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Yesterday, I had to take my little Joanna to a neurologist. Now, I don’t know about you, but to me, a neurologist sounds scary serious. You may be wondering how my sweet, little troublemaker ended up at a neurologist. It’s an understandable question. She gets headaches. Being the caring, sensitive mother that I am, when she would complain about a headache, I would give her some Motrin and tell her to go lie down until she stopped complaining felt better. About a month ago, my typical treatment plan didn’t work. She started screaming and crying that her head hurt, asking me to please make it stop. I’ll admit it, I got scared. I had no idea what might be causing it, but she doesn’t scream and cry about things hurting, so I panicked. And rushed her to the doctor. The doctor diagnosed her as having a mother who is a drama queen (the Motrin had kicked in by the time we saw the doctor so Joanna was feeling better) but when the doctor found out that Joanna gets headaches on a regular basis, we had to go see a neurologist. Joanna didn’t want to go. Somehow, she became convinced that the doctor was going to stick a needle into her brain (I am not above using that as a threat, but I can’t take credit. I didn’t think of it). I explained that neurologists are more talking and looking doctors. You can’t examine someone’s brain. But she was still panicked. When we finally got into the doctor’s office, everything was fine. Joanna passed her neurological exam with flying colors (not that I expected anything different). She gets migraines. This wasn’t a huge surprise to me. I get migraines and my mom got them. One thing that was surprising is that she apparently also suffers from something called cyclical vomiting. In non-medical terms, it means you throw up for no reason. When I used to have it growing up, we called it a sensitive stomach. Of course, when I was growing up, I took advantage of it. I would use it as an excuse to miss school. Oops, I threw up last night, I can’t go to school. Joanna is too little to think of that and now that we know what is causing the vomiting, she can’t use it when she gets sneakier older. When I posted about the migraines on Facebook, I received a number of questions. The first was about age. Yes, children can get migraines. They start as young as age 5. That was when Joanna started her headaches. Yes, she did have the headaches for more than a year before we even mentioned them to the doctor (where is my mother of the year award). I just can’t get too upset about headaches, I used to get them all the time and I turned out OK. Another question was about treatment of migraines in children. Like anything, treatment depends on the situation. In a case like Joanna’s, we will just treat the headaches as they occur. We will use Motrin for as long as it works. If the headaches become more frequent or if Motrin stops working, a doctor may use the existing migraine medications off label. Off label means using an FDA-approved medication for something not approved by the FDA (it sounds worse than it is). Neurologists will use medications like Imitrex with kids, calculating the dose, based on the child’s size. We now have a headache calendar we have to track (because I am so good with paperwork). If I know my cooperative little Joanna, she will not have another headache for the length of the calendar. As soon as she is done keeping the calendar, they will come fast and furious. I guess it is better for me to know how often she gets the headaches rather than just guessing. My baby will be just fine. I know I may not have enough sympathy for the headaches (since I get them all the time), but I am definitely sympathetic with the vomiting (I hate to throw up). While I was sure she was suffering from migraines, there is something frightening about taking a six year old to a neurologist. I think it is just the name neurologist. I think they should change the name to headache lady. It’s not nearly as scary.
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Posted on 08:25, May 14th, 2009 by 
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The name neurologist would frighten me too! And taking a child is very scary, so I don’t blame you. I don’t think you don’t sound sympathetic to the headaches, but you just know that they were not serious for you so you are hoping they are not serious for your child. I am sure you will be sympathetic when she has one, though, because you know how uncomfortable and unpleasant they can be. I hope you don’t have to go to any other doctors with scary names!
I am glad it is nothing too serious. I have spent too many hours with neurologists so I understand…they can be scary.
Headaches are miserable..I have had one since 1997. *sigh* It explains my good nature…..
