Teenager Headaches

Updated on June 13, 2008
P.M. asks from Brooksville, FL
18 answers

My 16 year old daughter has had a headache for the past 4 weeks. I took her to the dentist-everything seems fine there, I took her to the doctor, he gave her a prescription for ibuprofin 500 mg 3 X day and phenergan because after 2 weeks of headaches she also had nausea for about 4 days-all day, but especially when she ate. Nausea went away after 2 days of taking phenergan and has not come back. The ibuprofin makes her so drowsy she is falling asleep at school, etc. The doctor believes it may be migraines. I have an eye dr appt set for her, as well as a chiropractor (headache started after riding montu at busch gardens).Although the headaches occur in different areas of her head so I am not sure if it is related to a muscular problem. I am trying to rule out as many things as I can. However, in talking to others I have come to the realization that alot of teenage girls have headaches-which leads me to wonder if its not all hormone related and will just go away on its own...or if she needs some type of hormone therapy... Any suggestions? words of wisdom, helpful home remedies... I would appreciate any of the above! Thank you! P.S. no health insurance :(

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So What Happened?

Thank you for your help. I am in the process of applying for state insurance, but I tried before and was told I have too many assets(2 new cars and a house), althought I've heard of others in similar situations that got accepted, so I'm working on that issue. My daughter started her period about 2 weeks after the headaches started but believe me, even though I try to keep a close grip on her you never know and that was one of my first thoughts, which is why I wonder if it could be hormone related. For a bit I thought once she had her period the symptoms would go away, but no they continued. I have eye and chiropractor appointments scheduled and the doctor we saw thought it was migraine related but since the medicine didn't help I figured I would try other avenues and if nothing else pans out I will go back to that one. Thank you for all of your ideas and help. I really appreciate it.

More Answers

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A.K.

answers from Tampa on

Hi , I am so Sorry about your daughter haveing very bad headaches. I used to get them very bad too when I was in my early twintys, I am 29 now with two kids of my own. I do not get them anymore ,I am not sure if this will help her but I went all natural in my home and of corse with the food I eat. Sometime the things people clean with can really bring on headaches and nausea do to it being very toxic.
What time does she get them and try to see what she is aroud at that time . Like I said I do not know if that will help her,but I found that to be the sorce of mine. Here is the website if you want to see what Health problems can be help just by going GREEN, www.livetotalwellness.com/healthyhouse .I hope I helped you out a little, I hope she start to feel better soon. A.

1 mom found this helpful
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K.B.

answers from Lakeland on

Yes, Natural is the way to go. Drugs only treat the symptoms produced when there is a problem that is the body's way of saying there is something going on or out of wack. I would quit the drugs and use heating & cooling methods, bath soaks and natural pain relievers. Your local health store can direct you to that section. I would definitely have complete blood work run for everything not just the typical things. This way you can see if she has a deficiency or imbalance in an area. More than likely it is chemical imbalance, but don't let them keep prescribing drugs until you feel comfortable with what you have found out. Don't mask the issue, find it and resolve it. Drugs usually create more issues and don't fix anything, side effects are bad and there could be permanent damage caused. Use your mother instinct and make the docs look for the cause - not treat the symptoms.
Best of luck in your journey to wellness. Check her diet as well, not getting enough quality food (veggies) can cause even more havic on the body when you are growing up. My whole family uses Zija to help with our overprocessed, little nutrient foods that we have now a days. Take care.

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L.C.

answers from Lakeland on

My daughter first started having headaches when she was in the 4th grade. So bad she almost fell down the steps in our house. Her doctor at the time said it was stress and fatigue headaches and told us to give her 1-2 advils when they started. She is now 15 and was complaining of headaches and nausea etc. Never wanted to get up and go to school when she was at school went to the nurse and on many occassions was sent home from school.
Her Primary doctor ran blood work on her and sent her to a neurologist. It came back that sometime within 6 months she had contracted mono and the neurologist has concluded after a cat scan and some thorough tests in the office that she is and has been suffering from migraines for years now.
They gave her a head ache log she had to keep and mark down the time it occured how intense it was what she was doing at the time and how long it lasted. She was instructed to continue taking the advil but was upped to 600mg and it was to be taken immediately when the headache starts. Most of the time it can be controlled with her diet, and the advil. If she can get in a dark, quiet room and fall asleep it's better for her. She also uses ice packs alternating from the back of the neck to the forehead. She has headaches almost daily.
I have just started taking a new product I found on the internet and I didn't realize she was taking it until she told me she was quite suprised to find out for the past 5 days she has had no headaches. I had read it helps with migraines and was skeptical but I'm hoping if she keeps taking it maybe it will. It's a liquid multivitamin and mineral supplement. To me tastes kinda like orange Tang if you have ever had that. It's costs right around $30 a month it's $19.95 for the product then the other is shipping. You take 2 tablespoons a day.
I buy the product to take and coincedently I have all the symptoms of fibromyalgia and was taking lyrica and the pain was there daily and I have had less pain also.
You can go to www.shopgbg.com/epricecastro and check it out. I was very skeptical but I was desperate for myself to find something for my pain and it was a blessing to hear it was helping her also.
I can try to find her headache diet and headache logs she keeps too if you would like a copy of them.

