Migraine Help!

lmdarr97
lmdarr97 Posts: 15 Member
in Chit-Chat
I know this doesn't have to do with weight loss or getting fit but I need some help....

Thought today we would be back in regular routine because kids went back to school. My 9 yr old son got a migraine at 4 p.m. yesterday, had a very restless night and is home today from school because it came back this morning. Taking him to the doctor at 3 p.m. cause that is when they could get us in. Does anyone have suggestion of how you can ease a migraine?

Thanks

Replies

  • WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr
    WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr Posts: 2,150 Member
    This is what works for me: I take aspirin, lie down in a dim room (not too dark, not too light) with the tv or a radio on just barely loud enough to hear, then I put an ice pack across my forehead and just close my eyes, usually I can fall asleep and most of the time it's gone when I wake up
  • plynn54
    plynn54 Posts: 912 Member
    I just need to sleep and drink lots of water, havent found a medication that helps so i dont take anything. it usually goes a way after a good sleep
  • cineshome
    cineshome Posts: 97 Member
    Dark room, something cold (like a beer bottle) on the back of the neck. Kids aren't supposed to have aspirin so maybe some tylenol or ibuprofen. See what the dr. says. Good luck!
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Cold pack on the back of my neck, Excedrine Migraine or prescription (which won't work for the little guy), and sleep. Has his vision been checked to see if he needs glasses?
  • chrome_princess
    chrome_princess Posts: 129 Member
    Believe it or not, I've found a cold compress on my forehead (and sometimes on the back of my neck) helps ... a lot. Especially for the worse ones. I have a pillow from http://www.motherearthpillows.com/ specifically for migraines - you pop it in the freezer, and pull it out when necessary. It's cold, and it's got the weight to it that hits the right pressure points. (Obviously it doesn't help you right now, but a plastic bag with ice, wrapped in a towel will help for now.)
  • Sissy4EverX3
    Sissy4EverX3 Posts: 247
    I get migraines twice a week.. nothing works for me except a warm washcloth over my eyes, a dark room, and sleep until I can't sleep anymore.
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
    Only thing that helps me is Excedrin Extra Strength (Migraine or Tension Headache, all three have the same ingredients). That and a completely dark no lights allowed room while begging for the pain to stop. I know there are some natural remedies like massages and I think something "odd" like a tablespoon of honey or apple cider vinegar or something weird, but they have never worked for me.
  • sarah6336
    sarah6336 Posts: 108 Member
    Caffiene, like a cup of coffee, and motrin or naproxen sodium for short term relief. You may want to find out why your child is getting these kinds of headaches... For me, I got a bunch of them when I injured my upper back/neck. I see a chiropractor every so often, since then. Helps a lot.
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
    Ask him where the pain is. If he says, "all over," then it's not a migraine. He could simply be dehydrated or need more sleep. He should be getting at least 10 hours of sleep every night. Massage his shoulders, neck, and head and see if that makes it feel better. Ibuprofen can also be helpful. :smile:
  • perfekta
    perfekta Posts: 331 Member
    I'm on daily meds for mine, and I take Imitrex when I get them. I don't know what they do when young kids get them.

    Dark room and laying down helps, also an ice pack at the base of the skull helps, also ice across the eyebrows, and pinching the skin away from my eyes kinda helps (they did a study and when they did eyelid surgery , it relieved migraines in ALL of the women, so some nerve in that area helps relieve it).

    Sorry, migraines are terrible, I hope he feels better.
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
    Is it a migraine or a headache?

    The reason I ask is that the usual headache remedies don't work for migraines.

    If his headache is accompanied by changes in vision, nausea, difficulty balancing, abdominal pain, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound or any combination of the above it may be a migraine. For some people, taking acetaminophen (like Tylenol) and caffeine helps. Be cautious though, because caffeine could also be a trigger. One of the reasons I suspect it may not be a migraine is that usually migraine relief comes with sleep... I know that when I have one, all I want to do is sleep because it makes the pain go away temporarily.

    That said, I'm sorry he has to go through this. I hope you can get some relief and some answers when you take him to the Dr.
  • muffle1969
    muffle1969 Posts: 96 Member
    When I was diagnosed with migraines in 2000, the doctor at the ER had given me Tylenol 3. It did absolutely nothing. I called the doctor and he told me to take a large dose of ibuprofen...THAT worked really well! Apparently, Ibuprofen is very good at treating migraine symptoms, whereas tylenol doesn't really do anything for them.