Dang, now you have given me some ideas about when we refer the kids to neurology to tell them about the needle in the brain lol Of course some of them are going to be like you want a bet they are going to do that? lol
It is scary taking your child to a neurologist. My son, who’s 11, used to get migraines all the time. They don’t get as severe now, because we know now what to do to help when they first start coming on. We can tell the signs when one is coming on, so we have him lay down in a quiet, dark room and take a nap. He knows his routine. Something else I have found that works wonders is…the scent of mint and citrus. I have a candle with that scent and bath gel with that scent so he can also take a candlelight bubble bath — it works!!!
One last thing that has made his headaches much less frequent, is it turned out he was allergic to everything under the sun. Esp. mold and ragweed. Allergy shots has done wonders for this kid.
Just some thoughts on what helped my kid. It’s hard to see them so miserable.
Anne I am also glad to hear it is nothing very serious. I do hope Joanna will be fine and I will say a prayer for you all. God bless.
Jodi
I can imagine how you felt, taking J. to the neurologist. I had an MRI today; I was the youngest person in the waiting room.
Glad the headaches aren’t anything more ominous. Me, I use migraines as an excuse to drink Coke. Drown that sucker in caffeine!
I’m so sorry you are going through this! It’s so hard when there’s something wrong with our children! I’m glad it’s nothing serious.
I use to get migraines as a teenager.I remember my mom taking me to see the doctor for them.
It turned out the migraines were caused from low blood sugar because, like most teenage girls, I wouldn’t eat all day so that I could be thin like the other girls. I wound up never getting thin and only getting headaches as a result.
I just hope that your Joanna will feel better soon and hope that condition is nothing serious.
Neurologists, as they are called, seem to be an intimidating name to address these specialists. I can understand if that can scare a child in anyway. Just a thought.
Ah, poor little lady. Good luck treating them. I had my first migraine in Fifth grade and my last at 23. Don’t ask why they stopped, let me just say I wouldn’t recommend it, but I was fine a year later.
I’m just waiting until one of mine starts complaining. Sigh. I think you’re right if you and your Mom get them, it’s gonna happen. But I still feel bad for her.
I’m glad it is just migraines… not that they are any fun either, but they are better than a lot of other things neurologists come up with.
Hey, Anne. Being in the medical imaging business, did the neurologist recommend doing an MRI/MRA just to be sure it is migraines and they are not missing something that could potentially be more serious? Will she see an opthalmologist to check her eyes and make sure that it isn’t related to any visual problems? My husband has migraines and these were part of his pre-marital physical. If I was going to marry into his crazy family, I wanted to be 100% sure his headaches were just migraines.
So sorry to hear about your little one. I’ve had migraines for years too. Funny thing is I just left the neurologist office today. I find that warm rice packs help sometimes.
am sorry to hear about the migraine of your little girl, i have been through that as well, in fact, i still have bouts of really throbbing headache even to this day but not as often as when i was a child. mine started at age 8, my mother then brought me to different kind of doctors just to check what was wrong with me. my eyes were carefully diagnosed, i went through MRIs, and thankful they were not really serious, but then, having those throbbing headache attacks are not something to be taken lightly either. i would hide myself in my room and would not want to hear any sound nor see any light at all when i had bad headache. i think as i grew, i learned to manage my migraines better than when i was younger since i did not know what was going on much, but i can remember my mother’s love and help was always there whenever i need it and that was something i really am thankful of.
I have headaches as long as I can remember. However a migraine, which I get now, is a whole different breed of a headache. I am glad your daughter is fine, and feeling better.
Oh, wow, poor kid. I’ve had migraines and chronic headaches since I was 16 and they’re so miserable. Big hugs to her!!
Sorry to hear about the migraines. Taking your kid to a specialist with scarry names always freaks me out. You should have seen me when we had to take ONE to the cardiologist. It always put in perspective how the parents with seriously ill (cancer and other serious problems)kids handle it. All I know is they are so much stronger than I am.
Hang in there and good luck!
