My 9 yr. old daughter has stomach aches and headaches every morning..

[TexasLady]

Naturally, I took her to a doctor over a month ago. Really great doctor that mentioned that it was probably just allergies. Prescribed Nasonex. She said, if your daughter shows these same symptoms after treatment , bring her back to us in four weeks. Well, her other symptoms are flashing strange lights in her vision, shaking uncontrollably, and short term memory loss, plus a pain behind her right eye...We are scheduled to have a CAT scan in two weeks. Im a momma...Her symptoms aren't better, they are worse. She vomits some mornings and her head hurts. Im worried. dammit. Hell, Im scared shitless. I hate this. Google aint my friend right now...Waiting sux.


Somebody make me not scared. Im scared. Anyone else have these kind of symptoms where everything else turned out ok? Can allergies do this?

[Lars39]

1. Sounds like she's having a really rough time.

Hugs for you both. :hug: I hope the wait is short and the news is good. Have you had her eyes checked by an ophthalmologist?

[TexasLady]

2. yes, eyes are 20 20

we thought of that first.that one eye is just hurting her, not affecting vision.

thanks so much for the hugs.

[Lars39]

8. Two weeks is a long time to wait, given her age and symptoms.

Can they put her on a waiting list for the next available time slot if someone else cancels?

[TexasLady]

11. They are aware of symptoms

and keeping the schedule. I can bug em I guess for a sooner slot? I feel like I am way more worried than they are, of course. They just tell me to watch her for seizures, and she's had none at all.

[Shine]

16. If it were my daughter, I'd be calling every day, asking about cancellations

Like they say, "Squeaky wheel gets the grease." Two weeks seems like an eternity when you've got symptoms like she's been having. Poor little thing.

I'm so sorry she's not feeling well and you're both having to deal with the stress on not knowing.

I send you my best good wishes that you're able to get in soon and get some answers.

Please keep us posted! :hug:

[TexasLady]

21. I surely will, thank you Shine

Us mammas..we are a worrisome breed. Not knowing sux, indeed it does!

[Lars39]

20. It's worth a try.

:hug:

[csziggy]

3. I don't have any ideas of what it might be

Just wanted to give you a hug and send good vibes.:hug:

[TexasLady]

5. many thanks, and hopes that it's just a mamma worried

Shes my last of five. Shes supposed to climb trees and be rotten at fourteen, hehe. I just hate not knowing. Im so hoping another parent has dealt with this?

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. Don't be scared.

And, perhaps, PM PassingFair. I know she'll talk to you and her littlest one used to get horrendous headaches all the time. I think she still does and it was allergies. Try not to worry...but...you're a mama and nothing I say is going to make you not worry. :hug:

[TexasLady]

6. No I WANT that to be all it is.

Shes only been on the Nasonex for a few weeks, so it may not have done 'its job'

Allergies are treatable. I like that! I just wish she felt better.

[texanwitch]

7. I hope your daughter gets well.

Sending hugs and good wishes for you and your daughter.

:hug: :hug: :hug:

[TexasLady]

9. many thanks texanwitch

Bah, Im just a worry wart. After 23 years, you take things for granted, children's health included. She's just so dad gum sick in the mornings. Thanks for those hugs.

[texanwitch]

17. I would be scared also.

My father has major health problem now so I know the feeling.

I try to stay positive but it isn't easy.

It is hard staying strong.

You have to take this one day at a time.

:pals:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

10. Hugs for you and your daughter...

:hug::hug::hug:
Please keep us posted. I'll be thinking of you...

[TexasLady]

14. My hope is that this thread hits oblivion, as in not that important,

because Mom was worried and was simply venting. Her headaches and vomiting do concern me. what can ya do, I guess? If it gets worse, I'll be sure to rush her to the ER. It's just so weird and vague right now. Silly Mom me, just allergies, most likely

[jobycom]

12. Sounds startlingly like what I went through as a kid.

Major headaches that felt like the eyeball itself was being crushed. Nausea, cramping... I didn't exactly see lights, but my vision got funny, like when you rub your eyes too hard.

Went through it for years. Doctors gave me weird shots, or claimed I was faking.

Finally in 10th grade I went to a nutritionist (a rare beast in Mississippi in the early 80s) and he went over my diet withme. Turns out I reacted badly to MSG in food. I went on a whole foods style diet, and the headaches became very rare very quickly.

Is there any food she eats too much of, or craves? Especially processed, canned foods, or Pringles, or such things?

This is easy to say, but you shouldn't worry unless you find there is a reason to worry. At nine, chances are much better that it's environmental or even stress related than anything permanent.