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M.M.

answers from Tampa on

Momma there is only a few things to look at here.

1st you can use vicks for headaches - rub on forehead right between eyes and stay outta light for 2 hours while resting.

2nd Get a Pregnancy test done - she sounds JUST like me when i was pregnant ( sorry but this may be possible )

3rd get a C-scan/ and or MRI at your local Health Dept.
you do not need insurance to be seen there!
hope this helps...

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M.L.

answers from Lakeland on

I also know several teens plagued by headaches. My daughter had them as a teen and they would appear when her period was due. She had migranes and I had her Dr. put her on migrane meds. She also was on the birth control pill for a short time and had to stop as those brought on the headaches. The same with my sister. My 2 neices get them as does my step mother. One other thought since you say the started after a visit to the gardens and a ride. Maybe a chiropractor could find where something got out of line in her neck possibly from the power and speed of the ride?

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C.D.

answers from Tampa on

I can say that I had the same problem as a teenager and it ended up being a combination of allergies/sinus and migraines, which run in my family. I still get them pretty regularly...I actually found that there is a line of products at Origins in the mall (in Dillards usually), that are for stress relief. The are all peppermint based. There is a lotion, bubble bath, gum and a serum that you dot on your temples, pressure points and behind your ears. It has some weird cooling effect and actually works! Good luck!

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D.H.

answers from Lakeland on

Please check out our product for natural healing of many of the problems your teen may be having. My son takes the juice and he had migranes for years and now they are much better. I take it for a number of reasons and hormone is one.
www.hawkins.whymangosteen.com
There is an answer!
Deb

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L.S.

answers from Tampa on

Her headaches could be allergy related, even if she has never shown allergic reactions to anything before. The pollen count has been really high this year and lots of people have been affected. I have allergy realted headaches myself. Just something to investigate. Good luck!

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A.T.

answers from Lakeland on

Hi PJM, my daughter has been having headaches for years, we've had every test under the sun, to include a cat scan and nothing has been pinned down as to the cause. The only thing I can figure is hers are hereditary on my inlaws side. If you get a diagnosis, let me in on it, maybe it can help my kid. Thanks, A.

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L.H.

answers from Sarasota on

You should take your daughter to a Neurologist. If she is truly having migraines Ibuprofen will not alleviate them. They are excruciatingly painful and yes they can be hormonal. There are certain foods that can intensify headaches also, peanuts, aged cheeses, smoked meats, tomatoes, just to name a few. My daughter has had them since she was 5, I had them, and my mother had them also. Sometimes if you put a cold compress on the back of her neck it may ease the pain.

L.

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L.G.

answers from Tampa on

My 16 year old daughter had been getting pretty serious headaches for the past few years. When they first started we had all kinds of tests done including a CAT scan and found nothing wrong. We started watching her eating and sleeping patterns and found that when she did not get enough sleep, which most teens don't, she would invariably get a headache the next day. We also found that if she skipped meals this would contribute to her headaches, as did her stress levels. We have gotten the headaches pretty much under control by making sure she actually goes to sleep when she goes to bed. Turn off phone, computer, etc. When we actually counted how many hours of sleep she was getting we were really surprised at how few hours she was getting. I don't know about your daughter but mine is up by 5:45 AM in order to get to school on time. We've also helped her with time management - she takes lots of tough classes and has a lot of work and was always cramming and stressing. I also make sure she has something for breakfast and I take her grocery shopping with me so she can choose some healthy foods for lunch that she will actually eat. I also taught her some relaxation techniques and got her a meditation cd which she downloaded onto her i-pod. She still gets a headache once in a while, but less intense, less often and now she has some tools to prevent them and get them under control without having to rely on medication.

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J.W.

answers from Sarasota on

PJM,
I suffer from migraines and so does my 17 yearold niece. There is a drug called MAXOLT you out it under your tounge right when you feel the headache coming on. It will not noc you out it is NOT a narcotic, I would ask the Dr for that. It wors really well. It does cost, but It will help your daughter. Also there is a preventitive medicine for migraines call TOPOMAX I am on that, and I hardly ever get a migraine now. Hope I have helped you. I am 44 and have had them since I was 15. It wasn't till I was well into my late 30's that I finally found a DR who treated to prevent them instead og=f just doping me up when I had them. I feel for you and your daughter. TOPAMAX is EXCELLENT.
J.

