Son's "stomach migraines" progressing. Doctors not helping...

Question: Son's "stomach migraines" progressing. Doctors not helping...

Answer:

Full Question:

Hi, Over the last two years my son who's 11 have suffered from stomach pains, these have been diagnosed as "Stomach migraines", I must have seen four or five different doctors who have said the same. I have been told to keep a diary of what he eats, and what brings these stomach aches on, one day he may get stomach ache after eating chocolate, but then the next day he'll be fine after eating chocolate, so I can't see it being food related. This is now beginning to effect his quality of life, as he is waking up daily with these stomach aches, they can come and go within the hour, some days are worse than others. The most puzzling thing is he may get these stomach aches for a couple of months, then they go away, but then he'll start getting headaches daily, which are exactly the same as the stomach ache, he'll wake up with one, then it'll go within the hour, but as day goes on he usually gets them again. Please, please, can you advise me I seem to be getting nowhere with the doctors I have seen, I took him (Again) this week and for the first time he was prescribed Phenergan tablets 10mg (1 in a morning, and 1 before bed), but these tablets are just making him want to sleep. Please could you advise. I am at the end of my tether. Many thanks, Allison.
 

Answer:

Dear Allison;

You said it -- You're not getting anywhere with the doctors you've seen. It's time for a new doctor. It may be time to take him to a specialist. You'll find a link to our directory of specialists below.

It's not unusual for children who have abdominal Migraines to develop Migraines with the headache.

Foods are only part of the trigger picture. There can be many triggers including poor sleeping patterns, barometric pressure changes, fluorescent lighting, fragrances, fumes from cleaning supplies or other products, and many others. As for foods, chocolate is only one of many potential triggers. MSG is a huge trigger for some people, and it's in so many foods these days. You can find a list of potential trigger foods in the pages of this book review:

Review: The Headache Prevention Cookbook
Unfortunately, foods are a major headache trigger for many people. Fortunately, Dr. David Marks has written this book with a superb program for identifying those triggers and preventing headaches. His wife, Dr. Laura Marks has developed some wonderful recipes to accompany the program.

One thing to remember about triggers is that they can be cumulative or "stackable." That means that one trigger alone might not be enough to induce a Migraine attack, but if he encounters two or more, the Migraine occurs.

Although none of us want to take medications ourselves, let alone give them to our children daily, it may be time to consider preventive medications for him. That's a subject to discuss with a doctor who really understands Migraine disease. In addition to prescription medications, there are also some dietary supplements that you can discuss with the doctor. Here's some information:

Medications for Headache and Migraine Prevention
For those of us with frequent headaches or Migraine attacks, preventive medications are often a good option. There are over 100 medications that can be used and nearly endless combinations of them. The list is ever-evolving, and will this one will be updated regularly.

Good luck,
Teri Robert and John Claude Krusz

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