Migraines in 7 Year Old

Some people get migraines from chemical sensitivities. Perfumes, air fresheners, cleaners give me aweful headaches, and sometimes migraines, they have since I was little. Otherwise, a dark, quiet room with a cold wet towel over my face was what my mom used to help me feel better when I was little.

My brother started getting migraines at a young age. The doctor gave my mom a list of common food allergies. She started cutting them out one by one to see if any of that would help. Top of the list was peanut butter. He was eating that everyday for lunch. She cut that out and no more migrains! So, see if the doctor can give you a list of comon foods to cut out, or maybe you can get an appointment with an allergist to see if he;s allergic to anything.

Try Chiropractic. I'd especially recommend a Chiro with pediatric experience. There's a great website with lots of info on Children's Headaches: http://icpa4kids.org/Wellness-Research/links-more-article.... You can also search out local pediatric chiropractors there.

My migraines stem from the fact that I clench my teeth causing a lot of facial pain and eye pain. There are preventative medicines like topomax that really do work. If your child does not have a tmj issue, then he may have a chemical imbalance. Either way, ask to see a neurologist for more detailed help. I just got over one that lasted for 3 days. The upset stomach is caused by the headache pain, if it gets too bad he may start throwing up.

My son is now 12 but has gotten migraines since the age of 6. He also has a history of iron deficiency anemia and when his iron levels are down he tends to get more migraines. Other triggers are disrupted sleep, hunger, not drinking enough fluids during the day and prolonged exposure to hot sun.

My son's pediatrician prescribed him Atarax (a prescription medication similiar to benadryl but made up of a different chemical compound). He took it daily for awhile and did not have any side effects. The pediatrician told me that it is used to prevent migraines in children. While taking the Atarax, we also were treating the anemia and got him on a better sleep schedule and we did notice a huge reduction in headaches. The relief could have been due to treating the anemia, the Atarax or both.

I suggest that you find out what triggers your son's headaches. I would also request an MRI. Are you seeing a neurologist or just a pediatrician? I would recommend that you see a neurologist who specializes in migraines in children.

Becareful about natural remedies sometimes they can be just as dangerous as prescription and they aren't monitored by an MD.

I hope that you are able to find something to resolve your son's headaches. It is awful to see your little one suffering, a migraine is bad enough in an adult!!!

My daughter went through a period of time in elementary school where she was flat on her back at times with violent headaches. Tests all came back negative. I didn't realize at the time how much she was internalizing things that were bothering her.

Glad to hear the tests are coming back normal. Yet that's frustrating too in trying to determine a cause. I'm wondering if your son might be feeling stress right now - school starting etc. Often stress runs beneath the radar so to speak but has a very real effect, headaches certainly being one.

You might check my profile and see if it resonates with you. - There are alternatives to check into as well as seeking medical advice - which is important to do as well!

My neighbor's little girl had migraines start about 2nd grade. Turns out she had a slight overbite and was grinding her teeth really bad. Got her a mouth guard and the problems stopped. Have the dentist look and see if he's grinding his teeth. Maybe even buy a guard at the store and see if it helps. Good luck.

Hi F.,
I have a twelve year old son who suffered from migrianes for over 4 yrs. Been to the peds, neruo, MRI's, perscription meds, taking him off off dyes, chocolate, dairy, sulfates, checked his eyes, teeth, you name it. Still he had terrible mirgaines everyday. They finally came up with possible hormone fluxes and an out of balance system. It effected his learning, his sleep, his mood, his skin, his entire life. My friend gave me a sample of a product called Zija. Within 3 days the migraines were gone. He hasn't had any more pain in over one year. His ped was so impressed with the product that he asked me about it and put his wife on it. It is an all natural product that is full nutrition. It is like a green tea in color and similar in taste. You can mix up your own from powder or buy it premixed in liquid form in cans. If you want to try some I only live about 15 minutes from you and we can meet and I'll give you some.

I have heard that alot of people (including my sister in law) get migraines from eating anything with msg (Monosodium glutamate) in it. Just an idea for you.

Updated

I have heard that alot of people (including my sister in law) get migraines from eating anything with msg (Monosodium glutamate) in it. Just an idea for you.

Go to a chiropractor and/or acupuncturist. Another responder to the same type of question stated she had migraines at age 8 but went to a chiropractor and found out she had a pinched nerve - she said she had no more migraines.