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A.N.

answers from Tampa on

Hi!

I use a fantastic practitioner. She should be able to diagnose your daughter quickly. She utilizes many modalities such as chiropractic, acupuncture, chinese medicine, homeopathy, herbs, kinesiology and EMT. I have had wonderful results with her and she is able to pinpoint the cause of any ailments quickly and easily. She is definitely worth going to see. Her name is Rebecca Lord ####-###-#### and she is in downtown Safety Harbor. Call her right away and set up an appointment, as she gets booked up quickly. Also, see if you can get on the call list for a cancellation. Tell her I told you to come, if it helps.

Here's to your daughter's quick recovery!
A. Norris
www.naturallyliving-clearskies.blogspot.com
www.mybarefootbooks.com/alicianorris

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J.S.

answers from Tampa on

I have suffered from migraines since I was 13 yrs old. I'm 35 now and have finally gotten them under control. I have a list of triggers that took me years to figure out and they are stress, too much fatty food or sugar, lack of sleep, menstrual hormones and not eating at set times. It could definitely be migraines that your daughter is suffering from. I've used a drug called Imitrex for years which really helps but it is little expensive without insurance. The only other medication that ever helped was Aspirin-Free Excedrin (I think it's called Excedrin Tension Headache now). It's really difficult to treat migraines since everyone's triggers are different and everyone responds differently to medication. Please don't give up finding a solution, I lost many holidays, special events, etc due to migraines and it was awful. Good luck to you and your daughter!

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S.C.

answers from Tampa on

As a teenager I had VERY bad headaches. The Drs. were never able to find the cause, but found several things that could have been causing it. The first was my eyes, while only slightly off, it was enough to cause a headache (not the one I had though). The last thing they found was that my sinuses were compacted. The only way to see this is through an MRI or Cat Scan (they did both - not sure which one showed it). I had to have surgery to clear the sinus passages (a sinulectomy). This helped the most. They also tested me for sugar disorders (diabetes, Hypoglycemia - spelling?, etc.) - I had Hypoglycemia as well which will cause headaches. A simple series of blood tests can solve this.

As for the pain - your body can only handle so much pain and when it hits the boiling point some people pass out or some people vomit (which is what I did and sounds like you daughter). Do some research on Bio Feedback. This is a method of learning to control the pain. It doesn't eliminate the pain, but teaches her to control and live with the pain. It is kind of a meditation process. This is the best advice I can give you.

I feel for your daughter! I was out of school for about 4 months with my problem and when I went back it was a horrible nightmare. I hope that my recommendations help your daughter.

Sincerely,
Sam

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T.O.

answers from Sarasota on

Hi P.. First, did you know you can get your kids health insurance through the state at a low cost or no cost to you? That may make a difference in your ability to have her treated. What about a chiropractor? If it is a structural problem with her neck, etc. or even if it is stress or hormone-related, chiropractic adjustment works wonders. I've dealt with the same type of headaches since about age 10. Hormones, stress, allergies all come into play. Lots of medications have helped but the only true pain reliever that has worked for me is chiropractic. And there are TONS of chiropractors that will work out fair cost deals with you because many insurance companies offer terrible or no coverage for chiropractic and the cost is often high for anyone without insurance.

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B.B.

answers from Fort Myers on

Hello,

My son had headaches often. I could figure out triggers, but the doctors wanted tests. After ruling out the most severe illnesses, they (pediatric neurologist), placed him on a daily dose of medicine. After a few months (4 I think) we weaned him off the medication which was part of the treatment. He does not get these cluster headaches anymore.
I would be cautious about using so much ibuprofen. Please look into the health insurance offered by the state for kids who do not qualify for medicare. I think it is called Kid Care. They have enrollment periods and you must complete all the paperwork correctly or they will reject the application.
This may be important enough to budget, borrow or seek sliding scale pricing treatment.

Hope this helps, B.

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J.L.

answers from Sarasota on

Wow, couldn't get much closer then what I'm going through with my daughter. It has been going on since November though. She has missed a ton of school. Like you I have no health insurance. My doctor thinks it is migranes due to her hormones also. And unfortunatly thats all I have. I did change her diet a little and it seemed to help. She was drinking caffiene drinks we stopped those. I only give her motrin in the morning now. To me this is scary though Maybe because I don't get headaches. I would greatly appreciate anything new you may come across and I would be glad to do the same for you. I haven't tried a chiropractor yet. Good Luck Jodi

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