11 year old and really bad headache

[Anonymous]

It could be allergies plus migraine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, don't run in my family or my husband's that I know of.

Is he on ADHD or other meds?

Personally if this is a first severe headache I'd take him to the doctor or ER.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a migraine to me. Ibuprofen taken early can stave off bad migraines. I don't think Tylenol is used for migraine. Avoid foods with MSG and that includes a lot of snack foods like Doritos and I think even goldfish. If he gets another bad one look up headache clinics in the area, or a neurologist, so you can learn ways to manage them.

[Anonymous]

Updates OP?

Glasses for vision perhaps? It would explain the eye pain and headache, but not the ton of sleep or vomitting.

Mono, Lyme, migraine just a plain old virus that needs to run it's course?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, don't run in my family or my husband's that I know of.

Is he on ADHD or other meds?

Personally if this is a first severe headache I'd take him to the doctor or ER.

No he is not.

Anonymous wrote:Many viruses start with s headache and then have other symptoms such as vomiting -- very common to get a headache before a stomach virus. The eye pain could have been part of the headache. I suffer from migraines and they also involve eye pain, headache, and vomiting. I see a neurologist and am managing them. Please keep a record (record the date and symptoms) in case this happens again - then you will have a migraine diary to discuss with your doctor. I didn't start getting them until my late 40's. Common triggers are dehydration, skipping meals, and interrupted or not enough sleep -- so keep an eye out for these things. Tylenol does not do anything for a migrane -- and whatever you do, stay away from that Exedrin Migraine pills or something similar that is sold at CVS -- that will give you rebound headaches. I take sumatriptan which makes the migraine go away within 1-2 hours which also prevents me from entering the vomiting stage BUT I don't know what medication a neurologist would prescribe for someone that young.

Great advice, thank you I will do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Updates OP?

Glasses for vision perhaps? It would explain the eye pain and headache, but not the ton of sleep or vomitting.

Mono, Lyme, migraine just a plain old virus that needs to run it's course?

He perked up yesterday, ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner but was running a fever of 100.3 and stayed in my bed watching TV all day. He said his headache was very minor all day but in the evening before bed he said his eyes were starting to hurt again. No vomiting yesterday. He hasn't gotten up yet today.

He has his annual appointment next month so I will definitely be asking about his vision and if I should be taking him to an eye doctor (so far the ped has checked has vision at his annual appts).

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a migraine, could be caused by sinus infection?

[Anonymous]

If he has a migraine, he really should be avoiding looking at a TV or computer screen as the light can make it worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Updates OP?

Glasses for vision perhaps? It would explain the eye pain and headache, but not the ton of sleep or vomitting.

Mono, Lyme, migraine just a plain old virus that needs to run it's course?

He perked up yesterday, ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner but was running a fever of 100.3 and stayed in my bed watching TV all day. He said his headache was very minor all day but in the evening before bed he said his eyes were starting to hurt again. No vomiting yesterday. He hasn't gotten up yet today.

He has his annual appointment next month so I will definitely be asking about his vision and if I should be taking him to an eye doctor (so far the ped has checked has vision at his annual appts).

With this new info, it sounds like a flu. Often starts with a major headache. You know half of Metro has a nasty couch and a cold, and it is likely now going to be a flu?

[Anonymous]

I'm the poster that suggested you keep a migraine diary. If he has a fever, then it really sounds like a virus. So many of them have a headache as a symptom and eye pain is associated with headaches (both regular and migraine). My son has had a few viruses that begin with headaches.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks everyone for the advice and suggestions. Yesterday he ate very well, had no fever, yet the headache remained. I gave him junior strength tylenol again and it did not help. Here's two things I noticed though. The tylenol expired last year and the highest doage is for an 11 year old that weights 95lbs. He's 5'3" and weights 110lbs. Most adult meds are for 12 and over though, although he would fit the weight requirements for a 12 year old. Not sure if I should have tried something else.

I'm going to wake him up now and if he still has a headache today I'll take him in to the doctor. Today would be day 4. It's not unusual for him to get headaches that last days when he's sick, it's usually his main symptom. In the past I've taken him to the doctor for days of a headache only to have the headache gone and him feeling 100% better while we are sitting in the waiting room. I swear it never fails!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks everyone for the advice and suggestions. Yesterday he ate very well, had no fever, yet the headache remained. I gave him junior strength tylenol again and it did not help. Here's two things I noticed though. The tylenol expired last year and the highest doage is for an 11 year old that weights 95lbs. He's 5'3" and weights 110lbs. Most adult meds are for 12 and over though, although he would fit the weight requirements for a 12 year old. Not sure if I should have tried something else.

