daughter has suddenly been diagnosed with migraines because there are other sneaky problems that can mask themselves as migraines and the meds will give her temp relief but because you are not treating the problem you end up partially disabled.
To be fair, my migraines didnt start until after I turned 19.
The only life change I had at the time was military orders to first duty station.
Granted, migraine didnt start until the day after I woeked my first shift in the fuel barn. (I.e. clambering around inside airplane fuel tank). Still don’t think that’s hormone related
My daughter suffered with migraines as a teenager but taking betablockers for an unrelated heart condition had the benefit of stopping the migraines. All the best with Kid 1.
Migraines are horrible. They can make you feel like you have no control in your life. That is how I felt. While I still struggle with them, I have taken back some of the control, thanks to migraineagain.com
I highly recommend it. They do their research and know what they are talking about. You are not alone.
That sounded like a sales pitch. Aargh. Migraineagain.com gives support, advice, is not trying to sell anything. They have ideas to help you no matter where you are with your migraine journey. They taught me how to advocate for myself and how to make lifestyle changes that work as good or better than the meds I take. It is a great source of truthful and unbiased information.
Migraines absolutely suck. I wind up in a dark cold room with an ice pack. Hoping they figure out what’s triggered it & she’s better soon.
I second dark room with an ice pack. I use those re-usable ones that are filled with rice/beans/whatever the person has stuffed in there – just keep two in my freezer. The added weight against my eyes is fantastic.
No advice, just sending healing vibes to yāall!
+1
Samuel L Jackson=Afro Samurai, Nuff said lol.
Maybe try a chiropractor…
Unsolicited advice; check
Lol, hope the kiddlit feels better
I had migraines for a long time then had a stroke and, fingers crossed, I haven’t had any for a while now.
Hope you are keeping sane, it is awful when kids are sick regardless of their age. Don’t worry about the writing, you can start again when you are in better times. ?
My daughter suffered from terrible migraines. Finally, a doctor suggested magnesium supplements. These helped tremendously. The brain stores some minerals differently than the blood stream. As a result, magneSium levels may be low in the brain, but look fine in bloodwork. Several NIH recommend the use of magnesium as part of migraines control. Additionally, my daughter has found the use of probiotics very beneficial to her migraines and general health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22426836/
Ellen that’s fascinating.
I hadn’t heard that so I’ll look into it.
Thanks!
Magnesium helped me too! Regular supplements, plus avoiding glare (my primary trigger – no films in the theatre for me?), has made my migraines very rare. Magnesium also helps depression and constipation, BTW.
Thank you for sharing that link!
I use magnesium cream on the back of my neck when I feel it coming on (helps get through the work day, until it wears off), but hadn’t considered supplements. Fyi, magnesium cream also helps with muscle cramps/spasms and sore muscles. ?
Ugh! Hope they figure out the cause and\or find some relief for her soon! There are so many different potential causes (from an underlying ailment to stress to hormones to weather\barometric pressure to they never figure it out – as is my husband’s case).
Quick non-med things that help me with my occasional (hormone and weather related) are Cold Compress on my neck\eyes, caffeine if I haven’t had any, chamomile tea if I’ve had caffeine – and GINGER. I’ll even add about 1/4 tsp of ground ginger to chamomile tea – or a couple of gingersnaps if I happen to have any. I don’t keep them around because I LOVE them and shouldn’t eat them ALL the time…..
As much as the pain occasionally has me curled up in bed – when it’s bad enough to cause nausea – that is the WORST!
Also I can “second” the magnesium.
When I have a bad one, I take 2 Aleve Liquigels and 4 Formula 303. Formula 303 is available on Amazon and is a supplement containing Valerian, Passiflora and Magnesium. It was a recommendation from my Chiropractor. It’s also great to help “shut off” my brain and go to sleep at night when I’m having insomnia (usually due to general anxiety, overthinking, etc.)
Iām so sorry about kid 1. My son has medical issues and Iām a longtime migraine sufferer – Iād rather be the one in pain any day of the week. Iāve become a medical researcher to cope. My unsolicited advice is do what needs to be done to get kid 1 stable then go to a Functional/Integrative/Naturopathic doctor – they have been the most helpful in getting to root causes. Most of my migraines went away with daily magnesium and getting off birth control. A lot of times it can be hormonal fluctuations and a mineral deficiency. I still have days I need a chiro adjustment and/or deep tissue massage, ice pack in a dark room with legs elevated. Hoping for healing very soon! Also, kid 2 has inspired me to pull a similar prank on my teenager. Tell them thank you!
Speaking of unsolicited advice: I have heard migraines identified as localized low blood sugar. The brain may not quite be getting enough fuel in some spots. On that note, hypoglycemia can be a trigger which is one of the reasons why they always tell folks to eat/drink. Low sugars and migraines present identically – I know because I’ve had type 1 diabetes for 25 years and started getting migraines a few years back. They’re difficult to differentiate sometimes. Try an orange juice box along with the medication regimen. Might help, might not, but worst case there’s a slight vitamin D infusion.
Also, a genius among humans made up a migraine air pressure map. Good leverage to use when convincing loved ones to vacation in Hawaii: https://www.securevideo.com/blog/2016/03/18/global-barometric-variation-annual-maps-and-monthly-raw-data
Ha – I shared the same link later… *blushes*
(Dumb advice but it has helped me) when I get daily headaches or migraines I alway stop any new meds, vitamins, etc.
migraine folks will get a headache from a ton of meds, food, creams, ointments, makeup. Once cycle starts more things can trigger me.
imho as a net researcher maniac migraine causes are always physical. Medical. āStressā always turns out to be a pat the head, women are nervous, baloney imho.
You would die laughing or cry over how many medical conditions were once āstressā.
I hope she can see a hospital based headache clinic just to be sure the neuro or whoever is diagnosing correctly.
Hang in there and keep fighting for best treatments.
Oh no migraines! I know that feeling. Took me years to realize I needed something more than Tylenol and other OTC meds. I hope a solution is found soon!
Hope your daughter feels better soon. I suffered severe migraines when I was in my 20s, medication helped with the worse of it but they were always there. I had severe photo phobia and nausea and spent days closed up in my room because I couldn’t deal with the world. They gave me a list of things I couldn’t eat nor drink, and they told me that taking the pill could also be the cause for them. I stopped taking the pill, and it worked. Within few days I was able to get my life back.
Sending Healing Energy into the zuniverse to end this pain.
I will set a crystal grid to focus these energies and lite a candle to reflect of the crystals and send them winging your way
Heart Hugs
I get migraines.
My absolute sympathy to your kid.
As a migraine sufferer, I agree that are the worst. The worst ones were always due to hormonal changes so I could anticipate when I would get them and premedicate. Otherwise it was a matter of identifying and avoiding my triggers. For me too much caffeine was the biggest trigger, I had rebound headaches for awhile when I quit the caffeine cold turkey, but it was worth it in the end. I also found that some meds I took (especially the depression made) made them worse.
Hope kid 1 figures out the cause and can manage the migraines.
Oh yeah. Been there. Finding out I am “neurologicalky reactive ” is super stressful and stupid and makes taking many meds tricky. What FINALLY helped with relentless migraines being unable to take most meds? BOTOX all over my scalp tiny injections seriously 15 20 allover. My head in my scalp. Took about half one vial $150. Dr uses the other half vial himself. Did three rounds every 2 3 months for year kept on not diing stupid stuff too much caffeine aged cheese chocolate carbs etc and problem solved.
Dunno if this has been mentioned but The Pill (even low dose) can cause migraines. Once I discovered Depo Provera the headaches stopped. I was on it from 1981 to 2011 & never once had a migraine. Get a shot in the hip or arm & you are good for 3 months. Bonus being that your period stops because if you don’t ovulate, you don’t have your period. I loved that part ;)I was the poster child for everything good about Depo. Not everybody is as lucky & some do have problems with it.
A former coworker got migraines a lot. He was out a lot of Mondays. He finally decided that the common factor was that he would spend Sundays doing yard work and wasn’t staying hydrated, so on Mondays it resulted in a migraine.
Hope Kid 1 feels better. Do you guys get migraines? I never asked my coworker if getting migraines is hereditary.
As for the phone, Gordon could always do a factory reset. ?
No reset needed:) He just needs to go into his alarm settings and delete it or he can keep the alarm setting and change the alarm description to read: āDisown Kid 2ā ?
It saddens me to hear the pain is back; may someone find the answer soon.
But I now have a dead-tree version of SOTB on pre-order from Amazon; I don’t know what’s going on, but I tried and achieved it.
So glad you have at least partial measures to help with the pain. I feel so bad for kid 1. I’m sure Monday can’t get here fast enough.
BTW, I am gobsmacked that Kid 2 is now old enough to legally drink. How is this possible? Sigh.
Migraines are the shits. Speaking of shits…
“Kid 2 has set a daily reminder on Gordonās phone to āpoop his pants.ā We canāt figure out how to turn it off. Kid 2 is old enough to legally drink, by the way.”
Best ever. One of my favorite Innkeeper scenes is the fart gun, so I’m not surprised this too made me laugh. I’ve been old enough to legally drink for a decade, but I will always laugh at poop.
Thank you, Kid 2. Kid 1, I wish for you an immediate recovery.
My whole family have miagraines , and our solutions are magnesium supplements, ginger for nausea, and cold not hot packs and caffeine. Triggers were mainly hormonal, but also barometer, temp changes, alcohol and altitude ( I got deadly sick in Flagstaff Arizona). Finally, stress.
