Miagraines

Hi, I, like your son suffered from migraines from about kindergarden on. By 3rd grade they were happening about 1-2 times per week. I was taken in for CAT scans, MRIs, you name it for fear of tumors etc. Miagrains run in my family and I was dx with *classic miagraines* I was than refered to a ped. neurologist, who perscribed amatriptlyin(SP?) I started taking 10mg per day and it was later raised to 30mg per day(when I hit puberty) I have been taking 20mg per day for about the past 5 years, the week of my menst. cycle I up it to 30mg, this seems to be the only times that I have them now unless there is alot of stress going on. In my eyes this med. is a wonderful and very effective med. to treat migrains, like other meds it can be used for everything from migrains to depression and even as a blood pressure and heart med. depending on the dose.

You may have to raise his dose as he approaches puberty(I was having about 3 miagraines per week starting around 5th grade, w/ the med. this decreased to about 1 every two weeks)

There are alot of foods that should be avoided for ex:

cheeses--esp. aged cheeses ( I have found that slices seem to be o.k.)

Proccesed meats ESP PORK--try to stay away from hot dogs, bacon, balogna etc. If your son is like my two and loves hotdogs opt for the turkey or chicken based types

try to avoid alot of caffine, this is a double edged sword, it can sometimes cause them, however if you take your miag. med ex. tylonol with hot tea or light coffee it can sometimes help to cure it( I know that sounds crazy but this is a trick that my neurologist told me and it works, the caffine is absorbed by your body and helps tha med to be obsorbed that much faster, never take with anymeds with any caffinated bev. or orange juice the carbonation/acid will eat up the med before it can be obsorbed into the system) Dont forget about chocolate, esp. dark it can be a huge trigger.

Never go more than 4 hours with out something to eat, for me carbs are essential. I actually have breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner,snack, dinner, snack.

Becareful of the sun, this med can cause sensitivity to sun causing burning faster also to much heat and sun can trigger miagraines as well as not having enough water in you.

Avoid alcohol esp. beer, and wines

also get enough sleep, but not to much. Stay on a reagular sleep sched. If you try to sleep in on the weekends because you can chances are you are going to trow off your body and the response is a miagraine, the same with not enough.

If you do not have a flexible cold pack buy 2, one for the forhead and one for the back of the neck at the base of the skull, this helps reduce the swelling of the blood vessels,also keeping hands and feet warm, have you ever noticed that whenever you get a miagraine that your hands and feet freeze, this is because the constricted blood vessels in your hands and feet, the warmth helps relieve that, it is just the opposite of what helps your head.

I am sorry that this is so long, but I have been in his shoes and I know how debilitating the pain is and how scarry it is when you are so young and it hurts for even the breath to brush your teeth when you take a breath.

I hope that this helps take care and lots of hugs to you and him

Good Luck,

Shaun