I used an acupuncturist for my wrist and lower back - no more pain! The docs said they couldn't find anything and told me to take motrin and wear a brace. Thank goodness I didn't listen to them!

If you go to a chiropractor, make sure they take x-rays first.

He does not need to be taking tylenol everyday - that is very, very bad for anyone to do. I can't believe your doc even told you to do that! As an adult, my doc has told me NEVER to take tylenol for any length of time. Of all of the pain relievers, that is the one NOT to take long term.

I hope you find another type of treatment for your son very soon.

You can/should try to rule out food or environmental triggers by paying attention to what he has eaten or been exposed to (keep a journal) prior to the migrane. My son started having them just before he turned 5yrs old. There is also a family history so when our doctor ruled other more serious causes out, we were certain it was just migranes. He was on Naproxen for 2 weeks then only needed it when a migrane occurred if Motrin and sleep did not work. Tylenol was a waste of time for him. He often would vomit and then feel better.

I went through this exact thing with my oldest who is now 11. It seems like you have done enough test to rule out anything but migraines. Our neurologist, after determining it was migraines (I get them too) said that few drugs have been tested on children. He mentioned an anti-seizure drug but then suggested we try high doses of magnesium and riboflavin first. Find a doctor who can give you the correct dosage. I have to order the riboflavin online because it is such a high dose that drug stores don't carry it. It really worked for my son. He still takes them and have very few migraines and the ones he has we can lessen with the use of excedrin migraine, hot tea and lavender oil. I would try to reduce the amount of Tylenol he is taking as it sounds like he is having rebound headaches. ALso, try to determine triggers and avoid them. My son's triggers include dehydration, fatigue, bananas, chocolate, cold (he ocean swims with a cap now), stress and some flashing movies scenes. Start by looking up common triggers and then avoiding them. Write down what was happening and what he was eating right before a migraine.

Hope this helps. It is awful to watch a child deal with this pain.

The only advice I'd have to share from experience, is to try and catch the migraines and treat them as soon as they start. If you find ways of preventing them, that's even better, but when they do rear their ugly head, at the first symptom, give him something that helps... don't wait a 1/2 hour to see if it gets better as migraines seem to multiple in intensity quickly. Dark room and very quiet surrounding, along with a nap sometimes wards off if caught at the beginning of an attack.

I had migraines very frequently as a child and only occasionally now as an adult. Great recommendations from everyone!
I would try Chiropractor for sure.
Eliminate artificial sweeteners! Its in so many things, so read labels. One drop will do me in for days. That may not be his trigger, but processed foods are made with so many chemicals, and it may be one of them.
I heard recently, a cold compress or cool shower on the back of the neck can be great relief. I haven't had a migraine since I heard that advice so I haven't tried it. Also, Ibuprofen gives the greatest relief for me along with a caffeinated drink.
Good luck to your young man, what a trooper. I feel sad for him...

I have had migraines for as long as I can remember. I was officially diagnosed with them at 5 years old.

I have always been able to manage them my self with OTC meds & holistic treatments, the one time i did get RX meds they did not help & made me feel worse.

I have always used Excederin for my headaches. There is somethign about the combination that works better than anything else. If you are concerned about the asprin in it try givign him some caffine with the tylenol. it will help.

Cold compresses also help to constrict the blood vessels & aleive the pain.

HeadOn works in pinch if you apply it before the pain is too severe. Peppermint oil (diluted with olive or another oil) also works wonders.

These all only treat the symptoms & not the causes. Over time i have been able to detemine what the factors are for mine & have been able to greatly decrease the frequency & durations of my migraines. Since everyone is different & there are many differnt triggers i suggest keeping a diary of foods, activities, stress etc so you can try to detemine a pattern with your son.

good luck!

As I read the answers to your questions, they are all good things to try, but it has been my experience that essentially almost all migraines and headaches come from a misalignment in your upper neck that puts pressure on the nerves that go into your head. How can I say that.....I am a chiropractor and have been for 20 years. There hasn't been one migraine or headache that I have not been able to help. I had a 16 year old girl that had migraines since she was 4-5 and so bad that she had to be in her dark room for a couple of days. She truly had no life when they came on. She went the medical route for many years and their final diagnosis.....it's all in her head as in mental. Her father became a patient of mine and asked me if there was anything I could do. She started treatment and became migraine free. In her history....she fell out of a grocery cart on her head when she was two or three. That fall started the whole problem.
I would recommend talking to some friends, get a referral to a chiropractor that they trust and getting him in immediately. If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me at ____@____.com, I would be glad to help you.