My mom hated any kinds of medications, she would read the side effects and throw the drugs out. So, be cautious and try various things. Menopause decreased the amount of miagrians and The severity. Eat small meals, and not too spicy.
Thank you for your update.
I will try to order SOTB in paperback by Amazon.
Hope everyone feels back to normal soon.
I just went to Amazon and plugged in SOTB in the paperback version and lo and behold it let me order with delivery scheduled for MONDAY!!! You can bet I hit the Order button with great delight. Of course I had already pre-ordered the Kindle version and will happily download it when it comes through Tuesday morning but knowing I have a day less to wait is delicious.
I had migranes as a teenager and remember walking home from the bus hoping I wouldn’t throw up before I got home to the darkened bedroom and cold washcloth. My deepest sympathies to Kid1 and hope she can get enduring relief very soon!
Anne in Virginia
check on odd allergies, too. It took a while for it to develop, and then once I had developed the allergy (or “sensitivity” – depending on your language,) it took a long time to track it down. I don’t genuinely have migraine headaches, but the closest thing to them that I’ve experienced has been caused by artificial grape flavoring.
[From what I’ve heard, I don’t want to even get close to a real migraine-level headache.]
Leo
If I can make a suggestion, aromatherapy with therapeutic grade peppermint essential oil might give some relief- there are other essential oils that can help but I wouldn’t feel comfortable making any other recommendations without knowing medical history. Also, an ice pack at the base of the skull for 15 minutes can help. Both my roommate (who suffers Law School induced migraines) and myself use these techniques and it does help. A cup of peppermint tea can also help, if Kid 1 likes peppermint. You do need to find the cause(which is frustrating), but you might want to talk to someone in your local health food store. They can make recommendations based on symptoms. Migraines can be caused by nutritional deficiencies or hidden food allergies. You might also want to consider chiropractic or accupuncturist care.
I started getting migraines as an adult in my late 30’s and have never heard about the magnesium thing. I’m going to try it for my own.
I’ve heard that Botox shots, given my a neurologist, can help really bad ones. Has to be a neurologist because the doctor needs to know exactly where to administer them at the base of the neck, I think?
Anyone here tried the Botox route?
My daughter had been taking botox for 10 years. In the beginning it was not covered by insurance. Now it is. I have a soap box I get on. Botox should be the first thing tried! It does not alter brain chemistry, is non addictive, and will act for 3+ months. And in her case is the only thing that worked long term. Massage, chiropractic, essential oils would give her a day or 2, but nothing broke the cycle until botox. She also takes magnesium.
Done now! Like I said soap box!
Yuck to the migraine. Both my parents would get migraines (my dad more than my mom). My dad’s migraines were the result of his hypertension (which is different than high blood pressure). My mom’s were the result of stress. I get them if I get too much light going into my eyes. I have astigmatism (which are dark spots on the eye), which is hereditary. My eyes are very sensitive to light. My glasses have a coating on them to keep a lot of light entering my eyes. I have sunglasses that are coated with very dark grey that looks black. That helps my eyes to relax.
If Kid 1 is on her phone, tablet, or computer screen a lot, that could cause migraines due to the light from the screen. Noise can also cause migraines. So, depending on which one triggers her migraines, will depend on what she will need to do. I agree with others that hormones could also play a part.
Kid 2 sending poop reminders to Gordon…is she trying to say something to her dad? I got a chuckle out of that.
The nice thing about Sweep of the Blade coming out Tuesday is that I have a lot of my work cleared so I can start reading during the “down time”. The joys of working from home. š
I hope things quiet down for a while so you guys can relax. Get well soon Kid 1. The BDH has your back.
Have had migraines for 35 years. Family thing. They put me on Cymbalta for nerve pain in my legs. Havenāt had a severe migraine since. I have had two mild attacks that were controlled by ibuprofen. It has been 7 months. I usually get 3 to 4 attacks per month. Good luck to you. Itās a process but they will find a way to make them livable.
As a long-time migraine warrior, I can attest that they are highly individualized, but there are some triggers and medications worth knowing about. Hormones are frequent culprits and any changes can be triggers. Some triggers are cumulative (red wine/alcohol/dehydration; processed meats; chocolate). The trick is to learn yours. Caffeine is a daily part of my diet and missing my morning cup guarantees a headache. Barometric pressure can be hellāI had migraines for several straight days before Harvey hit Houston. Some great meds include Sumatriptan (eat first; it can make you nauseous) and Maxalt. These are not painkillers; they do something to migraines that makes them go away. Sumatriptan is my go-to; the only downsides are that
(1) itās not a preventativeāyou have to wait until you feel the headache coming on and then take it, and
(2)Iāve found that taking it for several days straight leaves me feeling depressed. But it lets me function, and it totally gets rid of my migraines, which arenāt usually that frequent.
A note about blurred vision: it can be a migraine āauraāāa warning sign that a migraine is about to hit. Thatās how mine started in my 20s.
Best wishes with finding a solutionāI hope all the posts youāre getting help. As a mom, I empathize with the pain and frustration of having a child whoās hurting. ???
Don’t know if this is her problem but artificial sweetners can cause migranes, especially if the person is already prone to headaches. I stopped using/drinking anything with artificial sugars and my weekly migranes went away. She has my sympathy.
I am so very sorry to hear about Kid 1ās migraines. I had my first one at 13 and 37 years later I still get them. If she has to get them, sheās at least got access to a lot better medication these days. I worked with my neurologist to create a āOh hell no! I am not going to the hospital again!ā prescription cocktail. Thereās nothing worse than being in the ER with a migraine. I hope she is able to find the cocktail that gives her some relief and keeps her out of the ER! Sending hugs and healing vibes her way!
gah! hope kid 1 feels better soon. migraines are no joke.
as for nausea, i always have good luck with charcoal pills. just do not take with any medicine- itāll absorb it.
My daughter had to see a pediatric headache specialist because she had terrible migraines. It started with status migrainous (unrelenting migraine) at age 4 that went on and on. Then we broke that and she went into chronic severe pattern for a long time. Before we saw a headache specialist she was on all kinds of medications with a lot of side effects. We were able to change her medications with the specialist into meds with less side effects. Fortunately she slowly outgrew them.
I hope that you guys get your daughter whatever she needs to get this under control. It was horrible watching my daughter suffer. I remember exactly how it feels and the helplessness. It is so scary. I hope you have a good support community for yourselves and that this quickly becomes something in everyone’s rear view mirror. My daughter is almost 18 now but that time is seared into our memories. Here’s hoping/praying this all quickly abates!
If Kid 1 is also in Austin, I highly recommend Dr. Jennifer York if you guys are seeking a neurologist consult. She consistently makes the list of top neurologists in town. Not only is she very, very smart and thorough, but she’s also very kind.
Kid 2 totally rocks! Also you have a kick *ss Patronus.
Please be advised that the spinal tap that Kid 1 had can cause headaches and nausea on its own for a few days (due to the pressure change caused by it). Also, there are non-bacterial forms of Meningitis (viral and auto-immune); but it is unlikely your daughter is suffering from that. She would not be conscious without the right treatment with any kind of Meningitis.
All the best wishes!
Migraines are horrible things. Mine are visual. The first time I had one, I was completely blind for 10 minutes, which was fun because I was in school, sitting in class. But after that, it was always just looking at fireworks instead of whatever was in front of me, followed by extreme tiredness and need to sleep. I found out that mine came from being in bright sunlight or extreme stress. Nothing to do about stress, but I avoid being in direct sunlight of summer. My brother had his first migraine at 75 years old. He went into panic, but when he finally found out that the rest of the family gets them, he had to just accept that it wasn’t a brain tumor and move on. My mother gets auditory issues, one of my sisters had the fireworks without blindness to begin it, my nieces get visuals, too. Thing is, since nobody really knows why they happen, there’s no “cure”. My family is fortunate that we mostly don’t get the actual head agony. But one thing I did find out that fascinated me was that not one doctor ever asked about what triggered them. We all have allergies. I rarely get migraines because I fight the allergies with benadryl every single day. You need to find a doctor who understands that migraines do not happen in the head alone, all by itself. It’s an entire-body thing and every single thing matters.
BEST part is that while migraines destroy the quality of life for the time you suffer through them, they rarely kill anyone. Deep breath. The first one is the worst one because you have no clue what it is and desperately seek an answer. You have the answer now, and next time you’ll start whatever works this time to end it before it gets so bad and takes so many days again. We all suffer with our children, but you can now relax and sleep a little, knowing what it is and why it’s happening and that there’s nothing to be done until it ends.
Kid2 is my kind of person. I wish I could do that. Have you considered taking the phone to a teenager down the street and finding out how to get rid of that? Or perhaps you should just relax about that, too. Eventually, Kid2 will stop it if it gets no attention. Or contact customer support and ask how to delete a daily reminder that pops up. They’ll explain the steps to take. The phone came with a manual. RTFM. Whatever. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Be thankful she’s there to annoy you.
I am just finally getting over a 4 day migraine. From experience, caffeine helps greatly, as does being in a dark room with no noise, and sleeping as much as possible. An ice pack on my face helps too. I will have Gatorade and pedialyte in hand as sometimes my migraines are caused by dehydration. Personally Iām limited in what meds I can take. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen are no, noās for me. I just try and tough it out and if it gets to 3 days then I go to urgent care and get a shot. This migraine is a combo of not enough sleep, and hormones. I can generally count on getting at least 1 migraine a month.
My neighbour had severe migraines. Hers were a combo of artificial sweeteners and hormones. I got fairly mild ones although it hurt to wear my glasses when I had one. Mine were triggered by abrupt changes in barometric pressure. Going through menopause cured mine but your child is much too young for that cure to be helpful!
