My Son's Turn...

By star71

2 min read

I've been getting migraines since I was 13.
I'm now a chronic daily sufferer.
This past weekend my 14 year old son experienced his first real migraine.
He's had small ones in the past that have went away in a few hours, but this one lasted for 4 days.
It started on Saturday afternoon and lasted through Tuesday.
He spent the weekend with his stepdad and slept on and off taking ibuprofen when he was awake.
He went to school on Monday and managed through, texting me at lunch telling me he wouldn't be able to make it to his bowling practice that afternoon.
When he arrived home, he was in tears, ran to his room and laid in bed in a fetal position with the covers over his head crying.

I let his team know he wouldn't make it and took him to the ER, as his doctor was already closed.
I figured they would listed to me, knowing there's a family history of migraines and my file alone is like a Stephen King novel there and they'd give him the usual shots for a migraine and we'd be on our way, MAYBE a CT Scan to be on the safe side...
No... We were in the ER 8 hours... A CT Scan, Chest X-Ray, Breathing Treatment (for a cough he got due to dry throat from not drinking in 8 hours), and a Spinal Tap to check for meningitis since he's a teen and at the right age for catching it.
They also gave him 2 doses of morphine. :/
After ALL of that and several vomiting fits, his head was still killing him and all tests came back negative, they sent us home with several prescriptions, one being for Percocet, which I didn't fill...
I'm just so upset they didn't listen to me as a mom that he had a migraine and he went home in as much pain as what he started, if not more b/c his back was hurting now too w/ the Spinal Tap.
Very upset these doctors don't listen more to parents.
Some of us know what's going on with our kids.

I'm hoping this doesn't become a reoccurring thing for him.
Because as I said before I'm a daily sufferer and I take 400mg of Topamax and I don't want him to have to go through this everyday of his life.
He's a gifted student and doesn't deserve this.