I had migraines as a child. I can't say for 100% if any of the following were causes or contributors but here they are:
1. My father's side of the family get them as well
2. I inherited a blood clotting condition known as Factor V Leiden - heterozygous for one gene. I did not know this until my very late 20's.
3. Adult migraine medications work with some relationship to "thinning the blood" so I believe there is a tie. My father and grandfather were also disgnoses with Factor 5 Leiden.
4. Today I take a single baby aspirin daily to be preventative.
5. I have also found relief in both chiropractic and accupuncture care
6. I changed my pillow to be more supportive
7. I am more aware of triggers for me - very strong chemical smells, not eating frequently enough, too much caffeine, red wine, or being in front of a computer monitor too long.

I feel for your son but Kudos to you for being proactive. I was "dismissed" often for my complaints because I was "just a kid" so I did not seek or get help until I was a teenager.

Good luck

D.

Have you had his sugar checked? Is there a chance that he may be hypo glycemic (low blood sugar)? If so a simple tweak in his diet may fix it all. Most people who suffer terrible migraines never really know what triggers them, but a quiet dark room to rest is usually a good solution.
Just a suggestion, Good Luck

Hi F.
Looks like a lot of options to check out which is good. I read through some of the feedback and many mentioned diet. My husband was a migraine sufferer and after starting a nutritional supplement he was able to eliminate those migraines now for 4 years. My husband's triggers were stress and he thought the barometer pressure would also cause them????
Hope you find the answer soon for you little guy.
Blessings,
L.

my son who is 5 was getting these. his normal doctor did not do a darn thing,no tests no nothing. went to another doctor cause i was driving home one day(4hrs 1 way) and he got one. called ER talked to on call doctor. he said bring him to his office Monday morning. after a few tests and winding up in the ER (4hrs from home again). we got to see a ENT. surgery was scheduled for July 13th and he is doing SOOOOOOOOOOOO much better. no more migraines.

I have friends whose children used to suffer with those terrible migraines. You've got to hear about a nutritional supplement that is patented and safe for children, pregnant moms, and even babies. If you would like to check this out with no pressure, you can email me at ____@____.com. --R. H.

so many GREAT ideas! i'd try the dental approach, first. my son was overcome with migraines that we tried to get a grip on thru chiropractic (which is a close second for what i'd do!!) - but turned out his tooth being 'watched' ended up spiraling out of control and he is in need of a root canal. Permanent tooth causing all that pain. He has, to date, had it cleaned out three times pending the maturation of the roots beneath the tooth. He is now ready for the procedure - however his new dentist is telling us to leave well enough alone - until he is in the midst of another bout of pain, etc - meaning he could buy time until the roots mature.

Check the dentist - and then go to the chiro - i believe in both, but if it's dental - can't take away any damage done, already.

good luck!!

My 8yo son gets migraines, especially if his blood sugar drops too low. We knew that, but in talking with his doc, found out 1) that low blood sugar is the most common trigger of childhood migraines and 2) that the 2nd most common cause is a lack of certain vitamins and minerals (I forget which, because of below).

Low and behold, mornings where I was awake before my son and making eggs or pancakes or whatever he was waaaaaaay more likely to have a migraine. (For the past 2 years he really likes to wake up before me and have a bowl of cereal. Then I'd wake up about an hour later and make "brunch"). Making sure he has a bowl of fortified cereal in the morning *no matter what*, and that we keep his blood sugar in the normal range (he's hypoglycemic, so it's a little tricky) has cut his migraine frequency into a FRACTION of what they were. We prefer cereal over specifically supplementing (aka why I forget which 2 they are), because kiddo is hypoglycemic. He needs to eat 5-6 times a day, so the cereal works out better.

Still, however, he still gets migraines. As do I. He cycles with them (will get several in one week no matter the precautions we take and then not again for several weeks), as do I. But watching his sugar and the fortified cereal means that these are rare, once every few months, instead of constant. For his high-cycles, tylenol fixes them. Which my doctor is THRILLED with. Far easier on his liver and kidneys to take tylenol daily for a week or two, than to have to take imatrex daily for a week or two.

