Also, have you totally searched your daughter’s diet? You probably have. If not, do not let her eat ANYTHING with MSG. It hides in everything processed so be aware. MSG is the worst migraine trigger you can find.
It is in: all commercial crackers, most chips, goldfish crackers, all canned or packaged soups, all packaged rice mixes, all commercial frozen meals, all chicken nugget style things, all pre-cooked roasted chicken*, all hot dogs, most processed meats, all commercial salad dressings, all fast food#, cottage cheese, lots of cheap breads, etc.
*They literally inject MSG and water into those supermarket and costco warm roasted chickens — that is why it has that taste. Fast food chicken like Koo Koo Roo has it in there too.
#Not In and Out Burger, though.
I may have forgotten some things. Basically everything commercial and packaged. She should ONLY eat clean organic meat, dairy, breads, nut butters, veggies, fruit, etc.
To be avoided with extreme prejudice also: ANYTHING with food colorings in it, and ANY diet foods. This means all chewing gum and most mints, sorry sweetie, because they all have aspartame, a poison that can also cause a migraine.
It is very hard for a young teen not to eat the junk their friends are eating. But with her reactions, I’d not touch anything commercial except some very pure snacks like Larabars, which are only dried fruit and nuts.
Of course you can get migraines without eating a trigger food but they can really mess you up. Also she needs to make sure she is regular because constipation can cause migraines too.
Good luck to her — I wish no one else had to ever suffer these.
I'll post more tomorrow, I have thirty years of trial and error on this, and I stay away from the strong Rxs as much as possible.
When I moved from that house I didn't find the plant anyplace else...
A friend that was into herbal plant use told me about it and it worked...Just have to chew it at the very beginning of the H.A./migraine
Your daughter may have celiac disease or a non-CD gluten sensitivity. Both are implicated in pediatric migraines. Get your daughter tested for celiac disease and then, even if that is negative, try a gluten elimination diet for ten or twenty days to see if it reduces her migraines. Let me know via private email if you want medical articles that explain the basis for this suggestion.
my 12yo daughter went on low dose of Inderal three weeks ago for recurring headaches (less severe than you describe). I was not aware of potential for weight gain, so will keep an eye on it. We’re also being more diligent about her fluid intake (more), eating and sleep habits. Our next step will be to see a ped. ENT doc
In discussions with friends and my colleagues in the Pharma industry, I’ve heard that hormonal changes (puberty) can also be a factor. I trust other causes have been ruled out by MRI?
I was on elavil at that age, for about 2 years. It did pack on the weight but I had no other side effects.
I have a 16 yr old grand daughter that has had migraines since age 9 or so. She would actually faint from them. Her Doctor recommended mega daily doses of B2 to prevent them.
It has worked for her..
I take Toprol as a preventative. I still get a migraine every few months, but they aren’t as frequent as they use to be. When I get one I take Midrin. It’s the only thing I’ve ever taken that works.
I have suffered from migraines for many years as a result of two serious head injuries that occurred within one year of each other. Neurologists have to try new medications to see if they work at reducing or eliminating them. I cannot tell you how many medications I have taken over the years. Unfortunately, I have only pain reducers in two form for them now. I would definitely check out a major teaching hospital (for example, I went to Georgetown). One idea that they had me do was eliminate all MSG, red wine, processed foods, hard cheeses. One or a combination may prove a “trigger”. Another thing to do is have her keep a “diary” of sorts. It may be interesting, for example, to see if they “flare” prior to her menses. (i.e. hormonal) I have learned a great deal about them over the years. I always wear sunglasses outside (even in the winter).. bright light tends to spur an onset. I also will not look directly at ambulance/police lights at night. They also spur an onset. Please, please, please be understanding of mood swings accompanied with migraines. Chronic pain can lead to depression and mood swings. Biofeedback helped me during a migraine to reduce the pain. It is a learned behavior and it may help your daughter. I am sort of surprised that your neurologist has not recommended it. God bless you and your daughter. If someone has never had a migraine, they assume it is just a bad headache. They don’t realize there is a lot more to it than that. Many people will say they have a migraine when in fact they have a stress headache. A migraine can only be determined to be such by a trained Neurologist.
A lot of good info at above website. I learned that my desire to “scarf” was a sign of an impending migraine. So when I feel that urge, I actually stop eating altogether. My “secret cure” is Day-Quill (cheap generic from Wal-Mart) and Pedialite (again, generic) cut in half with water. When I feel a migraine coming on, I get on and stay on both until it is over.
Also I have to stay away from the t.v. and refrain from watching videos on my computer.
I’m not certain whether this comment is for you or one of the posters.
I emailed this thread to my daughter who has had to leave medical school (Neurologist) because of massive migraines. She asked me post this:
Recommend that she try Propranolol as a preventative medication. It’s for high blood pressure & can be safely used with other types of drugs. It doesn’t cause weight gain and is a cheap generic. It has been a God send for me as it GREATLY reduces the number and severity of migraines I get. It dilates blood vessels in the body, lowering blood pressure, but constricts vessels in the brain meninges, preventing migraine.
ever been checked for this?
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hydrocephalus/DS00393
sounds like what my daughter had.