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threeweare Member
A migraineurs only knows what a fatal pain he suffers when he caught migraine. Prophylactic medications may cause repulsive reactions to some migraineurs and for that various non medicated options are being adopted by them now a days. Various home remedies may act well to reduce migraine and headaches. These are 1. SLEEP 2. STRESS MANAGEMENT 3. EXERCISE 4. EATING 5. LIFE STYLE CHANGE I have read a very good article on how to get rid of migraine based on these above features in the web site <a href='https://fightmigrainepain.com/get-rid-migraine.html' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>http://fightmigrainepain.com/get-rid-migraine.html</a>
1. star71 Member
 My son is very organized and OCD... He goes to bed at 10pm and is up at 6am every school day. he eats pretty healthy, not a big junk food child, I cook a good dinner every night, he drinks water or milk. No sodas, as he's allergic to carbonation. Occasionally he'll drink a Power Aide. Any sweets like cake or cookies, I make from scratch. That way I know what's going into my family. :0) And he gets about an hour and a half of exercise everyday from sports, he's on the bowling team at school. He's 14, so he's got the normal stressors of a 14 yr.old... Luckily he's low key, so there's no drama with girls.
Katie M. Golden Moderator
Star71, My heart breaks to hear about your son's Migraines. Hopefully this will be a one time occurrence. I can imagine how frustrating being in the ER was. However, since he had never had symptoms so severe and long-lasting before, they likely wanted to check that it wasn't anything else. Now you know he doesn't have a tumor or meningitis or any other awful diseases that share some of the same symptoms as Migraines. Hopefully there won't be a next time, but if there is the ER shouldn't repeat all of these tests. Your son sounds like a trooper. And since I don't have kids, I can't imagine how nerve-wracking this is for you. One of our contributor's, Tammy Rome, also has a child with Migraines. She has some great advice. Check out this forum discussion so that you could talk to her directly and read this article she wrote about getting school accomodations. <a href='https://migraine.com/topic/migriane-the-educational-system' target='_blank'>http://migraine.com/topic/migriane-the-educational-system/</a> <a href='https://migraine.com/blog/special-education-services-children-migraine' target='_blank'>http://migraine.com/blog/special-education-services-children-migraine/</a> I really hope he gets better! Best wishes! -Katie <a href='https://migraine.com' target='_blank'>Migraine.com</a> Moderator
1. star71 Member
 Thanks so much!!! I'll read up on those... It would have been nice to have that help when I was in school suffering. :0( I did understand their reasoning for the testing. But after they came back negative, I wished they would have come back and given him the shots to alleviate the migraine pain instead of more morphine... It didn't even help him for an hour. If he would have had the other meds, he could have went to school the following day. I think that upset him the most.
annequin-harkin Member
I am so sorry. I got my first migraine at 12 - when hormones started to fluctuate , so I imagine his hormones are shifting as well. I am very saddened that the ER didn't listen to you and it may be worth a letter to the hospital administrator to let them know of their poor treatment so it doesn't happen to someone else. In the meantime, can you see your regular doctor with your son, so he can at least get some stronger medication to carry with him and take at the first sign of attack? For me, I know taking medication at the first sign of attack helps a lot. I also found that cutting out sodas, gluten, dairy, soy, corn, peanuts and eggs have helped to lessen the severity of the attacks - as they are inflammatory foods. My migraines lasted throughout my teenage years, got a lot better in my twenties and didn't show up again badly until my late 30s (again the hormone fluctuations). I hope that you and your doctor can find something that works for your son - I can imagine there's nothing more awful than watching your child suffer.
1. star71 Member
 We saw our regular doctor and we have to keep a migraine journal... They won't give us anything for him right now... Just use ibuprofen and drink water... That's all he drinks... Occasionally he drinks Power Aide if he's been bowling for awhile, b/c he bowls on a league and they practice for a few hours or have tournaments... or he'll have OJ for breakfast... He can't drink soda, he's allergic to carbonation, doesn't like peanuts, I limit gluten as much as I can and not a lot of soy in our diet... he does like corn, and eggs are in a lot of things I make or bake, b/c I make a lot of stuff from scratch if I can... I think a lot of it hormones and praying it will end soon...
jane-ashby Member
Star, My heart goes out to you as a parent. It's such a shame the doctors didn't listen to you, and put your son through so much. Hopefully this will be a one off and won't happen again. No one deserves these migraines, and I feel especially sorry for any youngsters who are suffering like this while trying to complete their studies. My thirty year old son gets migraines too and it's heartbreaking to see him so ill and trying to hold down a job. I hope and pray that a cure will be found soon as so many people are suffering so much.
1. star71 Member
 Thanks so much!!! I'm getting his eyes checked too, b/c he's such a reader as to make sure that's not the problem as well. I can't stand to see him suffer, knowing how bad I feel everyday...
psfeeney Member
Hi, Sorry your suffering, my son had them also at age nine but outgrew them by eleven. Have either of you tried toradol sp shots? And I live on ice packs(gel packs from Meijer) Draw up on your Faith!! Let Jesus & Father God fill your heart! God does help those who help themselves. Blessings to you both!! Pam See my latest post as of today & my story Faithful July 28, 2014 for more info.
1. star71 Member
 Yes, I get Toradol shots... They just help take the edge off. I was hoping they'd give it to him in the ER, but they didn't even treat him for a migraine, for which I was very upset... They tested him for everything else and didn't listen to me, when you could clearly see on his face that he had a migraine...
2. star71 Member
 I get Toradol shots for my migraines... They help take the edge off, but that's it... It doesn't take the entire thing away... When I took my son the ER they didn't even treat him for a migraine, or listen to me... They tested him for meningitis and mono, since he's a teen and it 'runs rapid' in teens as the doctor said. I assured him my son didn't have that, he doesn't share anything and he hasn't kissed anyone... The doctor replied to me saying that "your son is probably lying to you too." I laughed at him and said, "He's with me almost 24/7, when he's not with me, he's in class... he can't kiss in class. So I'm pretty sure I'm right." He was arguing w/ me! I finally told the doctor, do whatever tests you feel you need to do, but I know he has a migraine. When these tests come back negative, I'll know I'm right. And I was... :0)
Jan ML Member
I’m so sorry that your son had to endure so many tests and still not be discharged with the appropriate medication. I was a daily migraine sufferer for 20 years, and during that time my son also began suffering from migraines, starting at age eight and becoming much worse when he was in high school. When he was around 12, and Tylenol or Advil no longer worked for him, I took him to my neurologist, who gave him his own Imitrex prescription. I then arranged with the nurse at his school to keep some of his Imitrex in her office and mentioned to all of his teachers that he suffered from migraines with aura. He was then able to go to the nurse’s whenever he felt a migraine coming on – which was about once a week during his high school years – take his medication, and lie down until I could get there to take him home. He still managed to graduate from high school with honors and then attend college. Fortunately, my son’s migraines improved greatly while he was in college . . . which is exactly what my neurologist predicted. Apparently, boys who suffer from migraines during childhood and adolescence usually completely recover in their 20s. However, there is a 50% chance that they will begin suffering from migraines again in their 30s and 40s, so I have advised him that, if this happens, he should immediately seek help from a neurologist and obtain the proper medication in an effort to avoid having them become chronic. I hope that your son finds a migraine treatment that works for him, and that he, too, will eventually outgrow this disorder.
1. star71 Member
 Thank you! My nephew suffered too. His went away and "knock on wood" haven't come back... He's going on 23... We have to keep a migraine diary for my son for the next 2 months before they'll do anything for him. Or "label" him as a sufferer... I've got to make an eye appointment for him too, and make sure that's not the problem as well.
kristhebooklady Member
I am so sorry that your son had that experience. Migraines are one of the most misunderstood and under treated diseases. Many practitioners think that you are making it up, it is all in your head and you are seeking narcotics. I have been given toradol that doesn't even touch my headache and told to go home. The Nurse Practitioner refused to help me when it did not relieve my migraine. When this happened a second time I quit going to to that stand alone clinic. It seems that some health personal think it is best to give you anything but narcotics even though those medications do not relieve my migraines and after I leave the ER, I have the migraine for anywhere from three to seven days more. Giving people with migraines narcotics is not bad, especially if the person does not come in more than three times a year. I have refused to go home when my pain was unrelieved and until I received adequate pain relief. The staff doesn't like it, but I do have my rights. I have learned this lesson. If my migraine is not relieved to the point I can get pain relief with my home medications, it is my right to expect that they will treat me adequately. I am a "bad" patient, but I have decided I will get pain relief. If I have a migraine bad enough to need the ER I should get relief. Having migraines does not mean I am seeking drugs. When I go to the ER or clinic I do so because I need help. In recent years I have noticed a shift in the attitudes of nursing and medical personnel. It seems that it is important to give the minimum amount of medications risk patients being under treated. I remind them that if they had my migraine would they want to go home in severe pain? I do have the right to have my pain relieved so I can adequately use my home medications, just as they would want to have their or their loved ones pain relieved.