Hoping that you and Kid 1 get answers and a working treatment plan soon.
My dad is visiting this week and Kid 2 has given me inspiration. (I am 40.)
*fighting*
Feel better soon kid1! Also donāt get discouraged if it takes a little while to find the right drug combo to make yourself as migraine free as possible! Everyone reacts different/different triggers, Also try asking your dr about a migraine preventative drug, I take one called Nortriptyline. It helped take me from around 4 days a week with a migraine to maybe a few a month.
All fingers and toes crossed that Kid1 feels better. Lotsaof good thoughts and vibes being sent for the whole household.
If Samuel L Jackson is your patronus, the character Alan Grant from Jurassic Park is my spirit animal: technology hates me. Been plagued for days with glitches in anything that uses electricity. I’m to the point of pitching a tent in the back yard and hiding under a blanket.
I remember holding my mothers hand when she had a migraine so bad she couldn’t stand up, and it was the worst feeling ever.
I hope Kid 1 finds a solution to the headaches soon. I inherited the tendency from my mother. I ran the gauntlet of medications, diet changes, allergy tests (with removal of triggers), and all I can say is Kid 1 will need to investigate and experiment to find what works.
You’re all in my thoughts. <3
P.S. fun with science. Make excel speead sheet maybe 20 cells 5 columns. Pie charts graphs work too. Data points are OVER TIME maybe hourly or so do pain level 1- 10. NOW find weather app includes barometric pressure. You all have a hurricane plus sitting on your curb. Chart pain level BP changes over time. Keep up until weather changes. Note results.
This is my problem. I can tell you that in a week or few days that there will be a significant storm or severe drop or rise in the barometric pressure. I think there is only anecdotal evidence that people respond to weather changes, but my headaches usually correspond to those changes.
I’d have to dig up the papers again, but from what I remember, it’s more that while there is evidence, people respond differently enough that it’s really hard to quantify usefully. Actually –
https://www.securevideo.com/blog/2016/03/18/global-barometric-variation-annual-maps-and-monthly-raw-data
while this isn’t exactly rigorous, a lot of people seem to have found it helpful, and I found it interesting? (FWIW, my migraines – which are complicated – seem to be doing a lot better in NC. The thunderstorms here just don’t hit me nearly as hard. Then again, I might have skipped part of the harder part of Spring my moving down…)
But, of course, migraines are defined not by what triggers them but by a common neurological endpoint. But at the same time, managing the starting points is often really useful, but those vary hugely across individuals?
Most of my allergies are air allergies. When the barometer drops: dust, pollen, and other stuff rises into the air and I get a headache. Was treated for head colds as a kid until saw a different doctor in college and found out had allergies. So when I hear migraine triggers, will say sinus headache and take an allergy. Works better for me.
As for the nausea, try eating a few potato chips or any thing else that is salty or something with vinegar. Ginger cookies might help some too.
+1
Clear blue sky, no thunderstorms predicted. Killer weather headache. Ate Tylenol like mints. Vision gone to black and white, crying in the bathroom at work. Huge storm blows up out of nowhere, thunder shakes building. Fifteen minutes of violent storm, then back to blue skies. Headache finally gone.
So, yeah, I believe it when someone tells me the weather is making them sick.
Yeah, major barometric pressure changes puts the metaphysical equivalent of an ice pick through my cheek bone and eyeball. Every time. Depends on how much change and how long it lasts as to whether or not I get a headache. Usually acetaminophen + asprin barely scrapes the surface.
You’re getting a lot of suggestions because although the resulting migraine is nearly the same (still different symptoms across migraineurs, eg I don’t get ocular disturbances but light and smells can be unbearable) the triggers are varied. From weather to foods to a combination of factors. For me oranges (apparently as common as chocolate but less known) tho even avoiding oranges I can still get one after missing too much sleep + proper meals along with sudden weather change. I still have no idea what caused my worst ever migraine that sent me to hospital at 3am. My friends still joke that it was the 4x intravenous pain meds in 4 hours that made me think the Doctor was cute (when I was finally able to take the washer cloth off my eyes). I swear he was fiiiiine.
I think one factor for all our suggestions is that we’d love to help prevent someone suffering.
Shingle? Yes, young adults, and children, can get shingles. It isn’t common, but it happens, A couple of years ago a friend, who was about 60, had a terribke migraine. Nothing helped. Over the course of about a week, he went to the ER twice. The headache would not quit.. Then there were spots on his scalp. He had shingles of the face. The rash started on his scalp, and spread down one side of his face, the eye, etc.
No one thought about Shingles – after all, it was a severe migrine……
Kid 1 probably doesn’t have shingles, but since her migraine isn’t responding to anything, you never know.
Careful about meds used for nauseaā one of the most commonly prescribed is Zofran (odanstran)ā great anti nausea med except it can make an migraine WORSE!! I never prescribe it when I have a patient with a migraine. Further there is an old nausea med called Compazine that can actually cure the migraine itself especially if given IV. Consider artificial sweeteners, MSG or another recently developed food allergy as the culpritā keeping a headache diary and noticing what was eaten where the patient is at in the hormonal cycle, etc… can help to figure our causes to avoid.
+1 to MSG and artificial sweeteners. Knew a girl with escalating Neuro symptoms until she was finally in a wheelchair. She gave up her diet coke addiction and was normal again.
I hope they are able to find the trigger for Kid 1ās migraines. For me itās things like cigarette smoke and incense, for my youngest sister itās artificial sweeteners. Do you know they add that to almost EVERYTHING??!!
Good luck, get rest, hope all is well soon!
Mono sodium glutamate gives my sister horrible migraines, also strong artificially scented anything…
My co worker is flattened by MSM sensitivity. It gives him killer migraines. My sympathies.
Dear Ilona,
Sorry Kid 1ās Migraine is back. I remember my first migraine. I was 26 and working in an office. One of the men wore strong cologne and we all had chinese food for lunch. I thought Iād gotten food poisoning š
Creating a migraine journal is one of the best things to do to figure out triggers. Sheāll likely be surprised over her triggers. I was surprised to find weather is one of mine.
Due to high humidity holding pollutants in the air and the barometric pressure of late, Iāve been either migraine-ish or needing migraine meds since
last week.
Things that help me:
Gel packs on head and neck as mentioned in previous postās comments.
Eating freshly grated ginger root has been extremely helpful for alleviating my nausea. I take quarter teaspoons plain or with honey in 15 minute intervals until nausea goes away. Usually I only have to do that three times to alleviate or at least reduce nausea for the next several hours.
Eating bland food helps too like the BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and/or Toast). Consider avoiding MSG too.
Avoid scented or strong smelling products including air fresheners, candles, laundry products, scented /strong smelling cleaners, nail care, and scented body/hair products. Many of the ingredients in scented products make sinuses swell or have hormone disruptors which can help trigger migraines.
Take care,
Lisa W.
Oh yes, sunlight gives me a doozy of a headache. Always keep a good pair of sunglasses at hand!
I havenāt determined if regular sunglasses are just as good or ones marketed for migraines. Like these which Iāve been tempted to try: https://www.axonoptics.com/
I have worn pink glasses for over 20 years to reduce headaches from computer use and glare. I can always tell if they have the color off (I have prescription glasses).
+1 learn your headache triggers. Everyone has their own. Bright sunlight, extended loud sounds, forget to eat or sleep for a couple of days, muscle tension, alergies, processed food, on and on. Pain counselor and biofeedback help to learn those.
I worked with a young woman in her mid-twenties who suffered from devasting migraines. Medication was marginally helpful but what gave her the most relief was finding a doctor who was able to identify certain food related triggers and other lifestyle changes which made a migraine attack more likely. She had to be careful what she ate including caffeine and chocolate. We changed the lighting in her office from overhead fluorescent to desk lamps. This was several years ago and I canāt remember all the details now.
Yes I had to take caffeine out of my diet. At the time I was devastated to learn chocolate also contains caffeine. Over time I developed a moderate tolerance for the caffeine levels in chocolate but over time my liking for chocolate seems to have dropped away. When I was still stubbornly trying to include chocolate in my diet bright light became a trigger, so managing to drop chocolate has been a big help. However I still can’t tolerate those strobe light jewellery items my work colleagues find so much fun at Christmas. I was relieved when a couple of clients had trouble with them as well. Sleep deprivation remains a trigger. I have heard of people for whom cheese is a trigger. One last thing that made a HUGE difference in my ongoing pain levels – wearing a night time mouth guard – I don’t know what you call them in the Northern Hemisphere. Turns out I am a serious tooth grinder but no one thought to look at that until I was in my thirties, had developed asthma through long term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories trying to control the pain and finally broke a tooth in my sleep one night. I bit my first mouth guard in two however the second one is made of tougher stuff though still clearly has a limited life span. So, for me, I had two separate pain experiences which I thought were linked and which weren’t. The migraine spikes and the constant pain from severe tooth grinding. I am so sorry to hear of the hardships your family and your child are experiencing. I hope that something in this information is useful, and that your daughter’s journey into a pain free life is short and her time in a pain free life is long and full of joy. I can imagine how frightening this will be for you all.
Its amazing the good a properly fitted nightguard does. I would eventually grind mine down and have to go back to get it repaired. Amazing headache relief, and neck/back pain relief.
Unfortunately I did not find out that there were such things until I was in my 50s and had done major crack damage to my teeth -now have a collection of expensive crowns. I did get a referral from the specialist who did the night guard to the guy who did my crowns as having them shaped right is really important for those of us who are grinders. Still need the guard but with the crowns I don’t wear it down like I used to. (Tufts Dental school is the best place in the country for this work.)