    Other "home" remedies that seem to help:
    - if you drink caffeine, stop while migraining. If you do not, drink a caffeinated beverage.
    - eat a piece or two of at least 75% dark chocolate.
    - use an ice pack on the head whereever the pain is centered. I use a long ice pack for both the side and the back/base of my head
    - sleep.

    I can usually stop a migraine by taking a "triptine" drug at the first signs. I'm not sure if they prescribe those to kids or not. For the ibuprofen, look up the dosage by weight on the internet. I'd ask a doctor what the largest safe dose is for your kid. The ER doc told me to take 1000-1200mgs at a time, which worked for me to treat the pain and other symptoms.

    I'm sorry your kid is going through this. I know it is awful. For years I took Topamax to prevent migraines, which mostly worked. I don't know that they give that to kids either though...may be worth investigating?

    Good luck!
  • lmdarr97
    lmdarr97 Posts: 15 Member
    Thank you everyone for the suggestions. We have been to the doctor once before for migraines and have toyed with the idea of a daily medication. Then he hadn't had one for a few months until now and it seems to be lasting way longer than the usual. He was able to sleep for about 5 hours and woke up feeling fairly good, enough to eat. Last night he couldn't even keep the ibprofen down. After being up for a couple of hours it came back. We did the cold pack on the forehead, but I will have him try the back of the skull/neck! Maybe we will try a dose of caffiene too. I don't usually let him have a lot of pop so maybe that will help relieve it atleast until we get to the doctor. :frown:
  • Dub_D
    Dub_D Posts: 1,760 Member
    Drugs.
  • Pams_Shadow
    Pams_Shadow Posts: 233 Member
    Feverfew is an herb that I've been taking for years. I've suffered for migraines most of my life. Since I've started taking feverfew, I don't have migraines anymore.
  • NyxariaMoon
    NyxariaMoon Posts: 121 Member
    Unfortunately, conventional migraine medicines are not recommended for children under the age of 12. So, the best you can do without something from a physician is ibuprofen and a small dose of caffeine. I've suffered with migraines for the past 25 years and it's not fun, I feel for the poor guy! After medication, cold dark rooms and sleep are the best combatants.

    One other thing I have found that works pretty well, is accu pressure on the hand. Take your index and your thumb and apply pressure between his index and thumb area. Make sure you are applying pressure on the muscle area and not just the webby area. I usually have my husband do this and alternate applying pressure to my hands every couple of minutes. It really does help to relieve the pain.

    I hope he feels better soon!
  • stephaniern21
    stephaniern21 Posts: 51
    Aw poor kid.. I get chronic migraines- they are the worst! I take prescription medication (in his case try excedrine migraine), and lay down in the dark with no sound. Usually if I lay down on the spot it hurts it eases it too. Have him drink tea, and eat a little chocolate.. if he's too young for tea then maybe hot chocolate will be even better! ((this is really for caffeine, so if there is something else he likes that could work too)). Use a cold towel on his forehead, and neck as well. These usually help me... but it really is such a long process to get rid of them :-/ Try some crackers too.. if he can get them down with some water that'd be great! Goodluck, hope he feels better!
  • pplf2001
    pplf2001 Posts: 133 Member
    I've tried lots of prescriptions, my recommendation: ibuprofen, a BIG glass of water or gatorade, and a caffeinated beverage. dehydration/not drinking enough is a trigger for me.
  • floridagirl7264
    floridagirl7264 Posts: 318 Member
    My daughter suffers from them (she's 14). She has had them since she was 6. She's on Depakote to prevent them. She was getting them 2-3x a week. Now she gets one every couple of weeks or so. The only thing that gets rid of them for her is Imitrex. She needs to lie down in a dark room. She has to take a med for her nausea. She takes her meds and then tries to sleep. When she wakes up they are gone. Does he get them regularly?
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    I used to get a lot of migraines (they run in my family) and I started taking notes on what triggers were present when I got them. Common migraine triggers include certain foods, caffeine, stress, dehydration, exercise, lack of sleep, loud noises, and bright lights. Usually a few of them have to be present before you'll get a full-blown headache. In my case I realized dehydration (in combination with one or two other triggers) always preempted my migraines. So now I make an effort to not be dehydrated, and I hardly ever get them. I think it would be helpful to do a similar exercise with your son.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I have chronic migraine (15 or more days per month). I take Imitrex, it's the only thing medication-wise that helps. Heat works better than cold for me. If I drink hot tea, take a hot bath, and put a heating pad on my neck it helps some. A dark room and sleep is the best remedy if I don't have medication.

