Headaches

It has been just over a year since Abbie started complaining of headaches and bellyaches, and I think we may finally have an accurate diagnosis. We have been through many doctor's visits and considered many possibilities:

- dehydration and low blood sugar-- we push fluids and offer snacks, but it doesn't seem to help

- poor eyesight-- she got reading glasses, which do actually make reading small print easier, but didn't ultimately cure the headaches

- sinus pressure from allergies-- we enhanced her allergy medication from just Zyrtec to Zyrtec and Flonase. At first it seemed to be working, but ultimately the headaches came back. Turns out most kids don't actually have developed sinuses in their forehead as the pediatrician had supposed, so her solution was unlikely to fix the headaches, although it helped her allergies!

Finally, after weeks of a sinus infection that just would not go away, we saw an ENT who fixed Abbie's infection (and hearing), ruled out sinuses as the cause of her headaches, and then referred us to a neurologist who agreed with what we had began to suppose. Abbie has migraines.  They are a less typical kind (no major light sensitivity or repeated nausea- she has only throw up once), but the pattern is nonetheless consistent with migraine headaches. 

It's possible, and I'm hopeful, that this is the worst it will ever get. And they may subside after a year or two. But it's also possible that these are a precursor to more significant migraines which could develop as she reaches puberty.

There are medicines to treat what Abbie has, but I've opted to try as many natural and homeopathic remedies as we can first. This month, we are starting with Magnesium supplements and lavender spray for nighttime. If we are lucky, these two things may even improve her chronic constipation and difficulty falling asleep! I'm very hopeful!