I wish I could get them to change from the florescent lights at work (one of my triggers), but that’s not going to happen. I’m happiest there when our lights or power fail and they aren’t on. I did remove the bulbs over my desk though (we have a few that don’t work and mine “is” one of them ?). ?
Iāve had migraines for a while and they kept getting worse and worse. There is no way to describe the pain. My thoughts are with kid1. Hope you find the trigger. My trigger was my birth control pill. No pill-no migraine. Hurray.
And thank you so much for writing such wonderful stories. They brighten my day whenever I read them.
I am looking forward to reading sotb and sapphire flames š
Hey
So sorry to hear about your childās migraines My daughters started as she hit puberty and she has had a migraine at all times for 2 years
But
Texas Childrens Headache center in the woodlands is THE best- and hopefully not too far from you
Canāt stress enough about keeping the migraine journal
Oral Birth control is a Major trigger
MigreRelief is a vitamin that has helped sooo much- you can find it on Amazon
Hope she gets better soon- also Donāt let her try to tough out the headaches as soon as they start take medicine or whatever helps right away Trying to ignore minor pain can inflame the nerves and lead to longer worse headaches
Good luck!
“Oral Birth control is a Major trigger”…
Unless it’s not. I take BC pills to alleviate that hormonal aspect of my migraine cycle. (I mean, I like to think pregnancy prevention will come in to it, but not so much!) Hormones in one form or another do have an affect on many migraine sufferers who menstruate – and BC pills can make that better or worse, depending on what’s going on, and what pills. Like so many things, it’s complicated. (The way caffeine helps some people and is a trigger for others. And does nothing either way for me, probably because my migraines don’t really have a vascular component.)
Anecdotal story here but Iām not sure if anyone else has brought it up.
Sometimes, tension headaches can mimic migraine symptoms.
For a few people that I know, they are caused by neck vertebrae that have become locked in place and are causing nerve pain.
A chiropractor usually works wonders for those people- relief in about 5 hours or so.
I’ve had migraines since I had my first child at 22. (I’m now 71.) After decades of trying everything under the sun, my neurologist and I finally hit on a combination of Gabapentin and Telmisartan daily to prevent; and Rizatriptan if I have one. I have gone
from 4-5 migraines a week, to 1 a month. What a difference in my life!
I hope they get a handle quickly on what is causing her pain.
Good luck with the migraine thing, its a battle. I’ve had them myself since high school, everyone is different, so no advice but to keep trying. Love kid two…. He and my hubby sound a lot alike. Also love the Samuel L Jackson meme. … I want him to narrate my life story! Lol
I’m so sorry to hear that she’s still suffering from migraines. It’s hard seeing your daughter go through that. My youngest is 9 and got diagnosed with cyclic vomiting syndrome which is like abdominal migraines but with vomiting too. For a long time we didn’t know what was going on the doctor’s would say “She’s just got a sensitive stomach.” It didn’t seem to be connected to food because I had her allergy tested and we eat the same foods all the time if it was food she would have been sick a lot more and after a really rough couple of weeks her doctor order a abdominal CT Scan that come back normal. She’d just get sick out of the blue and it would be violent vomiting it is SO scary. We’ve come to figure out that anxiety can effect it for sure and anti nausea medicine usually helps. Having this she will most likely suffer from migraines when she gets older but I sure hope not. Your daughter will be in my thoughts and prayers. Hope she can get a diagnosis and some relief soon.
I know you might get non stop advice about headaches and migraines, that it will be over whelming. So many people who suffer or find a way to live with them is vast. I know when I was 18 and I woke up with this horrible pain in my head that I could barely move. Everything seemed to be stabbing me… light, sound and smell. I started throwing up and ended up in the ER. After a shot of Imitrex, a prescription of pills and an appointment with a Nero specialist. They sent me on my way. After my visit with the the N S a couple of weeks later, who scared the crap outta me. I guess the ER over prescribed the Imitrex and pills. I am to avoid ever taking it again… I spent years trying to figure out my triggers and how to cope. As it turns out I married a man who suffers migrains, and he didn’t even know what they were. 16 years later my teen daughter suffers the same. She has been on a prescription to help maintain. Along with diet, we as a family deal with it. The best aids when it hits, for me… Fountain Coke, french fries, and some kind of protein(meat that is easy to chew). For some reason though the Coke and fried potatoes are a must have to kick it. Cool rag on the back of the neck, and a kerchief/ bandanna or scarf wrapped tight around the head over the eyes, to block light and the pressure helps. We have seen many doctors and specialist who disagree with this. They want and expect people to drop caffeine completely. We tried it didn’t help. Keeping a well balanced diet and no processed foods is supposed to help as well, but different things work for different people. But the fountain Coke, Fried potatoes, and wrapping something around the head is the go too when we are hit with one.
When I started getting migraines, I managed to determine two major triggers for me. One of them is raw onions. Cooking them breaks down whatever chemical triggers the migraine, so I can still eat things like onion rings and grilled potatoes and onions, thank God. But, I used to eat raw onions on things all the time, and I have to be careful with garlic now as well. Food tastes weird when you suddenly cut out a major flavor element… it was a couple of years before burgers tasted okay again. But now it has been long enough that I don’t even miss the onion. And, I’m lucky because raw onion has a strong, distinctive odor and taste, so it’s easy to identify foods that contain it.
The good thing is that if you can identify and avoid your major triggers, you can reduce migraines by a lot. The bad news is that if you can’t identify the trigger, or if it’s something you can’t avoid (for instance, the weather is a minor trigger for me, but I have a coworker who is consistently weather-sensitive; so far I haven’t figured out how to control the barometric pressure in our region, but if I come up with something I’ll let you all know), you have to work around it. And triggers can be complex and work in conjunction with each other and with other factors, so it can be difficult to identify them… plus, things like caffeine which can help some people, can be triggers for other people.
Hope Kid1 finds a treatment that works well for her, and finds it quickly!
You are so lucky. I too am allergic to onions. For me it is hereditary from my paternal line. I have the full blown nausea, vomiting and blow out diarrhea but no migranes. However, I have migranes from MSG, Equal.. . Whatever I am reacting to is present in raw and cooked onions and onion powder. My allergist thinks might be sulfer in some form as I react negatively to sulfa medications.
The key to diagnosis was trigger diary then diligence. Allergy testing was interesting.
I agree that I’m lucky compared to many. My migraines are less intense, shorter-duration, and less frequent than an awful lot of people. They still suck monkey balls, but could always be worse.
But if you want true luck – my dad recently found out he has had ocular migraines for almost his entire life. In other words, his only symptoms are visual. No pain. No nausea. Just visual auras. He ignored them for decades until he finally thought to ask his eye doctor out of curiosity and the eye doctor diagnosed him.
Mom and I might have had some not-very-nice things to say about people who manage to get migraines that are so mild that they simply ignore it for roughly half a century, while the rest of us have to suffer.
I get migraines when it feels too hot, if I’m low on sleep, if the sun is shining too brightly, etc. I hope they find out what is causing it for your daughter or at least a way to treat it to make things manageable.
I’m sorry her headache returned. When you go back to the Dr. ask about trigeminal neuralgia. Sounds like some weird disease but it’s actually swelling/blockage/irritation of the trigeminal nerve. Causes migraine like pain usually in the side of the face, jaw area, but can be above the ear and in the forehead area.
My husband had this, and we were told it’s very rare to find someone who diagnoses this correctly the first time… unless they’ve seen it before. And it’s not common at all. We got lucky, teaching hospital here and the
ER doc had just covered this in his classes.
The problem shows up in a basic xray, they just have to look for it specifically. Hubby took the meds for about 6 – 8 months and it hasn’t returned.
Anyway, hopefully they figure out the cause and there is a reasonable solution.
Have you looked into pierced daiths for migraines? I had it done, and I can honestly say it is a game changer. From headaches and migraines almost constantly, to one every few months, it really made a difference for me.
Sorry to hear your child is still not feeling better. Nothing worse for a Mom to see their baby (no matter how old!) sick.
I am sure you have investigated this, but is it possible the migrain is a symptom of TMJ? I had a severe case of TMJ that gave me a migraine. (They had to give me valium) Also found that nitrates and chocolate exacerbated my migraines….
I did that too out of desperation. Looks nice and as part of my entire treatment package I believe it helped. Many rxs just had so many side effects I moved on without most of them. Smart healer friends said consider all The pieces in terms of percents. Decrease caffeine 15% improve careful nutrition 20% daith piercing 15%so on. Little more work but less toxic and expensive.
Iāve suffered from migraines most of my life. I still recall my ex witnessing one particular episode where he witness led me banging my head on the bathroom floor. Yep, it was that bad and I did not realize what I was doing. Mine was a combination of of things. They started treating me with Imitrex injections and pain killers, but could never give me an exact cause. I was able to get ahead of the migraine and treat with a combo of RX and get ahead of the issue when I felt it coming on and before it got out of hand. I also started trying to figure out if outside environmental triggers were a source. Some of it was drops in the BMP, allergies, but most probably my Lupus was the culprit. It sucked, because it is and was completely debilitating. Donāt rule out anything, I was in my 20ās and very early 30s when I went through this, I still get them here and there but not as frequently or at all as I did before. My heart goes out to your daughter and you guys. Donāt give up on trying to find the culprit, I also found on my journey I had to do much of my own research because doctors only really know so much.
