Kids and Migraines
Noel Peterson, N.D.
JJ, a 12-year-old student, had suffered from migraine headaches for the previous 6 years, and a more recent history of what his pediatric neurologist diagnosed as “acute confusional migraines”. He and his mother described these attacks as consisting of pupil dilatation, slurred speech, decreased motor control to the point of requiring a wheelchair, diminished mental capacity, and the inability to perform normal daily activities such as dialing a phone and answering simple questions. JJ described these episodes as feeling like he was in the “bottom of a well” where his “brain shuts down”.
JJ’s typical migraines started when he was six years old and had grown in severity since that time. These headaches had reached a frequency of every two days in spite of him having been prescribed every known drug for migraines, most of which produced more side effects than benefit. His newest medication, Gabitril, had helped to decrease the frequency of his attacks to an average of every two weeks. However, the side effects of the medication included agitation, insomnia at night and sleepiness during the day, irritability, aggressiveness, and blunted intellectual capabilities. Prior to this and other medications, this child was in advanced mathematical studies, but under the influence of these drugs had been "unable to do simple math". Curiously, even though his neurologist had diagnosed “acute confusional migraines”, the boy had never experienced such an attack before starting the Gabitril. (Listed side effects of Gabitril, an anti-convulsive medication, include weakness, difficulty with concentration and attention, confusion, speech disorder, generalized weakness, and loss of muscle control.) Aside from Gabitril, the patient was also using large doses of Motrin and Zomitriptin as needed. Taking Zomitriptin resulted in a host of other side effects including muscle soreness, sore throat, and scalp tenderness.
At the first visit, JJ and his mother were already aware of some factors that were likely to trigger migraine attacks, including strong odors, perfumes and cologne, auto exhaust, sugar, and certain foods. The initial treatment plan included serum testing for additional food sensitivities, red blood cell mineral analysis, and a subsequent treatment plan that took into account the results of these tests. The treatment plan included avoidance of tyramine containing foods, weekly injections of magnesium with B-complex vitamins, and a biweekly schedule of myofascial manipulation, trigger point injections, ultrasound, and sine wave therapy to affected trigger point areas.
Within one and a half months of starting the treatment plan, the quality of JJ’s life had improved considerably. He had been able to stop his pain medications, and he was not experiencing regularly recurrent head pain for the first time in the past six years of his twelve-year old life! The attacks of “acute confusional migraines”, which had disabled him, had also ceased completely. As of his recent eight-month reassessment, this young man has experienced no migraine headaches in the previous five months. He is sleeping well, performing well in his studies, and is on an emotional even keel. As his mother put it, “I have my son back.”