P.M. asks from Brooksville, FL on May 07, 2008
Teenager Headaches
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 :(
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
A.K. answers from Tampa on May 12, 2008
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.
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S.C. answers from Tampa on May 08, 2008
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
J.W. answers from Sarasota on May 07, 2008
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.
L.G. answers from Tampa on May 08, 2008
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.
A.N. answers from Tampa on May 08, 2008
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
A.T. answers from Lakeland on May 08, 2008
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.
C.D. answers from Tampa on May 07, 2008
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!
M.M. answers from Tampa on May 07, 2008
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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