Please Help - Marblehead,MA

Sounds like migraines, which have nothing to do with ADHD. But, it could be something even more than migraines. This is NOT normal at all, especially for a child. Get him to a doctor ASAP.

Get him to the doctor. This isn't normal.

6 weeks early, headaches? Have you had his eye sight checked? Some premies have horible eyesight and since it's been that way since birth they don't complain the headaches could be a good reason to have them checked out. My daughter was 8 weeks early we didn't know until 2nd grade how bad her vision was.

Headaches 4 times a week is something a doctor should be consulted for.
My son gets migraines and they would make him throw up, but we learned triggers and how to head them off before they got that bad.
My son does not have ADHD so I'm not sure what that has to do with it unless he's on medication that could cause the headaches.
It could be he needs his eyes examined. It could be that he's eating something to trigger or not eating enough. Just get him checked out.
His doctor is the best person to ask about this.
I'm not sure if you're saying he's had ups and downs for two years or headaches for two years but either way.....

Best wishes.

Hi M., I'd probably start with an eye exam. Eye problems are common in the preemies. Also headaches are sometimes the only noticable symptom of a ZILLION things, including asthma, allergies, dehydration, etc. Call the dr, make an appontment, meanwhile, keep a headache journal, time of day, onset, level of tiredness, what he ate last, etc. If you give him weight appropriate doses of Motrin or Tylenol BEFORE it gets bad, you can head off a full blown migraine. I've got a kid with mysterious headaches who's had every imaginable test to find out the cause and everything came up normal. He's now 16 and seems to be growing out of them. Btw, he's a preemie too, 26 weeks, 1 lb 11 oz. Good luck Mom!

Take him to the Doctor... 4 times a week getting headaches is not normal.
Or take him to the ER, right when he IS having a headache attack....
do this right away... the longer you wait, the longer your son will be suffering and not getting help.

Does he take medication for his ADHD??? If so, you need to tell the Doctor this as well.

all the best,
Susan

You may want to look into getting an EKG done on him. My husband use to get really bad migraines and then last year he had a TIA (a TIA, is basically a mini stroke) and ever since then, he has not had one migraine. During all of the tests he had done, they discovered he has a PFO (a hole in his heart) and that's what caused his TIA.

Frequent headaches that make him sick (I am guessing that he vomits, or feels nausiated?) could be a migrane headache, even in children, but you should go to your doctor about anything that happens so frequently that makes him feel that bad. I would go as soon as you can do so, he sounds miserable. Find out for sure what is going on here.

There may be no connection between the ADHD or his premature birth and his headaches. Tell the doctors about his headache symptoms and let them go from there. I am assuming that his regular doctor will already know that he was premature, what the effects of his prematurity were, that he has ADHD and how you are treating it, as well as all about your child's medical history, They will ask you the questions that they need to know the answers to so that they treat him appropriately. If the doctor you see does not know his history, they will ask you what they need to know before they treat him.

I have one child who had a serious birth issue, but there was a point where she recovered from that acute period, and although she was left with a chronic issue as a result, the actual birth circumstances no longer have any impact on her medical care. Now that he is 8 years old, while the premature birth may always be something that you remember and a reason that you feel the need to be protective, it is not going to impact the outcome of his future medical treatment. That should make you feel a little better about it. I know that it can be hard to let that event go, but you will feel better if you do. You did the best you could at the time, and that he is 8 now is fantastic.

Go to the doctor, they can help him feel better.

M.

PS: just wanted to add, since you did not mention that he was on ADHD medications in your post, but others have written about them, if he is on stimulant medication, these have no half life, which means that once they are out of his system, they are out of his system. This is the most common prescription for ADHD, some others have half lives, so they will need time to diminsih his levels. NO Parent should ever take a child on these medications off without the directions of the doctor who prescribed them, it can be dangerous to play DIY with this. See a medical doctor.

there may be something more to his headcahes than adhd. none of my kids have adhd but one of my nefiews do they take medication. it might be the medicine if he takes any. might want to take him in for some testing just in case. my husbands family suffer from epilpsys and they get alot of headaches from the heat and stress.

Headaches can be caused by many things. I speak from experience as a mom of a daughter, now 20, who has had essentially a single, migraine like headache since having her tonsils/adenoids out 8 years ago. Believe me, at the time, we tried everything, so I can tell you there are multiple things to assess.

The first thing to look into, if he is on medications, is whether they are affecting him. You should speak with your doctor about this, and ask for help with reducing medication levels or even taking him off for a short time to see if it makes any difference. If it does, you have found your culprit. If it doesn't, then on to the next thing. Remember that most medications take awhile to completely work their way out of the system, so it may take a little time off them. In the meantime, you will have to also work with other methods to help him with his adhd. If it turns out the cause is the medication, then you will need to find another method anyway, so it is a good idea at this point to find a nutritionist/homeopath/naturopath who specializes in adhd treatment. There are many, because it is fairly well known that adhd can be significantly helped when the diet is carefully analyzed and supplemented and when homeopathic remedies are used.