I'm going to wake him up now and if he still has a headache today I'll take him in to the doctor. Today would be day 4. It's not unusual for him to get headaches that last days when he's sick, it's usually his main symptom. In the past I've taken him to the doctor for days of a headache only to have the headache gone and him feeling 100% better while we are sitting in the waiting room. I swear it never fails!

Give him ibuprofen is he is not allergic. Disregard the dosage on the bottle and give him 400mg. He is my weight and I take 800mg non stop for migraines. Pediatrician gave my then 4 year old over 800mg of ibuprofen for enormous fever when he got the flu and got seizure from the fever, she said that the dosages recommended from OTC are so small usually only causing placebo effect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks everyone for the advice and suggestions. Yesterday he ate very well, had no fever, yet the headache remained. I gave him junior strength tylenol again and it did not help. Here's two things I noticed though. The tylenol expired last year and the highest doage is for an 11 year old that weights 95lbs. He's 5'3" and weights 110lbs. Most adult meds are for 12 and over though, although he would fit the weight requirements for a 12 year old. Not sure if I should have tried something else.

I'm going to wake him up now and if he still has a headache today I'll take him in to the doctor. Today would be day 4. It's not unusual for him to get headaches that last days when he's sick, it's usually his main symptom. In the past I've taken him to the doctor for days of a headache only to have the headache gone and him feeling 100% better while we are sitting in the waiting room. I swear it never fails!

Give him ibuprofen is he is not allergic. Disregard the dosage on the bottle and give him 400mg. He is my weight and I take 800mg non stop for migraines. Pediatrician gave my then 4 year old over 800mg of ibuprofen for enormous fever when he got the flu and got seizure from the fever, she said that the dosages recommended from OTC are so small usually only causing placebo effect.

Thank you! He's at school today. Said his headache was 95% better and he really wanted to go to school. He hasn't had a fever in over 24 hours and has been eating well for the last 2 days so i was OK with it. I told him to call if he needed me to come pick him up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks everyone for the advice and suggestions. Yesterday he ate very well, had no fever, yet the headache remained. I gave him junior strength tylenol again and it did not help. Here's two things I noticed though. The tylenol expired last year and the highest doage is for an 11 year old that weights 95lbs. He's 5'3" and weights 110lbs. Most adult meds are for 12 and over though, although he would fit the weight requirements for a 12 year old. Not sure if I should have tried something else.

I'm going to wake him up now and if he still has a headache today I'll take him in to the doctor. Today would be day 4. It's not unusual for him to get headaches that last days when he's sick, it's usually his main symptom. In the past I've taken him to the doctor for days of a headache only to have the headache gone and him feeling 100% better while we are sitting in the waiting room. I swear it never fails!

My guess would be that he has some kind of mild migraine condition that is triggered by illness. That is actually pretty common (lots of migraine sufferers get them worse when they are otherwise ill, not least of all because both dehydration and fevers can bring them on), it's just that most people get migraines at other times too. Probably worth asking a doctor about -- they might have suggestions for prophylactics when he feels a headache coming on since he seems like the headache turns out to be worse/more debilitating than the underlying minor illness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks everyone for the advice and suggestions. Yesterday he ate very well, had no fever, yet the headache remained. I gave him junior strength tylenol again and it did not help. Here's two things I noticed though. The tylenol expired last year and the highest doage is for an 11 year old that weights 95lbs. He's 5'3" and weights 110lbs. Most adult meds are for 12 and over though, although he would fit the weight requirements for a 12 year old. Not sure if I should have tried something else.

I'm going to wake him up now and if he still has a headache today I'll take him in to the doctor. Today would be day 4. It's not unusual for him to get headaches that last days when he's sick, it's usually his main symptom. In the past I've taken him to the doctor for days of a headache only to have the headache gone and him feeling 100% better while we are sitting in the waiting room. I swear it never fails!

Generally, you should go by height and weight more so than age, but double-check with his doctor to be sure. I can't imagine the doctor would be opposed to you upping the dosage, given your DS's size.