My son has head migraines and what the pediatric neurologist called abdominal migraines which gave him severe nausea and abdominal cramps. His triggers are stress and chocolate for the head migraines and yellow dye # 5 which is found in candy, cake mixes, cereal, soda and commercial lemonade. Anything that is yellow or green. Whenever he eats something and gets the abdominal migraines we check the label and sure enough we missed the yellow dye #5. FYI, Canada has banned it in foods. And yes, these lasted 3-5 days and not much stops them once they start. He is on two maintenance medications that took a lot of trial and error to find the right combination. We were told he may outgrow the abdominal migraines but is 20 now and still gets them occasionally. It is going to take some time to find the triggers and the right medication.
Since others posted that they could preorder the paper copy, I went and looked too. Here’s a link to the paperback preorder. (I didn’t see one yet. Sorry if this has already been posted.) ?
Sweep of the Blade (Innkeeper Chronicles) https://www.amazon.com/dp/108014398X/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_TMJkDbT0V9TPA
This is just a link like I would text to someone. Nothing in it for me, just thought I’d share it. It made me look a bit to get something other than Kindle (already preordered).
Thank you, thank you, Breanm! Ordered.
So, so sorry for the pain kid1 is suffering and the heartbreak the rest of you are feeling because you can’t FIX it! It is unbelievable the stress that causes. You are all in my prayers ??
You’re welcome. ?
I just realized that I couldn’t type my own name. ?āāļø
Migraines are the worst. I have suffered from them since 3rd grade. My 2 biggest triggers are weather (barometric pressure and humidity) and lack of sleep. My next biggest are strong scents. If it is a left side one I can treat it with excedrin cold wet washcloth over forehead and eyes on a dark mostly quiet room sometimes and warm compress to back of neck. If it’s a right side it waxed and wanes and goes away on it’s own schedule and nothing I do has much impact on it. As for kid 1 for teaming nausea– have you tried acupressure to the skin between thumb and forefinger? Also strangely sometimes smelling rubbing alcohol can help with nausea as well.
Good Lord, no idea so many people suffer from migraines! My sympathy to all of you. The worst headaches I ever had were sinus caused by Candida overgrowth 10 years after massive radiation for thyroid cancer. It felt like somebody hit me in the head with a hammer. I replaced the good flora with daily Probiotics and no headaches for 14 years. Here’s hoping you all get back to normal soon.
My thoughts going out to you guys and Kid1. I have suffered from migraines since a teenager, and was in the hospital about every 6 months (went through the spinal tap too), so my parents know exactly how you are feeling right now. After so many doctors I have learned that each persons migraine triggers are very unique and different, the thing that saved me was a food diary that also included my activities for the day (it takes time, but finding a pattern helps identity what is not helping). I will say that if naproxen or a anti-inflammatory is still helping, try a deep massage on all the muscles in the neck, jaw, shoulders, back… cause ironically muscles that are very unhappy can trigger migraines.
+1 for massage…
Migraines are the pits. Keep a food diary. Hopefully you all will get a handle on the triggers soon.
Sorry to hear your daughter is still having problems. My mom had migraines for years and didnāt seem to have any of the regular triggers you hear about. A doctor finally sent her for allergy testing even though she didnāt have watery eyes/ congestion/sneezing. She has allergies but nothing unusual- dust , mold, pollen. When she started taking allergy meds, her migraines went away. Hope itās something that simple for your girl!
Another migraine sufferer, and my deepest sympathies. Non migraineurs just don’t get why 3 Aleve is not sufficient, and why you would call in sick for a “just” a headache. After 30+ years, I still read everything I can and all of the previous comments to learn about triggers since mine have evolved over time. At this point, I control exposure to my triggers (which include too much/little caffeine, barometric pressure, lack of sleep, too many skipped meals, certain specific fluorescent lights, direct sunlight- I wear hats EVERY DAY, very strong perfumes, artificial sweeteners). By now, I have to experience what I call a stack of triggers, to roll over into an attack. Something to consider; both of my daughters are migraineurs as well…the younger one gets the abdominal attack as well and her trigger is primarily hormonally cyclical. The right birth control prescription has alleviated that a little. The older has similar triggers to me, and like me, has found that vomiting SOONER, instead of fighting it, caused a lower incidence of rebound migraine after taking the Imitrex/Relpax/Maxalt/Zomig etc. Also, you could consider how to take the onset preventive medication. I’ve used pill, auto injector, and nasal spray. For me, a pill has a higher incidence of failing to stop an onset, but adds less to already feeling horrible. The nasal spray tended to be able to stop an onset faster (If it worked at all) but they make me feel much worse for 45 to 90 minutes, before the headache lifts. All I can do is go somewhere quiet while things take their course. The auto injector falls between the other two but, using it makes me more anxious.
Peace,
Thank you, Ilona Andrews, for the update. Glad kid1 okay. Migranes are difficult to pin down as to trigger. But better than being 6 foot under although you feel that way.
Trigger and food diary are important. I am sure you will soon become experts in allergy testing. Skin prick and IgE. I have a sibling who has become an expert on weather thanks to migranes.
Good luck.
Funny thing there. *Mostly* IgE. Now, it’s unclear how or even if my migraines are tied to my allergy issues (there’s likely at least an indirect connection, but that’s out of scope.) But my migraines and my more severe allergies developed after the spine surgery, and the evidence we have so far suggests that those allergies (particularly the anaphylaxis) aren’t IgE mediated. The lovely MD/PhD allergist I was working with at the Cleveland Clinic threw up his hands over it – we could continue with tests, but the time vs. likelihood of getting data was dropping off – and the friend of mine who is a research immunologist and I… are still waving at each other from a couple of states away and saying we’ll meet up in person and see if we can come up with ideas, three years later. Human bodies are weird, and do a lot of things we don’t necessarily understand. (Non-IgE mediated anaphylaxis is documented, but not well characterized, as I understand it. At least, I didn’t find anything more on it that “look, here’s proof that it exists”.) Mind you, my anaphylactic allergies are easy to manage – it’s the mustards that are really annoying.
(I should block out some time early next year, if he has time, to go up and see him, and meet the kids, etc..)
I read that botox is supposed to help migraines.
As a long term migraine sufferer and coming from a family of several generations of us here’s some facts and thoughts.
Migraines are often hereditary within a family. There are many different types of migraines. Be aware of vestibular migraine symptoms, they can be even more different still. Migraines can have avoidable triggers but they can also just be an arsehole and happen. It is still unknown what exactly causes migraines, exactly how they work and what they are. They are no-one’s fault and they hurt like f*ck. Everyone is different and I know my UK treatment is probably different to US diagnoses and treatments. I’ve had migraines since childhood (some of my earliest memories alas), I’m now 38 and they’re fairly well controlled with daily topiramate preventative and sumatriptan relief when needed. I still get between 2-5 a month but compared to a few years back this is a vast improvement. If preventative meds are needed then don’t despair if the first ones don’t work and don’t be scared to change them or ask for different ones. Triptans are the best thing ever and I praise sumatriptan always except for when I’m too slow or they’re too close together or too strong (but I still appreciate the heck out of it). Also having hayfever, eczema or asthma can worsen migraines (this is unfortunately way too true, I get all three. Sinus headaches and migraine can sometimes get into a really nasty fight over my neural pathways. I always lose. Plus asthma coughing, bad breathing aggravates it as does an acute dermatitis bout. Why? Heck knows, but your skin is the largest organ of the body so. . . )
I can feel Kid1’s pain. Used to get migraines that were stress related. The muscles in my neck were so tight that they never relaxed. That combined with hypothyroidism would keep me flat on my back in the dark. My daughter was under age 7 and would come in my bedroom to see how I was feeling. She would unintentionally hit the edge of the bed and send shock waves through my head and body. Two things helped me: 1) getting diagnosed for hypothyroidism and getting put on medication and 2) massage therapy. Started out with 2-3 massages per week, then once a week, then every other week until my neck muscles relaxed and stayed relaxed.
Mom – you might want to treat yourself to a massage too.
Hoping soon find a cause and a cure.
Love Kid2
If you haven’t heard SLJ read “Go the F#*k to Sleep”, find it on YouTube. It is hysterical!
+1000 on āGo The F@*k to Sleepā, especially read by SLJ.
I do not suffer from Migraines, so no advice on treatment here. My son however does have stress headaches that put him out of commission for a couple days. Watching him suffer makes me feel great empathy for you and your daughter. Wishing you both better health and resolution on the problem. My son is in his 30ās, #3 of four boys, but Iāll always be his Mom……..
Hope they find out what’s happening with Kid 1. Migraines are one of those things that aren’t a one size fits all trigger and cure.
Don’t know how long ago the spinal tap was, but they’re notorious for causing migraine symptoms- caused by the lower pressure from less cerebrospinal fluid. A close friend had a tap a while back, and she was discharged with the warning that ‘you might have a bit of a headache’. Well the headache lasted 2 weeks (which is about how long it took for the CSF volume to get back up to normal) and she described it as the Worst Hangover Ever x 1000 – nausea, thumping head (+++ when she had the audacity to move), light and sound (especially herself talking) reactivity. After talking to other people who’ve had spinal taps, it turns out that this is a pretty ‘normal’ reaction.
Yeah, well Kateās my Patronus and itās all your fault! (Thanks btw.)
I am so sorry her migraine is back. I had them when I was younger. I used acupuncture, chiropractor and essential oils. I pray she finds lasting relief.
One of my biggest most immediate migraine triggers is artificial sweeteners, particularly aspartame.
Other triggers: MSG, food dyes (I don’t consume food/liquids with them), alcohol (alas), rapid changes in barometric pressure, birth control pills (these also affected my blood pressure), too much bright sunlight, heat exposure.
Something to try: acupuncture and/or acupressure.