Good luck. I've got a nine year old daughter, too. I once panicked over a pimple. :)

[TexasLady]

18. She eats better than the rest, LOL

She eats my quirky weird good-for-you food that is healthy. But she does eat a lot of stuff like corned beef hash, too. I really am leaning on the allergy-that-is-unknown for now.
:D

[fudge stripe cookays]

47. Hi Texas Lady.

I'm with Joby. MSG has been termed an "excitotoxin" by some doctors. Not only in Chinese food, but it's added to so many other things...like most of the canned soups we eat.

And keep her away from stuff like Nutrasweet and Splenda, which are neurotoxins in their own right. I have MS, and ever since I cut back on that crap, my symptoms are much less.

I'll be hoping for the best for you.

[Whisp]

13. so sorry for your troubles, TexasLady

just popped in to give you a hug. :hugs:

Sorry I can't give you advice as to what it may be.
but I'm empathizing with you - I know when my girl was sick when she was younger it drove me out of my skin with worry so I know how you feel.

someone in this thread mentioned that maybe you can call up your doctor and see if he/she can get you in before the two weeks, in case of a cancellation?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. If your first doctor can't give you any satisfaction, try another one

Nasonex for headaches and stomachaches? I don't know about that...

When one of my brothers was ten, he started having constant flu-like symptoms. He was first accused of faking it, then misdiagnosed, given the wrong medication, hospitalized (where they found that his new symptoms were due to getting a medication for a condition he didn't have), and finally, diagnosed correctly by a country doctor who used careful common sense.

[Spacemom]

19. I hope your daughter is feeling better soon

Just a thought, but is she having problems at school? Anxiety can manifest in many different ways, including headaches and nausea.

I hope you get answers soon, and feel perfectly free to worry and vent. That's a mom's job. :hug:

[TexasLady]

22. I love this place, politically, but that's WHY I like the lounge

as we all know, Democrats have hearts of GOLD, and always have.

Straight A student/ friends out the bahoozey. Plus, school doesnt start for another three weeks.

Im glad I can vent. Most likely she's fine. Just worried is all.

[Connonym]

23. My 12 year old has some similar symptoms of stomach pain and headache

the doctor said it's anxiety related. I have to admit she's a very anxious kid but it makes me nervous to see it dismissed as anxiety without any kind of work up. It's good that you're having it worked up, hopefully it will turn out to be something simple. :hug: hang in there.

[TexasLady]

24. thanks..That does make me feel better

cause Im not a doctor, but im sure as hell a talker. and a listener. Im going to hit the hay, and do appreciate the well wishes. Shes a great kid, one of those ' wow, how did I get one THIS easy, kind of kids'.. Im probably worried for nothing.

I do so appreciate it. She's most likely a walking allergy. And her Mom is a worry wart that should just chill?

Gnight folks.

[Lil Missy]

25. Sounds like a migraine to me.

But I am no expert, nor do I play one on TV.

I've only had one, and that was about 30 years ago. Never one since, thank goddess.

[ceile]

26. Seconded.

Sounds like my migraines. However, my came (started) when I was 20 because of the "pill". Your girl is 9, but still...get her an MRI-best and safest bet.
Let us know what happens....:hug:

[Sheltiemama]

40. Thirded

Children do get migraines. Sometimes, they get abdominal migraines, which means they get sick without the head pain, which makes them difficult to diagnose. Looking back, I think I started getting them around 9, too. The pain behind her eye is a migraine red flag for me. Migraines can cause all sorts of freaky symptoms you wouldn't think of.

[csziggy]

29. Migraines could fit - mine started at menarch

So she is a little young for that, but I hear girls are starting younger these days. I just hope that is not it - noting helped with my monthly migraines until I finally got a complete hysterectomy at age 50. It was 37 years of hell.

The other thing I thought of after reading the other replies is that it could be allergies. I had a period of life when I was throwing up every morning and would get headaches from the heaving (increased blood pressure). We knew it was not pregnancy since I had my tubes tied. After the doctor checked for ulcers, we eventually realized I had such bad post-nasal drip all night I was getting nauseous from all the phlegm. Eating a couple of saltines just before bed and as soon as I got up helped.

[yellowdogintexas]

39. along that line, if that were the reason, a nice session with the neti pot before bed

should help with that.