Hi F.,
Headaches are not normal. Your 7 yo son is amazing in that he knows to lie down to help himself. Some help may be available with a shift in his environment. Has your son experienced any trauma, like car or bike accident, been pushed down, hit with a toy during play? Next,I eliminated any microwaved anything. I removed any/all "toxins". Is his toothpaste and soaps for instance filled with flouride and SLS? Has he just had any amalgum fillings? Is sugar playing any part, worse yet, synthetic sweetners? Is his elimination working correctly? One BM for every meal per day. I use essential oils around our home: Peppermint, lavender, rosemary, M-Grain in 100% theraputic grade work very well. We apply the oils directly to temples, forehead, back of neck, soles of feet, diffuse into home/BR. We have some oils in roll-ons that are real easy for everyone to use as needed.

Oh, I used to go through these when I was around that age. I would be flat on the couch, pressing the top of my head into the arm of the couch and covering my eyes. I went through the same tests your son has gone through. At least you give him tylenol, I didn't get that til I was a teen :)

Be sure he isn't faking the eye exam; my neice did that for awhile...kids are so eager to please sometimes that they don't realize that it is counter productive.

Also, and others have visited this; you son may simply be internalizing his stress. I ended up with cortozone shots in my shoulders to relieve "tension" headaches. It is a bandaid solution. Consider the possibility of hims talking to a pediatric psychologist or counselor to see if stress is an issue and to help give him skills to deal with it in a healthier way. Sometimes talking to someone who isn't so close is a good thing. (this worked quite well for me)

Take care, keep us posted.

Besides food and environmental triggers, here's another idea to look into. My now 12 year old daughter also had migraines for years and started complaining of poor vision just two years ago as often kids don't realize they are not seeing the same as everyone else does. Yet, she continually passed eye exams at school and with a regular optometrist. Finally, I took her to an optometrist trained in VISION THERAPY. Sure enough, she had vision problems...eyes not working together, tracking right, focusing etc. She had vision therapy and has not had any migraines since. Clues to watch for if this is the cause...having trouble staying on task on school worksheets, cocking the head at all to read, writing crooked, poor hand-eye coordination. She became a very good listener to compensate, but now that her vision is corrected, she is really excelling and no more migraines!

First, try to note what he has eaten before the headaches. Hot dogs, for example, or any nitrates are often a trigger. Allergies could also be a trigger.

You could have him checked for a magnesium deficiency. This can definitely cause migraines. do a google search. My sister pretty much cured her migraines by adding magnesium to her diet.

If I were you I would start with an excellent multivitamin that has magnesium in it. I sell vitamins and I know they are not all the same so be sure to do your research. I can make my recommendation if you like. That may be enough to make a difference.

I had pediatric migraines as a child. Mine were related to vision, but you said his vision's already been checked. I think my mom used children's Motrin for me. I also think the doctor might have prescribed something, but I'm not sure.

I find it hard to believe that with all the doctors you have been to that not one has talked to you about food triggers? There is so much research now on migrane headaches and the cause seems to have been ruled out medically. Most migrane suffers learn how to stop the triggers whether they are environmental or behavioral.
As a child I got migranes on the weekends, knowing what I know now that seems strange and I believe it may have been psychological. Looking at what was going on at the time, whether a lack of control in a certain situation, anxiety or thoughts about what was going to happen. I would suggest you search out a child psychologist who specializes and or has knowledge of your child's issues.
Then I would do research on food triggers. For example, MSG is a huge trigger in food. Some food that are craved are actually triggers, such as chocolate. The internet can be a great source.
Both a psych consult and food your child eats are going to a healthy start for him. I would also get him to talk about what was going on with him, the situation, who he was with and how he felt when he started to get the migrane. YOU should keep a journal as this will help you to help him to avoid stressful situation and a pschologist will help him learn to deal or outright avoid these.
A hot wash cloth on my forehead, low light in the room and the ability to lie down really helped me. Sometimes throwing up made me feel so much better and a small amount of coffee to help the vascular membranes in the brain would help at the time. But then again ask a doctor who specializes in this area.
If you are not getting the answers from the professionals look elsewhere.
Your son will thank you as he gets older...(my migranes finally stopped when I got older so learning to cope is the key).
Good luch to you little man.

Make sure to also rule out a sinus infection. My son gets bad headaches when he has those. Pediatritions are not the best at that - an ENT is best.