I hope your daughter gets some relied soon
Nausea is the worst. It still kind of amazes me how awful and distracting it is compared to even pretty severe pain. (Though apparently that’s pretty standard?)
When I was going through my initial stages of migraine hell, audiobooks were a lifesaver. I couldn’t always deal with them, and I didn’t always have enough brain to track them, but generally speaking I’ve found good fiction to be more effective than most analgesics on their own?
I know Neurondoc offered to help you connect with good local folks, and if you haven’t found the right people, and they have the contacts, I’d seriously look into it? My situation was made immeasurably better by the fact that I was already seeing folks at the Cleveland Clinic’s Neurological Institute for my spine surgery, and they have a Headache center with pretty excellent people.* With any luck, this will be a relatively straightforward process, but you want to have solid people who are keeping up with the science. Migraines are so flippin’ individual.
(My process was some kind of collision between the plate in my neck and what turned out to be a mitochrondrial disorder that finally fell off a precipice. There was a lot of awful, a few new med intolerances discovered… But I get maybe one or two a month now, and they’re pretty light, all considering.)
* Who, BTW, do video appointments, which I mention mostly for the benefit of anyone who is somewhere where they can’t find an appropriate specialist. A few friends around the US have ended up calling them to really good results, and I’m probably sticking with my migraine doc there. That being said, a good local center is the way to go if you have it.
Here is some unsolicited migraine advice from someone who spent the night in the hospital with a BFF who is a migraine sufferer. 1) COLD, dark room, 2) cold compresses, 3) (is she sensitive to barometric pressure changes?…I mean you do have a hurricane bearing down on Louisiana) If the answer is yes…Sudafed will help relieve the pressure. 4) lots of water…avoid caffeine(yeah that part sucks). There is also a couple of pressure points that can help relieve migraine pain…depends on whether its in the front or the back….google can help here. I know you are being inundated with advice…hopefully some will help. I get sinus migraines with big storms. Not so much since I moved out of Texas and into Colorado. I know you guys in TX are getting a crap-ton of rain and mold is high because of the heat. It may take a while to narrow down the trigger but I would be willing to bet its environmental. Donāt worry about the writing…family comes first and sometimes life just gets in the way. We can wait. Best wishes from CO!
Hi Guys, I live in the Austin area, and am an acupuncturist. When i have really difficult to solve cases, i often refer my patients to John Bandy 512-328-4041 at Austin Holistic Health off 360 and bee caves. Also, he has a great apprentice of 15 years that moved closer on bee caves and is a super sweet super smart lady named Rachel Bailey 512-585-4654. Either one of these two guys can track down and find solutions for some of the most complicated medical stuff. Worth trying it out for your daughter maybe?
I had a heart thing and went on Beta Blockers for a couple of years. That ended up having a great side effect for me: I stopped having migraines. When I went off that medication, the relief continued. Instead of at least one migraine per month, I dropped to maybe one every four years.
Maybe you can find out about that for Kid1. Good luck to her, because many of us know how bad those headaches are and none of us wish them even on our worst enemies!
Oh that poor child. I’m so sorry. I get nauseous with my migraines as well. It’s awful. I don’t have children, but it must be one of the worst feelings in the world to have a child in pain. I was devastated when I had to get the puppy neutered. He gave me sad eyes and I felt like a schmuck. I hope the doc has answers for you and she is better soonest.
I am sorry Kid 1 has had the headache/migraine return. The spinal tap may have exacerbated things, and doesn’t it just suck when the diagnostic test makes what is wrong worse?
You and Gordon need to take care of yourself as well through all this. Unfortunately the answer to migraine isn’t one size fits all, so this is liable to take a while.
As mentioned above, a daily journal that includes headache status, everything she eats and drinks, weather and stress level may help identify triggers, which can only help.
You guys are in my thoughts, and good luck with the follow up appointment.
Mention to the doctor a D.H.E. drip. They may have something better now but I’ve been hospitalized twice with migraines the wouldn’t stop and they used that and it was very effective. Also, look into rebound headaches if you haven’t already. You may know all of this but as a fellow migraineur my heart goes out.
I do not have any cures. I once had a weird illness with nauseous, vertigo and pain. Spent a week in hospital and continued tests for months. They never came up with a diagnosis, but I eventually got better. I still carry meds around in case I need them.
I’m sorry to hear that she hasn’t been able to shake it yet.
As opposed to any advice on migraines (I can’t even figure mine out), I’ll leave you something light hearted and random that my niece got stuck in my head the other day.
I might be a bunny: https://youtu.be/VcSwDjRu1ug
Oh, that is cute!?
Ikr? Super adorable and nice as a small mini distraction. š
I hope you figure out her triggers for her migraines. I have lots of friends who get them for many different reasons, some listed above. I did have a coworker a long time ago who had them and were resolved when she got a diagnoses for depression and her meds rebalanced her head. I feel for all of you who get them. They don’t just go away.
you do not ghost nick fury!
I know everyone is throwing advice at y’all for the headaches. I haven’t gone through anything like that myself, but my best friend had migraines so bad that at one point they thought she might have a degenerative nerve condition. She’s still undiagnosed (ugh. We’ve come so far and yet know so little about the brain) but the things she noticed that were “triggers” included the weather (previously mentioned), certain foods, and stress.
My grandmother and Aunt also had severe headaches caused by Multiple Chemical Sensitivity – they have to watch what they eat, the chemicals (like perfumes) they’re around, and mold (spores are bad)
I hate to say it, but if the headaches continue, and they’re not able to diagnose it, you may have to go through the process of elimination to make sure the location, the nutrition, and the environment are/are not what’s affecting her.
It’s kinda odd, but I’m seeing a lot of people my age (early-mid 20s) being affected by something like this, when they’ve been healthy previously.
Prayers for you and your family!
Migraines nearly ruined my career and marriage. Stopped birth control pills, caffine, smoking, all that stuff and no food allergies. Come to find out, it was atmospheric pressure changes. My doctor gave me a wonderful prescription for Zomig. One little, bitty pill as needed at the onset. I was careful driving, but otherwise no side effects. I live on the Oregon coast now, but no migraines.
Maybe you did this already but just in case, check the side effect of the nausea pills. I had one prescribed to me, but had to stop taking them because one of the side effects listed was severe headaches! Usually my migraines are triggered by weather, going from cold to hot. I have to force myself to stay extra hydrated and drink lots of caffeine on those days. Then I just have to stay in bed in the dark, absolute dark. Ice pack on the back of the neck sometimes help. Hope Kid 1 feels better soon.
Hold on to your butts!
May I introduce you to https://slipsum.com/, the best mother-effin’ replacement text generator. Guaranteed to bring shock and awe to client meetings.
Warning: Only use with persons possessing intact senses of humor.
The nausea can seem worse than the pain for me sometimes.
If it’s still suspected tension she should definitely try deep soaking baths, heat packs, and massage. I would still suggest Physio or Chiro for posture corrections. This made a huge difference for me.
If your going to look at food triggers I encourage you to please make sure she’s working with a good nutritionist. There are a lot of people who think they know what’s what and the internet is full of conflicting or just bad advice regarding diet. Triggers can really vary from person to person.
Oh, poor, poor kid 1. I am so, so sorry. Every migraineurās situation is individual. I hope that she gets the right medical help to resolve this quickly.
And the right medical help can be brilliantly effective….not everyoneās migraine stories are negative….
My husband had undiagnosed severe migraines (mostly nausea symptoms with light sensitivity) as a child. It was only when pain symptoms also developed as an adult that he got a correct diagnosis. His consultant helped in finding his triggers (for him, these include low blood sugar, stress and air travel: two triggers have to be present in his case for a migraine to develop). As a child he also often had sinus infections, and these have left damage that are also a contributing factor for him. Although there is not too much we can do about the damage that is already done, he now treats sinus infections aggressively so as to minimize further damage.
With some simple lifestyle changes (he now eats breakfast, manages his blood sugar and stress levels better) he has gone from having migraines every week to none at all. The consultantās suggestion of taking strong Ibuprofen with caffeine before flying also works like a charm.
There is a lot of research in the UK on migraines. For those of you who are interested, there is a nice summary at https://www.migrainetrust.org/living-with-migraine/treatments/calcitonin-gene-related-peptide-pathway-monoclonal-antibodies/ of the first drug protocols in the UK that can prevent migraines for some. Lots of other migraine information on this site too (I have no affiliation or financial links with this charity, but have found it to be a good source of information).
Ilona, I just checked out Say No to the Duke and howled with laughter. One of my oldest friends is named Jeremy Roden (spelled the same way), and heās English! Heās 57 years old now, but he did have a way with the ladies back in the day. I noticed that the story mostly takes place in 1779. I met Jeremy in 1979!
I have a rare condition that causes fluids and sodium to fast-track right out of me. When I donāt balance everything carefully I get terrible headaches. I am assuming the docs checked her sodium and vasopressin and found no issues. If the migraines persist, you might want to check.
I had horrible Migraines until 15 years ago. I worked in a county Mental Health unit and one of the doctors told me to try Gabapentin (it is also called: Neurontin). I take 2 at night and I have had little side effects. I cannot in all conscience recommend this medication, but it has helped me. I have had only 3 major attacks in 15 years after spending many days out of work , including trying to read papers with colored auroras floating over script. Again, suggesting any medication does not include your reactions or allergies, but if your Migraines are bad enough…
So basically doc be like, “Ooh, Migraine! Must be Meningitis!”
(three days later)
“Okay, not Meningitis. Must be anxiety. Go home and call your doctor in the morning.”
When in doubt, blame the patient.
