SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

Make sure you warn her about how loud it is. The headphones with music can only do so much.

[This message edited by purplejacket4 at 11:16 PM, February 19th (Wednesday)]

caregiver brings up an excellent point about not getting enough to drink.

Does she have these headaches only on school days?

I can tell you that I have forever and ever told my kids the first thing to do when they get a headache is to drink a great big glass of water, and if that doesn't work, half a soda, and if that doesn't work, then take some sort of OTC med.

The most common cause of average, non-debilitating headaches is dehydration, when your brain is dry, and shriveled down like a little raisin it hurts, water fixes that, caffeine (in the soda) helps to constrict the blood vessels, that dilate in an attempt to provide more liquid to that raisin.

Thank you, scaredyKat. I think headache specialist is an excellent idea. I would never have thought of it.

caregiver9000 - She rarely takes the otc meds since "nothing works, mom". Yes, she gets both headaches and migraines. The headache is 24/7. The migraines are rare, but give her light & sound sensitivity. Her allergist has her on meds. The neuro wrote her a note so that she can have water in class. I'm going to start tracking her water. I never thought to do that. I'll start using our air purifier, too. Mold in the classroom? That is horrible. How the heck could they make you teach in there?! Naproxen is alleve, but stronger.

Thank you, AN.

I'll remind her, PJ. Thank you.

Tushnurse - She gets the headaches 7 days of the week. I'm going to push her to drink more water and I'll track it. I've noticed that caffeine helps my headaches, but never knew why. Thank you for explaining why.

She's nervous about the results still. I am only a smidget nervous. I think she'll be fine.

[This message edited by SI Staff at 1:11 PM, February 20th (Thursday)]

Hoping all went well today.

(((Jo & mini)))

When you said Naproxen is the only thing that seems to have any positive effect, the first thing I thought was well then there is likely inflammation, which suggests allergic reaction. I know others have suggested food and artificial sweeteners before, but I really would suggest keeping a food diary of every single thing she puts in her body. If you feel comfortable, maybe list some of the things she consumes here, because there may be ingredients you are not aware of.

I suggest this because a friend of mine has a horrific sensitivity issue with MSG. MSG is in so many things. She even went on a very strict elimination diet for weeks before she had a reaction, and she would have never figured out on her own it was MSG because MSG is not always labeled as such in foods. Se mentioned a brand of soup and I said most canned soups have it, did you check? Artificial sweeteners, additives, etc are also not always explicitly labeled as such.

If possible I would also check her blood pressure and heart rate when she has headaches. This is why a lot of people who are unknowingly dehydrated have headaches, their blood volume has been affected which in turn affects the HR/BP, which in turn gives headaches. Some people just take a whole lot more water than others to get it right.

Good luck. That has to be super frustrating for everyone concerned.

I second a food journal. She may be eating one thing in particular every day that has either MSG, Sweetners, or Nitrites in it and could be the trigger.

Aleve is an anti-inflammatory med, and I would suspect if she is getting relief from that, and these are not the same as her migraine headaches, that she may have a low level inflammatory/allergic response to something in her environment, including but not limited to things like, dust/mold/animal fur/dander/pollens/even a shampoo or hair product scent could be the trigger.

I went through a phase in my early 20's about 3 years that I couldn't tolerate any scents, no perfumes, or lotions, or smelly hair products without getting an instant headache. Had to find a very mild smelling shampoo, and used ivory on my body, and dreft to wash my clothes (this was before all the scent free stuff). Eventually grew out of it, and now love my perfume, and don't feel fully dressed without it.

She takes Claritin 24hr each day for allergies.

The mri came back ok. The dr wants her to start taking a vitamin B complex in addition to her multivitamin. She said it helps with headaches. I had never heard that before. She has to do that and take the naproxen for 2mos. Then we go back in for an appt. In the meantime, I am going to track her water, food, buy a new filter for our air purifier, and see if there are headache specialist near us. Thank you.

[This message edited by SI Staff at 5:24 PM, February 21st (Friday)]

Jo, I'm glad to hear the MRI was clear. B Vitamins are important for so many things.

Hope you can find what the reasons are or at least find something that helps DD.

Best wishes to you both.

So glad for the clear mri.

B2. Yep. I recently added that to my arsenal with significant help. Also magnesium supplements.

So glad there was nothing on the MRI!

I am going to restate what I said about headache specialist. My first was a DO who just had extra training/interest and so was up to date on the newest treatments. My current is a NP with a doctorate. She tried me on Butterbur and CQ10 supplements along with the B2. I was already on the magnesium and a general B complex. I dropped the butterbur and CQ10, they didn't seem to help me but the B2 has. It's cheap and doesn't have any other effects.

Mind you, I am on other, RX meds for prevention, an old line antihistamine to regulate my sleep and pretty hard line meds for a acute migraine. She tweaks things if I start having trouble. I am hoping to wean off the stronger meds since I'm doing well on supplements.

Now that you know it's not anything scary it is a matter of management. There are a couple of great apps to help her keep track of her symptoms. They are available for OS and android....

My now 18yr old daughter suffered from headaches from April 2012 -October 2012 when after an emergency MRI in May showed nothing and we started doing everything everybody above has mentioned .. the OTCs the caffeine it wasn't dehydration , food allergies etc. we tried everything.. finally diagnosed with Chronic Daily Headaches by her neurologist that October (she also has Essential Tremors)

She was put on amitriptyline and within weeks she improved after having to increase the dose and just in Jan. 2014 we weaned her off of them and knock on wood she's doing great! She does have the pills with her at college just in case. The doctor said they do see teenage girls with these unexplained headaches and CDH is how they help diagnose them sometimes when they've exhausted all areas!

I hope you find your answers..and soon!

She has a bunch of blood work she needs to get done. I need to schedule that this week.

Helpingme - I'm glad your DD is feeling better.

I've been writing everyone's advice down for reference. SI members are the best!

I just saw this. I hope you find an answer for her soon, poor thing. Fingers crossed

(((Jo&DD)))

Starting at about 10 years old I started getting constant headaches about 3-4 a week. Through middle school they tried all sorts of medication and nothing seemed to help. In my mid 20s I went to a chiropractor for about a year of therapy. Since then my headaches have dropped to about once a month.

My dd went thru this at 17 still applies now at 20 but beadaches are less. She takes naproxen for the headaches, we monitor blood pressure, she takes the vitamin Bs and magnesium daily and I took her in for an eye exam - she needed reading glasses at a very strange stigmatism/ prescription. I think it was a combination of all of them.

Good news now is that the headaches happen MUCH less frequently and we don't freak out about them.

I hope it goes well for you like it did us.

[This message edited by rainagain at 8:09 PM, February 23rd (Sunday)]

I'm glad your headaches have decreased, Chicho.

Rain, I'm glad your DD is doing better.

She seems to sleep for hours after the naproxen. I don't know if it makes her drowsy or if her body just needs the rest. I'll have to look it up.

Thank you, all.