This could be a nasty sinus infection. I had a round of weird light flashing that seemed to have no real cause, and the doc and the optometrist both told me to do an intensive round of the decongestant of my choice for a week or so and see what happened. It went away. All pressure from deep in the sinuses


I also suffered heavily from those monthly migraines although mine really started when I was about 40 -42 years old and I had them regularly until I had a hysterectomy. I was fortunate in that I never had the full nausea but I would be queezy and the back of my neck would get involved ..the only thing that would overcome the queeziness was something starchy and dense, like french fries, and a coke. Then I could work. I can still get them occasionally if I hold my head wrong for too long but they pale in comparison to the headaches of prior years

[lildreamer316]

45. Well, I started menarch at nine, so that very well could be it.

I do hope so.

[Sanity Claws]

58. I also think migraines

Migraines can alter vision and also give terrible stomachaches.
Migraines can be brought on by several things, including food intolerances that do not rise to the level of a true allergy.
The OP said the girl gets a pain behind or in the right eye. (By the way, I get it behind my left eye, when I have a severe migraine.) Is her headache more on the right, than the left? Migraines tend to be on one side of the head only.

[jobycom]

43. Migraines, yes, but they can be triggered by various factors.

Mine were triggered by diet factors. MSG, and to a lesser extent, nitrates. When I became a vegetarian in my late thirties, the migraines stopped altogether. I don't think it was meat, but I think something in some meats I was getting was triggering them. Canned meats were the worst. And soups and chili. At times when I was a teen I got them once or twice a week. I missed over 40 days of school a year because of them. Once I avoided MSG, the headaches became rare. When I gave up meat, they disappeared.

[Shakespeare]

44. Same here. My little sister had them chronically when she was 5-6 years old.

Along with requisite tummy ache (and much throwing up). Poor thing was miserable for awhile, but it did pass, and she's just fine now (and 39 years old). I hope that's all it is, and also hope she gets some relief. :hug:

[undeterred]

51. fourthed

Although it sounds strange, the neurological symptoms can occur with or without the headache. And sadly, children do get migraines.

[trof]

53. Yep - 'flashers' - opthalmic migraine. I have them.

Bright sunlight and weather fronts can bring mine on.

[elehhhhna]

55. fourth-ded. Migraine for 50 dollars, Alex. Classic symptoms.

[1]

27. the answer is not drugs... screw drugs... don't do that...

slow down. just think...

what is she eating? what is she being exposed too. where does she go? what does she do now?

what does she do now that she didn't do before.

what has changed? !!!!!



just think about your life and her life. any small changes can cause major changes for her. did you move? did you start ordering food from a different resturant? did you change your cleaning products? did you switch the soap you wash her clothes in?

slow down and go over the events from the time before the problem occurred until now. what changed. how might this change effect this?

think it through. its might be simple. you never know...

[Sheltiemama]

41. Migraine drugs are Godsends.

There are days I would miss work if I didn't have Maxalt. If she is having migraines, she will need to find the right prescription to stop them. She'll also need to cut out as many triggers as possible, and that's where looking at such things as diet comes in.

[grasswire]

28. my first thought was diet, too

Has it changed at all? Some of those screwy candies and treats have unknowables in them.

[Fleshdancer]

30. Trust your instincts

TexasLady, you mentioned some heavy duty symptoms. Get a second opinion.

FWIW, I've never heard of allergies that do that to a person.

[orleans]

31. Nasonex side effects

Nasonex side effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
severe or ongoing nose bleed;

sores in the nose that won't heal;

wheezing, trouble breathing;

vision problems; or

fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms.

Less serious side effects may include:

headache;

stuffy nose, sore throat, cough;

muscle or joint pain;

nausea; or

sores or white patches inside or around your nose.

This list is not complete and other side effects may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.
http://www.drugs.com/nasonex.html

hope she feels better real soon. sorry to hear about this--take care.

[AirmensMom]

36. You beat me to it.

That's the first thing I thought of.

[REP]

32. Migraine symptoms

[KT2000]

33. PLEASE! PLEASE!

Please check your house for chemical contaminants. Have you used pesticides/herbicides lately - is a neighbor over-using pesticides/herbicides that she is exposed to?

Have you had any remodeling done lately? Have you gotten any new furniture that is made of particle board? Could there be a mold problem in the house?

I had the shaking, memory loss, headaches, flashing lights in peripheral vision and nausea. Went to doctors and no one knew what was wrong. Turned out I had purchased fabric (bolts for a big job) that had been transported in pesticide containers. They were in my home 24 hours a day and I kept getting sicker and sicker.

Of course it could be other things but doctors do not recognize the health effects of so many chemicals in our environment and discount their role. You would be wise to at least try to rule it out.

The way I finally discovered the problem was that I left my house for a weekend and when I returned and opened the door - the poisons hit me in the face. When people are in a poisonous environment the body just keeps adapting the best it can and people don't realize what is happening to them.

