Just wanted to update you regarding my daughter Megan.
Unfortunately Megan has continued with her migraines, the link I thought I had found with dairy products being a trigger doesn't seem to be the case.
She was sent home again from school today, the Ibruprofen that the GP had prescribed had not helped her at all. When I picked her up from school she looked very ill, then started to complan that the side of her face was numb.
I contacted our GP surgery and spoke to a different duty GP, gave him a brief history and explained what was happening and he asked me to take her to the surgery straight away.
He gave her an examination and actually seemed to listen and shared my concern that his has been going on for too long now - even the school has mentioned that Megan does not seem her usual bright and bubbly self. He also seemed to share my concern to the severity of her migraines and the fact she is waking in the night with them. The relief I feel that I am being listened to is immense - I don't feel fobbed off!
He is sending her for a different type of CT scan (I wasn't aware that there was more than one?) and referring her to a paediatrician at our local hospital - he has assured me that they will make an appointment for her very soon.
He wants to rule out 'anything else' but he feels that Megan may be suffering from Hemiplegic Migraines, which he feels would need to be closely monitored - he has prescribed her codeine in addition to the paracetomol and ibruprofen which will hopefully help ease the pain she experiences.
I'll let you know how she gets on! Just wanted to say a big Thank you to the people on this site and the advise you have given me, it had given me the confidence to pursue this further with my GP!!
I really hope she is able to find relief from these appointments very soon! I get pretty down and a bit depressed about feeling bad so often, so I am sure it's very hard for her to be cheerful and like her normal self. I'm not sure about the CT scans out there, as my doctor recommended an MRI over a CT scan since it contains more detail of the brain. Hopefully it will rule out anything very serious, but will also give doctors a clue on what the best treatment is from there. If they agree it sounds like hemiplegic migraines, will they be giving her some medication to help control this, as well as any lifestyle changes that might help? I'm not sure of the best medication for hemiplegic migraines vs. other migraines, but I hope there is something she can take to prevent them! Things like codeine may help in the meantime, but I really hope they give her something to help PREVENT them so she doesn't have to keep taking so many pain meds. Some pain medications (definitely ibuprofen for me- which I was taking a lot of in the past) gave me rebound headaches and migraines, so it definitely wasn't a good option to use regularly. I hope everything helps her QUICKLY so she can get her life back to how it should be!
The Following User Says Thank You to tUrRrRa For This Useful Post: Heather1973 (03-27-2011)
Well, she has an appointment with a paediatrician on 11th April and it is an MRI scan, not CT scan!
I'm hopeful that we'll get to the bottom of the cause and like you say hopefully find a way of preventing them rather than just managing the pain.
I have been trying to find out more info on Hempilegic migraines on the internet, but accounts are so varied, I think it's best to wait til 11th April and see if that is definitely what is wrong and take it from there.
Well, she has an appointment with a paediatrician on 11th April and it is an MRI scan, not CT scan!
I'm hopeful that we'll get to the bottom of the cause and like you say hopefully find a way of preventing them rather than just managing the pain.
I have been trying to find out more info on Hempilegic migraines on the internet, but accounts are so varied, I think it's best to wait til 11th April and see if that is definitely what is wrong and take it from there.
I'll let you know how Megan gets on.
Very Best Wishes
Oh okay! I am very hopeful for all of this too and wish her the best! I would be curious to see if any others here on Healthboards have hempilegic migraines and can offer their experience with them.
hi heather, this is my first time on this board, im normally on back pain. my son is 11 he has had migraines since he was 3. this summer he had a bad migraine and went for a sleep when he woke i thought he had a stroke one side of his face had drooped he couldnt form sentences stumbling over words slurring and talking funny.i brought him to hospital and he was kept overnight. he was diagnosed with hemi-plegic migraine.i had never heard of it either but since have found out as much info as i can. in december i got a migraine and had a type of seizure was brought to hospital by ambulance and i was diagnosed with it too. i know how frightening it is. i hope your daughter is feeling better. take care shelsers
Last edited by moderator2; 03-30-2011 at 05:46 AM.
Hi, i to get heamiplegic migraines, my wife used to be a nurse and the first time i had one she thought id had a stroke. I was in hospital for 3 days whole of left side went and speech ,face drooping. I now have them at least 3 times a week ranging in length from 5 hrs to 2 days, what i want to no is how long do you leave it till you go to hospital because it might be a stroke? My gp couldnt answer that. I also get 'normal' migraines and basal type migraines, lifes good lol
hi crazyhead, sorry to hear your having so much trouble.iv only ever had 2 hemi-plegic attacks the 2nd time caredoc would not see me sent me to hospital again. at first they were saying what are you here for your seeing the neurolgist, i told them he had given me tablets to take and if i had another 1 to go to the hospital for iv treatment. i was seen by a lovely doctor and explained to her i didnt know what to do, she went to her superior and they decided that the best and safest way to deal with these was if i had a normal migraine treat it at home, if i had a hemi-plegic 1 to go to the hospital, they would observe and do tests to ensure i didnt have a stroke. there is a possibilty you can get a real stroke with this type of migraine my sons peadatrician told me this and said i was never to ignore it, he would be kept overnight for observation to rule it out. so thats 2 doctors in the same hospital gave me this advice. i hope it helps and i hope you start getting some relief yourself, take care shelsers
Hi shelser, thanks for the advice but its so hard to go to hospital when like you say they treat you with comtempt 'oh its only a migraine'. I also have a permanent droop on the left side of my face from these migraines. I went to london recently for a 2nd opinion to the neuro hospital there and i got given a nerve blocker at the back of head,have to go for more. I also suffer from raynauds, chronic fatigue, and fybromyalgia at least the suns out!
The following user gives a hug of support to crazyhead: shelsers75 (03-30-2011)
hi crazyhead, im sorry t hear your going through so much, its very hard to be in pain all the time. i know what you mean about hospital its not easy but the one thing i was told is if you have any change in your migraines always get it checked. i hope the treatment in england helps, there is a blood test to check if you have the hemi-plegic gene, its done in your local hospital and sent to dublin then to london. my son had it done. i suffer with chronic back and leg pain, and have nerve damage im in pain every day too, throw in migraines and its not easy. but like you i try to keep smiling. the sun the last 2 weeks has cheered everyone up. take care shelsers