Aw. Poor little Joanna. Migraines (and throwing up) are no fun. I get migraines fairly rarely (thank goodness) and I can’t imagine having to suffer them when I was a mere kid. Thank goodness it isn’t anything more serious. tho.
Now I have to go check out this puke thing as it sounds remarkably like my Youngest. As for the migraines? My Eldest. Only my middle child has been spared. So she’ll probably get the plague or something.
How awful having to take your child to a neurologist. Headaches can be frustrating sometimes. I’ve suffered from migraines ever since I was about ten. Fortunately my kids don’t get them, yet. I hope that the Motrin works for your little one.
Glad everything is ok. It sounds like a super scary experience for both of you. I live in a house of melodrama so it is so hard to tell when things are real around here.
I get headaches and migraines a lot too… poor thing having to cope with them at such a young age though….
Gees, how scary for you both! It’s hard to figure out with kids when to take things seriously–mine are always complaining about some ailment. When my daughter was 4, she tripped over the weed-whacker and kept crying her arm hurt. Yeah, no swelling, no black and blue. She was laying on the couch boo-hooing and I told her to get an ice pack–her “legs aren’t broken”. Yeah, hours later we took her to the hospital, and yes, her arm was broken. Okay, we’ve all got those stories to share.
Hope your little one doesn’t suffer to badly. Poor thing.
Oh, dear, I am so sorry to read about Joanna’s headaches. I will hope that they do become less frequent. It is not fun to worry!!! I am sorry to hear about your suffering from them, too, Anne. Keep us posted.
Neurologists are scary. I see a neurologist semi-regularly and every time I go, I have a feeling of dread. I guess it’s just the underlying fear that something may be wrong with your nervous system.
It is scary but you’re right–she will be fine. I used to get migraines as a child. I ended up getting glasses even though I could see fine, and they just went away one day (the migraines, not the glasses). Still, I’m sorry to hear all this!
Even though I realize that migraines are no laughing matter–especially when they involve your child, but my twisted way at naturally looking at things makes me wonder if neurologists like it when people are nervous. After all, they do work on brains, which are full of nerves, and nervous people make for good for job security. I could be wrong, of course.
I wish your baby well. I hope no more headaches in the coming days. I pray for her.
It just seems wrong that a five year old could have a migraine. I’ve only had three/four in my whole life (the year AFTER my daughter was born, wonder if that’s a coincidence, LOL) and it was awful. I’m glad the doctor visit went well, and maybe now that she’s been once she won’t mind if she has to go back. I think I could like any doctor that doesn’t give shots or drill on my teeth!
Will the migraine calendar help you figure out if there are certain triggers? I don’t know if this applies, but I found that eliminating triggers was a more reliable way to control my asthma than using medications. Wishing success on helping your daughter avoid migraine pain!
Migraines run in my family too. They’re awful but at least it’s nothing serious. My ten year old gets them somewhat less frequently so we’ve never been to the neurologist. It’s always scary when they refer you to a specialist. Never heard of the cyclical vomiting though, sounds pretty ugh, I hate throwing up too, worse still is the clean up. Hope the Motrin keeps the headaches in check.
Cyclical vomiting. Maybe that’s what I had as a child, only it was never diagnosed. Every time I would have one of my episodes ( vomiting consistently until I had no more strength left), the hospital would tell me it was food poisoning, or the stomach flu or whatever they could come up with.
I would be scared if I had to send my so to the neurologist as well. It’s normal. I’m glad it’s just Migraines, not that they are any fun.
I’m sorry your daughter is dealing with this stuff. I hate headaches!! I’m so glad that her appt. with the neurologist went well, though. I hope both the migraines and cyclical vomiting get better as she gets older. I agree, anything to do with a neurologist is scary!
Neurologists would scare me, too – especially using it in the same sentence as ‘six year old’… Headaches are a pain…literally and figuratively. I have friends who get regular migraines, and I feel bad for anyone who has to suffer with those – especially a kid!