Good luck to you.

[Callalily]

34. No advice here, just

sending hugs and positive vibes for you and your daughter.

Hope she feels better soon.

:hug: :hug:

[crim son]

35. Not to minimize the admittedly very scary symptoms,

but fear may have something to do with the shaking, memory loss and even the vomiting. My daughter, diagnosed this year (at seventeen) with OCD, had all the symptoms you're mentioning but the flashes behind the eyes. It started when she was quite small, in second grade, and has only recently stopped since she was put on antidepressants. The difference is that she didn't have the symptoms every morning, but that makes me wonder if you see the symptoms any time other than the morning. Anyhow I'm sending good vibes and I hope that there is nothing seriously wrong. :hug: :hug: :hug:

[blueraven95]

37. no advice or stories, but...

:hug:

[My Good Babushka]

38. Best wishes for your daughter

I know I would be a nervous wreck until the CAT scan. It seems two weeks is a long time to wait for a CAT scan. When I went to the ER after sudden onset of dizziness I had a CAT scan right there, and an MRI a day or two later. It's always better to know what you're dealing with, so you can concentrate your fretting in some direction. Like other people said, it sounds like a migraine, maybe allergy related. I hope so.

[KitchenWitch]

42. I am not a doctor and do not play one on television.

I am glad you are getting her checked out with a CT Scan, etc.

It could be something as simple as migraine headaches. My son started suffering with migraines when he was about 4, and did not get a diagnosis until he was 7. I am sorry your daughter is suffering.

[DeepBlueC]

46. I'm hearing blood sugar...migraine

I'm not a doctor, just a sufferer, so what I have are educated hunches. Morning suggests it may have to do with fasting. 25% of the population gets a response to the adrenalin that is released in order to release glycogen from the liver. But drops in blood sugar can also trigger migraine in some people as well and most of these symptoms, flashing lights, pain behind eye, nausea, are migraine symptoms. But the shaking sounds like a hypoglycemic response. I'm sure thinking migraine (as a migraineur myself) but I would also explore whether dips in blood sugar overnight may have a part in triggering them.

[MorningGlow]

56. Seconded

I had those in my early 20s until I started eating better. Definitely something to look into.

[av8rdave]

48. It's common to look up symptoms and assume the worst...

chances are, it will be something transient and treatable.

Sending all my best vibes - let us know what you find out!

[DeepBlueC]

49. man, I don't understand the Nasonex

I have allergies, use Nasonex, FOR A STUFFY NOSE! They do sound like migraine symptoms and those often start in women with hormonal changes that precede or accompany first menstruation. For me it was at age 13, same year, but the headache came well before the first period and I never thought of them as related at all until a neurologist told me that that time of onset was classic for women. And my first headache (that lasted for 3 days), I woke up with. And for some years these infrequent headaches all showed up as I awoke and lasted for a week or more. I did not start having other symptoms like nausea and visual disturbances for years after that. Girls are having hormonal changes earlier and earlier so at 9 hormones might be a factor.


I did not know they were migraines until I finally saw a neurologist 30+ years later. If you don't get any satisfactory answers I would ask for a referral. If there is such a thing as a pediatric neurologist, so much the better. Along the way I too had a CAT scan, ENT exams of sinuses, dental consults, endodontal consults, all fruitless. And after every one comes up empty, you start feeling your doctor looking at you like you are either a malingerer or just a pain in the ass.

[NJmaverick]

50. My best to your daughter and you

[moriah]

52. I second the migrane thought.

The nausea and vomiting are common in migraines.

Even if she didn't have a headache with it, the symptoms are very similar to "abdominal migraine", which is usually found in children. The children who have abdominal migraine usually go on to develop true migraine as an adult.

Adults who continue to have those type of symptoms with vomiting are sometimes diagnosed with "cyclical vomiting syndrome" -- I have been tagged with that actually according to doctors. It sux, because Zofran is darn expensive and taking Phenergan on a daily basis is a bad thing, but it's not disabling.

Have you kept a diary of her symptoms? Does it seem that the vomiting follows a pattern? That's how my doctor noticed it first in me. (It seemed related to my monthly cycle, the first time it happened I was sure I had to be preggers, it was that bad. I literally could not stop vomiting, and to keep from dry-retching would drink water... at least I stayed more hydrated that way.)

Hang in there Momma... and I'll light a candle for you both if you don't object.