(I have a general distrust of any diagnosis that blames the patient).
So I have migraines and have had since I was in a very bad car wreck as a teenager. Through trial and error Iāve found that I canāt take any drugs in the same category as Imitrex due to nausea. Because the only thing worse than a migraine is vomiting with one.
I hope your daughter finds what works for her.
whoops, wrong blog post. But oh well.
I am so sorry. My son inherited migraines from me. We he was smaller they advised against migraine meds and let me give him motrin, Tylenol, a coke and an anti nausea med. If you didn’t catch the headache in time, he was vomiting for hours and in severe pain. Water didn’t even stay down. Light was agonizing. Ice packs and lying on the bathroom floor were a frequent occurrence. All I could do was hope he somehow feel asleep and it would pass while he was out. I kept wishing I could take the pain for him and would do anything to take the pain. Mercifully no demons popped up in response to that plea.
We can now give him migraine meds and the difference is night and day, if he takes the pills at the first sign of a headache. And yes, he says he can tell whether a headache is a migraine or not. I hope you find a good Dr. I would try and start keeping a book of everything to figure out triggers (his are not eating on a regular schedule, allergies, and strong storm fronts(pressure change))
I wish you all the best.
I am sorry kid 1 is having migraines, unfortunately there is usually a bunch of trial an error to figure it out. The above comment on keeping track of things can be very helpful to avoiding migraines. Don’t assume something isn’t a trigger because it isn’t on the list (one of my triggers is orange juice). Although it can be a pain, regular schedules for food and sleep can help. And if a preventative helps, I’ve discovered (the hard way) that they slightly decrease the migraine. Also, warning on pain medication rebounds, sometime stopping the pain medication brings on another headache, which is incredibly frustrating. Hope her “trial and error” period is very short.
How long have the migraines been going on? Anything new in that time? Like laundry detergent? Change in diet?
Have her keep a food diary once she can eat. I inherited my mom’s migraine allergy to certain red foods (red, orange, purple, caramel, etc) but it can also hide like in green bell peppers that would ripen to red, or butter-flavored stuff (have you ever noticed how orange movie popcorn butter is?).
We’re also allergic to certain foods that flouresce under UV light.
A neighbor who had migraines started keeping a food diary at mom’s suggestion and discovered she was allergic to yellows.
When’s the last time she had her eyes checked? Headaches used to clue me in that it was time for a new glasses prescription.
I REALLY hope she gets a handle on the cause quickly.
Hugs!
One time when I was on a date, this guy just started staring at my neck when he hadn’t been. When I got home, found a rash on my throat and that was the first and only time that I wore perfume. I tend to react more when my blood sugar is down.
Now my mom stopped having migraines when she stopped smoking.
I used to suffer from migraine because of a combo of eye strain and florecent lights, and none of the meds prescribed to me worked. What did end up working is a combo of apple cider vinegar tablets( not the capsules) about 6 of them at a time and activated charcoal powder. Not sure if you would be interested in trying it, I thought I would share just in case.
is kid 1 stressing & worrying about something?
also read somewhere that sometimes botox works.
I suffered from frequent migraines for decades – in the fall of 2017 I had one for over a month. I am fortunate to have an amazing migraine specialist. He’s not even a doctor, he’s a PA with a special certificate in headache management but he has gotten me to the point where I have almost no migraines anymore. I do take a number of preventative medications and supplements – verapamil, candasartan, topiramate, vit. b-2, vit. b-6, b-12, coQ10, and Boswellia Serrata. It’s a lot but it is better than migraines. I do believe inquiring around for the best migraine specialist around, even if it requires a bit of a drive, is more than worth it.
My son, who is a doctor, told me that dehydration can cause headaches, and that even if not the cause, dehydration can make any headache worse. I don’t know to what extent this might apply to migraines, but it’s easy to get slightly dehydrated without realizing it, and summer heat is here. Good luck to all of you in getting control of this.
My teen daughter started out with migraines that defied treatment. They were defined as “intractable”. We tried everything and nothing worked. We were not shocked, because she had suffered body pain and gastric issues for years that never seemed to have a medical basis the doctors could find and were difficult to treat. Very long story short, turns out she has a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in which intractable migraines are wildly common. Someone mentioned EDS to me when my kiddo was in the hospital for migraines and I waved it off. Then she spent nearly a year bedridden thanks to the neverending headache and nausea. Seems like you’re early in the process, but keep this in your back pocket just in case the normal migraine treatments don’t work. And the hallmark of EDS is being double-jointed, otherwise known as hypermobility. If, by chance, Kid1 is double-jointed, I’d look into EDS sooner rather than later.
The food coloring my mom and I are allergic to is water soluble (if we boil a food item that has it and pour off the water a couple of times we can eat it) and we’ve found that if we drink a lot of water when we feel the early signs of a migraine we can flush it out faster.
I have some major issues that became much less when I lived in Denmark. Never understood why. Now Iāve researched and researched and slowly taken things away that seem probable culprits. Most arenāt easy oh look get rid of this no more symptom but most when out of system for over a week I feel better over all with less flair ups. One tricky one I cane upon is enriched foods the fda is fond of them and they are also fond of chemically produced replicas of originals like folic acid vs folate one naturally occurs the other is chemically produced. I react to the chemical not to the natural. Unfortunately some arenāt so apparent and the fda allows the same name to use. Normally Iāve found my migraines are one of 3 things ( lack of something, chemicals in my food, or stress that I donāt have a plan for). In case you are wondering Denmark doesnāt complicate their food unless itās an import.
I take ginger for the nausea that accompanies my migraine. Sometimes, if I soak in double strength epsom salts in a really warm bath, it helps reduce the pain of the headache.
Sounds to me a lot like Kid1 has… migraines. I sincerely hope it’s nothing worse. As someone that grew into migraines aged about 40, I’m really not trivialising them – I describe them as feeling like someone’s driven an axe into my head, and then jumps up and down on the end of the axe for hours. They’re no fun. But apart from wishing I was dead so the pain would stop they’re not actually serious. They disrupt my life but they’re not going to kill me.
I take some pills everyday to keep them down to an acceptable rate (without them I get migraines lasting 3-5 days every week, with them it’s every month instead) and then more pills when the migraines hit to try and reduce the pain and manage the nausea.
So I hope they find out there’s nothing worse, they find something to help her reduce the frequency and impact.
All the best to you all.
I was very interested in your comment, I get migraines:::::With much muchness. Is there a preventative medicine I am not aware of? Please fell free to to comment for a more private discussion if it is controversial or personal. I take a whole cocktail when I get them and have learned some bizarre triggers but preventative meds? No.
Not trying to play doctor here, but I lost an entire semester in college due to migraines. In my case, tension had caused things in my neck to limit blood flow to my head. Took muscle relaxers, shoulder and neck massage, and a lot of anti-inflammatories to get it to quit. I know the frustration; you can treat the symptoms, but without knowing the cause, the migraines won’t go away. Sending good thoughts that you can narrow down the cause
Hi Ilona. I was given a leaflet by my GP on Brandt-Daroff Exercises to try and help my permanent migraine. These worked very well even though I doubted they would do anything due to the simplicity of them. It dislodges crystals in the inner ear. For half an hour a day it’s worth KOne giving them a go and they certainly wont harm.
A very late migraine thought. I started with migraine circa 1965 .
Back then I had emergency home treatments that can still be used til your meds kick in.
gross but it often helped..skip the zofran for nausea, and allow yourself to throw up. May help.
Get in very hot shower. Then no matter the weather I would wrap myself in blankets or quilts. Lie in dark and sweat…Relaxes muscles, medical reason-helps blood flow move from brain into rest of body. Sometimes the brain blood vessels swell and spasm. Take Biofeedback to learn to āheatā your hand temps when migraine starts.
In the absence of obvious causes, maybe look into estrogen, as it’s levels are associated with migraines.
Migraines are horrible – my late mother suffered from them for years. One of her triggers is licorice, and you’d be amazed at how many things contain it. Another allergen to keep an eye out for is soy. My family doc recently told me no one should be eating soy, and that about 50% of people are allergic to it (I’m not allergic but am definitely intolerant)… again, so many things contain soy, even spices. Caffeine from coffee and tea triggers some, but helps others (mum was one of the latter, thankfully).
Unfortunately, as someone else stated above, Kid #1 is in for a rough time trying to determine what triggers those vicious headaches and the nausea that accompanies the pain. Lying down in a dark cool room helps mitigate the symptoms to some degree. I wish her well, and hope it gets narrowed down to stuff she can avoid.
I’m so sorry about Kid 1 and the migraines. I don’t really have any suggestions as everyone else did a great job in the comments. I’ve found an app, Migraine Buddy, vastly helped me keep up with all the extras than come with migraines and how often I get them.
Kid 2 is hilarious and should never change.
Hadn’t checked in to the blog for a bit. Sorry to hear about K1’s problems. Have only had one migraine in my life, but I remember it well and would not wish them on my worst enemy. Hopefully y’all can figure out triggers and treatments quickly. Best wishes!!
Well,it can be worms. A few years ago my sister was compleining about severe headaches and they finally found her problem, a species of worms. OMG, I remember that my grandma was saying that she’s bewitched and she was performing al kinds of rituals with alots of spitting and mumbling. My poor sister was enduring anything just so the pain could stop.
What kind of worms? Pinworms, tapeworms, hookworms or something more exotic?
Could it be high blood pressure? Did the doctors check for that?
Please have your kid try crushed ice in a zip lock bag for her migraines. Place head on pillow with ice at base of head. Move ice to side of head, between eye and ear, switch to other side. Place bag of ice on top of head. This and over the counter medicine worked for me. Dark rooms and no sound or screens.