Another thing to check is his overall health--get a liver workup, check his thyroid, and maybe even have a neurologist rule out a tumor. I know this stuff is scary, but you want to know!

Have a chiropractor check him out. Find one who works with cranio-sacral adjustments, to see if he is suffering from misalignment of the neck, jaw, or cranial sutures. All of these can cause severe headache--in my daughter's case, after many attempts at "biochemical" treatments, we finally figured out that her jaw had been displaced by the surgery after she probably grew with a TMJ issue from years of open-mouth sleeping with the apnea she had from swollen adenoids. She is now receiving orthodontic care to help with that and has finally had pain free times. But almost nobody in the health care field will "go there" as far as thinking of this first, and it took so long in our case to consider it that she was a very angry, hurting and distrustful teenager by the time we did, vastly complicating the issue in ways you can only imagine by taking the most extreme adolescent misbehavior and multiplying it several times.

Finally, seek some mental health therapy for him--it can be enormously stressful emotionally to be a child with adhd, and that kind of stress alone can lead to headaches at the age where social interactions with other kids become more difficult when it is difficult to control one's activity and focus.

Good luck in your search. I do know just how devastating it can be to see your child in pain, and not know what to do about it. Do not let any care provider tell you that they alone "have the answer" or know what is going on--not until you actually see results for your dear little boy. Headache is not well understood, and there are so many factors that it may be a long road for you. Sending support.

Another simple cause for headaches: dehydration. My kids "forget" to drink because they are having too much fun to stop and end up with headaches later in the day. I make them have a water bottle if they play outside and make them drink water or juices when they are playing inside. If their pee is very yellow and not beige like dry straw then it is time to drink more. In summer the kids drink one glass of Gatorade daily to get the electrolytes they sweat out. When they are sick I dilute Gatorade with equal amounts water and they drink that. My daughter has ADD and her reaction to stress is to say she is tired. Perhaps make sure he has some rest periods. My daughter was perscribed Vyvance for the ADD and Clonidine to sleep since the Vyvance is a stimulant. Ask your doctor for a full work-up and if you and he need rest, ask what can be done to help him (and therefor you) get sleep. I know how hard it is to deal with this, it can be depressing which further robs you of sleep. Talk to a doctor please. Consider yourself hugged.

Hi M.,

Your son may be suffering from migraines, but the only way to rule out something more serious (migraines are serious enough!) is to consult his pediatrician.

You should start keeping a diary of his headaches. When they happen, what he was doing when is started, how they present, how long they last, what helps, what makes them worse, etc.

My 9 year old suffers from migraines and has since she was about age 3. She initially complains of "my eye hurts" and points to the side of her right eye right where the eye meets the temple. Currently we treat her with Motrin a dark room and quiet until it passes. If we can't treat right away (we are driving in the car, for example) it progresses to a severe headache and leads to vomiting.

My daughter tends to be stoic and she doesn't like to complain. Maybe because she was having a good time and doesn't want it to stop. I have learned to see subtle changes in her facial expression and then ask her if she is getting a headache. This way we can treat her faster.

At this point my daughter is getting headaches at least 3 times per week. Puberty is right around the corner. The doctor has told me the headaches could get better or worse with puberty. I am hoping (and so is she) for better. If the get any worse, we will consider putting her on a daily medication to prevent them.

Best wishes. Please consult your son's doctor. These headaches can be managed.

J.

Ever taken him to the chiropractor. Sounds like he could use an adjustment. Try that route before you get too worked up.

also he is young but I just endoured the worst vomit inducing headaches due to high blood pressure. I'd check it out.

Has he ever had an eye exam. A problem w/ eye sight often causes headaches. This is how I know I need an eye exam and that my prescription has changed. I start getting frequent bad headaches. Another thing that causes me to have horrible headaches is seasonal allergies sometime it is my only symptom. It could be his medication if he takes any. It could be several things. I would definitely call the doctor. They can examine him and go over possible causes including reading a basic eye chart but if he hasn't had an eye exam done even if its not the cause I suggest you get one. Our ophthalmologist says kids should start being seen around age 2 bc somethings are easier to correct when they are young.

Definitely check with your doc. Also, headaches can be caused by stress and they can be very debilitating. He may be back in school now or approaching it which can be stressful to kids even if they are looking forward to it. - Let me know if you want some further info on stress and ad/hd and an approach that you might find very helpful. It's helped LOTS of kids/adults.