[DeepBlueC]

61. diary an EXCELLENT idea

The history of a complaint is really the key to diagnosis and if you you help the doctor you will be helping yourself. If you bring a diary, in writing and in detail, you may be answering questions the doctor is not thinking to ask. I would not be quick to embrace the idea (if it is offered) that she is "seeking attention" or "anxious". I mean you might eventually GET anxious if it does not get better and the doctor is apparently baffled. Those are the classic ways of shutting down inquiry when a doctor does not know the answer and does not know who to consult and does not want to admit it.

Good luck. Try giving your daughter a snack right before bed, fruit and something whole grain, maybe 1/2 a whole grain peanut butter sandwich and half a banana or apple and see if she feels better after 5 days or a week of this kind of regime. If falling blood sugar is a factor, this might help. Does she wake during the night at all?

[yellowdogintexas]

64. diary should include everything she eats and everything she does every day

some of the major migraine trigger foods are:

* alcohol

* tyramine (aged cheeses and fermented foods)

* aspartame (artificial sweetener)

* monosodium glutamate (MSG)

* phenylethylamine (present in some OTC drugs and chocolate)

* nitrates (preservatives used in sausage, bacon, and lunch meats)

* citrus foods and products

also the following non food items
Missing meals, changing your sleep routine, and stress are behavioral triggers that can start migraine headaches. Ask yourself a few questions to determine if your environment is triggering some of your migraine attacks:

* Do you get headaches when you use certain household products or perfumes? Strong odors are frequently a trigger for migraines. It took me years to figure out why I got headaches when I did a big cleaning job, perfume is almost nonexistent in my life.

* Do you get migraines when the weather changes?

* Do you feel bright or blinking lights bother you?

* Are you under acute stress?

and of course, a link:http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/headaches/a/migranes2.htm

[sakabatou]

54. Maybe her immune system is over-compensating

If so, another infection may occur and the immune system attacks the brain. It's what I have now.

[davsand]

57. Sounds like Migraines to me, too.

My first thought was stress overload (and, yes, kids DO sometimes have that much stress) but when you mentioned the light flashes I began to think migraines.

Something I experienced with Migraines is a little different, but worth reporting, I think. I was living in a tri-level house that had issues with water coming in on the lower level. We had mold in some places that we sprayed with bleach (this was back before people had realized how hazardous mold can be) and I had a migraine about once a week the entire time I lived in that house.

I was also in a high stress job at that time--so there is no clear way to isolate why the headaches were happening. I changed jobs and moved out of that house and the headaches mostly stopped--I had one every few months or so, usually related to menstrual cycle and consumption of MSG.

I think if it was my kid, I would try to get her into see a PEDIATRIC Neurologist if at all possible. Any neuro is a good step, but somebody that is a Pediatric specialist is gonna look at it a little differently and may manage the case a little differently. I just had an eye opening conversation with a drug rep just recently about seizure disorders in kids, and how the pediatric neuros are way more aware of what drugs they can give their patients without long term side effects.

Hang in there, and hugs to you both. I know this is creepy stuff.

:hug:


Laura

[BluePatriot]

59. ...

Aw, man. The whole "pat pat on the head don't worry Momma it's just allergies/anxiety whatever" thing from the (probably older male) doctor bugs me. I had many health problems ignored in this way and am just now resolving them now in my mid twenties.

Push for sooner testing, and while going through that with current doc, go get a second opinion.

I agree with many people upthread about migraines and trying to get her to stick to a clean diet/avoiding chemicals.

Hugs! Be calm and persistent and all should be well. You are your child's best advocate and follow your gut.
Don't let any doc intimidate you or brush you off. This deserves to be addressed seriously and promptly.

[Mz Pip]

60. I was about 9 or 10 when my migraines

started. This sounds real similar to what I had. Cluster headaches is what they were called. Vomiting, auras, nausea.

Good luck to you and her. There is good treatment for migraines now. I hope that's all this is.

[GreenPartyVoter]

65. Same here. 10-13 or so. Plus i was sensitive to MSG. If I ate it I had to throw it up or

have a horrific migraine for hours. In fact, the only good side effect of being a bulimic was being able to throw up and get rid of those stupid headaches.

[DebJ]

62. Migraines. Do females in your family tend to develop early?

Hormone changes can trigger migraines. Happened to me and my daughter. Got better after puberty.

[DebJ]

63. Oh yes, and allergies too. Allergies can trigger migraines. How

old is her pillow? Is it an allergen-resistant type? Try spraying Fabreeze on it and changing the pillow case frequently.
My allergies are always the worst in the middle of the night, when the immune system is timed to kick into high gear. I go
from allergic reactions to migraine when I don't keep my bedroom dusted and vaccuumed.