Hi
I suffered from severe migraines/burning scalp and ended up at the NYC headache center after seeing several neurologists who wanted to prescribe me medication. Dr. Mauskoff recommended magnesium shots, a holistic alternative which has worked wonders. I go monthly. Patients also can receive botox shots in the scalp as well. He’s well respected and i highly recommend magnesium shots ( pills didnt work for me). Good luck
OMG I went to him too, Tried the Botox but no go. Putting them in the scalp where docs have been doing doesnāt help as much as first reported. The problem is that the Botox basically canāt be everywhere at once around the head and neck and it is the problem of dilation and non-dilation that causes the pain. This can happen with or without Botox. Although my forehead was lovely and smooth for a while. Never tried Magnesium shots, must try.
Itās a long shot but my sister had something similar once and eventually was diagnosed with a pseudo brain tumor (brain thinks it has a tumor but it doesnāt). If I remember right, the cure was doing a spinal tap which worked like a reset. It is unlikely this is your kidās problem, but I bring it up because it was obscure but not horribly terrible to fix.
I suffered from periodic migraines for years. The only thing that kept the nausea at bay was McDonaldās coke. Something about their carbonation ratio worked for me. I also starting seeing an atlas orthogonal Chiropracter, which helped alleviate most of my migraines. Best of luck
What a coincidence! I just found this article a few days ago…
https://www.rd.com/food/fun/mcdonalds-coke/
I too have migraines and am avidly reading all the tips. I have none to offer–nothing seems to work for me. Triggers are allergies, storms and acid reflux.
I have had Chronic Severe Migraines since 2004. There were a ton of tests and lots of trial and error with different medications and treatments. It is important to find out what the triggers are so they can be avoided. I would recommend keeping a diary to try to identify what her triggers are. It took me quite some time to identify all of mine and to be able to feel when one is coming on in time to minimize the effects. Some of my triggers are preserved foods, cured meats (nitrates), caffeine, lack of sleep, eye strain, dehydration. Prevention is the key, She should try to keep the muscles in her neck, shoulders and jaw as loose as possible with stretching, massage and heat packs. It wonāt prevent them but it will minimize the length and strength of the migraine. The tight muscles will pinch the nerves as well as minimize the oxygen to the brain. Once the migraine starts there is a limited window to impact it. Once it goes too far she just needs to ride it out. Staying in a dark, cool, quiet room will help. Soda crackers for the Nausea. Itās hard to eat when you feel that bad but the crackers will help. Some people will take/drink caffeine when it starts. It can help for some people but too much will cause rebound headaches. Anti inflammatory meds help. Peppermint oils and creams can help as well. I get Botox injections on my head, neck and shoulders every 12 weeks. It makes the biggest impact. I also get Occipital Nerve blocks regularly. She should also check to make sure her jaw is not out of alignment. Stress will make the symptoms worse.
My trigger is not eating enough nutrient foods the day BEFORE. I never drink my morning coffee until I’ve had a bite of food or sip of juice. Now I only get pain free halo migraines during the fall when there is a specific pollen in the air.
My trigger is not eating enough and weather changes, snow coming is the worst…. A collegue of me discovered Akupunktur, it helps her in a great way. Help without pills! Hope kid 1 will get better!!!
I am so sorry to hear about Kid #1’s migraines. I’ve had them for many years and I learned a lot at https://migraine.com/ and appreciate their Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/MigraineDotCom/
Some triggers can be avoided but others (weather, menstrual phases) can’t. But at least managing the avoidable triggers can keep the unavoidable ones from worsening the pain level of the migraine.
I hope she gets some relief soon!
So very sorry to hear your daughter has started migraines. Iāve read the comments throughout and there are so many that offer suggestions help and simple good wishes. There were a few things, though, that have started to help me recently (migraine almost every day, the worst in the morning, waking with full blown pain) and some triggers that I think no one has mentioned.
First, in trying to describe to my doctor what a migraine felt like while you were in it, and the medicine (usually Sumatriptan,) didnāt have a chance before it got too far. I told her that one of the things that made it worse was the panic and feeling like it would never go away – being trapped in the pain forever, inexorably tightening things more.
She asked, āHave you ever tried taking Valium if the headache has gone too far to relax the muscles enough and to help the panic that makes everything worse? Whaaaat? It helped. Of course I am not suggesting in anyway feeding your daughter Valium all the time. But I have started to try this and was shocked that no one had come up with it before. It had three effects; First, it did relax the panic. Second it relaxed my neck and shoulders and back. And third, it worked very well in helping me drift off as the sumatriptan begins to take a little more affect. The best thing about it is that there is no rebound headache and I am much more willing to rest and drift to sleep a little longer to let things settle. I now have matching doses when it is needed. Not always.
Also not laying all the way down-this usually makes everything worse and if you start to vomit…
Next, I discovered some funny energy gel packs by Cliff – the cliff bar people. I had some from a trip. I knew nothing would stay down and the thought of coffee made me want to throw up even more. But one day I reach down and grabbed one of these and opened it just enough to let a small amount of the gel ooz just past my lips. A little more and a little more. It was sweet and had some potassium citrate and such. It tasted lifesaving. Water, sip, gel, space. I think it is the double espresso so less than a full cup of coffee and no dairy to gag on. It helped! Also, and the last thing anyone wants to do- is walk around or stand and sway in place. It took a while to admit this actually helped.
-Chinese neck shoulder and head massage regularly. I found a man in a nail salon/spa. He was skilled in pressure points and muscle release without bruises left by massage therapists trying too hard.
Triggers: -If the headache came from stress it always comes the next day, after the stressful day.
-Any flashing lights, even the ones at intersections that monitor red light runners will do it. So will loud sounds. A police car coming toward me will almost trigger it immediately. I now wear earplugs to most movies. Also to theme parks. A huge help.
-Tragically, chocolate, the good stuff. No problem with shmershies.
-Almost all alcoholic beverages but especially when drunk with food. Weird. Exceptions (still no food) good vodka and single malt scotch. Not even favorites of mine. Apple cider also seems fine.
– As others mentioned Barometric changes, usually drops.
-Very important, having allergies under control. First, my sinus headaches always lead to migraines. More important Getting Enough Oxygen to the brain at night. Asthma anyone? Also any severe sudden bodily pain. Slam a finger? Get a migraine.
-Finally, recently a report came from Europe about taking a baby aspirin every other day, BUT not during oneās period.
Alsoā-obviously guilty as charged – everyone who gets them offers advice and those who donāt get migraines do the same but you may strangle them in extreme situations.
Great for recovery when pain and nausea gone? A fruit shake with pineapple and mango included- Buy the already cut up and organic flash frozen. If berries arenāt a problem, berries. Some sort of protein, flax seed, non-dairy liquid, 1/4 teaspoon of matcha and for some reason -avocado, and ginger. As much ginger as you can stand.
Hope this helps anyone, and much support for kid. I started at her age and then caught a 15 year break. Now my kid are your kids ages and Iāve got the migraines back. Hmmmmm
Thank you for the valium suggestion!
Obviously no two cases are the same, but I spent about 3 months of my senior year of high school in and out of doctor’s offices due to a severe headache that never, ever left me. Long story very short, there were muscles in my neck compressing nerves in my spine. The thing that first helped was MyoCalm Plus by Metagenics, it’s a natural muscle relaxer, and helped ease some of the pain. Otherwise, it was all about physical therapy. I hope she finds relief soon.
Ugh… migraine headaches suck so bad! I feel your kid’s pain and yours as well… it isn’t easy to watch let alone go through.
Sometimes I will develop them in my sleep and wake up with them in the middle of the night or in the morning. My job gets kinda pissed at me when I call out with them. I sleep walked a couple of times with them. One time I woke up in the backseat of my car in January (in Vermont), and woke up in the tub at least twice with my head pressed up against the side wall.
I take an anti-anxiety med called Citalopram to help manage my constant level of anxiety, and it has helped to lessen the number of headaches I get by A LOT. Anxiety issues affected my sleep… my eating habits… even caused the skin around my eyes to peel and flake… The no sleep and bad eating often triggered the worst of my headaches which could last for days.
Things that helped me:
– anxiety management (lots of different ways to do this than just meds including counseling, herbal supplements/tea that include lavender/etc, or just engaging in a mindfulness activity each day for an hour… yoga is awesome for this)
– cut out as much processed food as possible… there are often ingredients in them that can trigger a headache
– a good multi-vitamin and a magnesium supplement wouldn’t hurt
– massages (especially neck and shoulders)… the pain of a headache strains your muscles and locks you up which can create more strain and pain and create a loop of physical distress that causes more headaches… basically a self-feeding loop
– hot bath with lavender epsom salts, Dr Teals brand is great and even makes a bubble bath type… it’s a two-for-one deal…. salts to relax the muscles and lavender for the aromatherapy without the scent being too strong… too strong and the perfume can do the opposite and cause a headache.
– controlled sleep (avoiding staying up too late and sleeping in too long/too much… too much is as bad as too little… screws with blood sugar which can bring on headaches too)
– get at least 10 minutes of Blue Light sun exposure in the morning hours between 7 AM and 10 AM… helps with setting the circadian rhythm which leads to better sleeping habits, helps with mood/anxiety, and vitamin processing.
How are her iron levels in her blood? Low hemoglobin can cause headache issues too. i get more headaches when I’m borderline anemic. Being female can be tough. š
Arg… wrote more than I intended, and I’m sure it repeats when some others have said, but I truly hope your daughter feels better soon.