    I agree with whoever said you need to figure out if it's really a migraine since regular headaches have different remedies. Good luck, they really are the worst.
  • floridagirl7264
    floridagirl7264 Posts: 318 Member
    Have you tried Mylanta for the vomiting? Sometimes my daughter's anti-nausea med doesn't work but when I give her mylanta it stops it.
  • frood
    frood Posts: 295 Member
    At the onset (I get auras, so it's pretty easy to define) I take 2x advil or aleve and have a coffee or a mt dew. Also, I have to avoid all compact fluorescent lights. Yow.

    Get your doctor to explain what is going on in a migraine. There's all kinds of nonsense going on with neurotransmitters, excited nerves, swelling. It'll help you understand what the different possible treatments are actually doing. Also, a neurologist can provide more information if you find the general doctor can't answer your questions.

    I hope your son feels better soon!
  • jojo52610
    jojo52610 Posts: 692 Member
    Both of my Children Suffer from Migranes my daughter from the age of 5 and now she's 20 my son is 16. I really didn't want to start prescription meds for my daughter at 5- I used Advil and now she uses Aleve which she said works better, my son still uses Advil.

    Hope he feels better
  • jenny95662
    jenny95662 Posts: 997 Member
    For me if I catch it when its just a headache excedrin will help but if not only thing that works for me is meds from my doc (zomig) and laying down.
  • muffle1969
    muffle1969 Posts: 96 Member
    FYI, the big trigger for me is barometric pressure changes. My migraines started after flying back and forth to/from Atlanta/San Francisco several times a month. My head is an awesome predictor that the weather is about to change. :) Of course you can't avoid weather changes, but if you can figure out some preventative stuff, maybe that can lessen the severity.

    My neurologist did a full workup on me when I started going to her in 2000. A couple of things:
    - I had a sleep test. Turned out at the time I had sleep apnea. Poor sleep can cause migraines, and certainly make you more susceptible to them. Can you request a sleep test for your kid?
    - Turns out I was both D and B12 deficient. I have pernicious anemia, so b12 does not absorb through my stomach, so I do B12 shots or nasal inhalers once per month.
    - My thyroid level was a bit low, so I take a minimal dosage of levothyroxine daily.

    All this together has lessened the severity and duration of my migraines when I get them. My doc impressed upon me that the number one thing I can do for myself in terms of this is to ensure I get good, solid sleep.

    I really hope all this info from everyone helps you somehow!
  • 65dawnmarie
    65dawnmarie Posts: 12 Member
    I Know this sounds odd.... but soaking you feet in hot water(as hot as you can stand it ) really does help !!!!
  • lmdarr97
    lmdarr97 Posts: 15 Member
    Thank you everyone for your help! It turns out that he has influenza. The strain that is lasting up to 8 days or so:( The doctor said that migraines are probably his bodies way of of dealing with the virus. Of course, on top of puking and a fever. Luckily, I think we are on the up swing. He slept threw the night last night! He was standing by the computer while I read out loud the things you all had written. He thought it was very touching and kind for complete strangers to try and help. Thank you again. We will be using your suggestions again in the future I'm sure.
  • SaraJanePOWER
    SaraJanePOWER Posts: 88 Member
    Dehydration can cause what seems like a migraine headache. Make him some Chicken soup or broth with a touch of nutmeg then follow that with an ice pack at the forehead and one at the back of the neck the temperature change that takes place in the body from the soup and the ice packs are often times exactly the change that is needed for the headache to disperse. Good Luck. Migranes can be debilitating. Figuring out a way to controll them at this stage would be a blessing.

    Visualization is also effective if you can get him out of focusing on the pain.

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