briarrose

Yeah, chocolate with nuts

Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get I never know what a day is going to hold instore for me. It drives me crazy when someone asks me how I'm doing and one minute I can say fine and the next I say I feel really ill, usually they don't understand so better left unsaid There are symptoms that I don't have for 6-12 months and then boom there they are again. Or I love when we get new symptoms that we've never experienced. Anyway it's best if you learn to expect the unexpected.

This was such a great story that I wanted to bump it back through for all of the new people. I was also thinking of Roselover as I was reading it and thought I would send this her way

Icthus Welcome and I love your first post! I haven't had what you're explaining. I usually just have severe knee pain after sitting at the movies and it's painful to walk out. I've also just starting experiencing this occassional restlessness, irritable feeling in my legs that is very noticable when I'm very tired. Anyway, I'm glad that you found us and hope to see more of you around the board Steph

Disney is a nice family park and I don't believe they make any upside down rollercoasters. The most exciting rides thay have are at DisneyLand and that would be the Indiana Jones, space mountain and the jerky thundering mountain rollercoaster. Disneyworld has less exciting rides unless you go to the other parks.

I'm a amusement park junkie I was born in Ohio and they have an amusement park called Cedarpoint. It's a lot different now then 35-40 years ago A few years ago I made my boyfriend take me to Cedarpoint as it has so many childhood memories. I was pretty symptomatic that day but I braved out some of the rides. I had problems with my feet cramping because of walking. The bigfoot rapids was ok, except for the plateform that rotates as you're getting into the boat. I had problems with tremors that day, I'm sure a combination of walking, standing and sometimes the rise of elevation. I had to sit down whenever there was a line. And by the end of the day I was so tired & dizzy that I couldn't walk out to the car. My boyfriend pulled the car around to the front of the park to pick me up and once I was in it, I was out like a light all the way back to the hotel in Toledo. BUT I had FUN and it was worth symptoms that I usually experienc all the time anyway! I've been to Disneyworld and it's not that bad there. They don't have very many exciting rides unless you go to the other theme parks. In fact, I prefer Disneyland over Disneyworld although Disneyworld is much prettier and a beautiful Green (lawns.) Knottsberry farm & magic moutain in California are mostly roller coasters and I probably wouldn't do them anymore. I know my limitations Here are a few tips that might or might not be helpful depending on your symptoms. Use your own discretion. Hydrate really well. Carry the things that are necessary to manage your symptoms. Make sure you hydrate well a few days ahead of time but also make sure you eat and drink through out the day. If it's really hot & muggy (no brainer because of that time of year) you might think about taking some kind of cooling vest with you. Nylons or compression hose heat you up but if you suffer from really low blood pressure I would probably wear them anyway. Becareful of the sugar and save the cotton candy until your home to eat it Wear comfortable but cool shoes. Take a back pack with your needs and find a locker somewhere centrally located so you can go back and access it when necessary. OH and don't forget your sunblock because even though it was overcast the day we were there and I did have sunblock on, I burned anyway, especially the time of my head but I have fair skin & hair too. Sorry about being so long winded here Have fun and enjoy yourself! If you have the energy to live life don't let anyone drag you down, live it to the fullest!!!

Roselover I'm so sorry that you're having so many problems right now. If there is anything I can do please give me a call and I would be happy to come help you out.

Laura You didn't overstep at all and I appreciate all of your information. Thank you! steph

Thank you Nina I'm going to bookmark this one

I just read it too. How horrible! I hope everyone is alright. My thoughts & prayers are with you guys.

Melissa Sorry if I sounded gruff, wasn't meant that way at all I promise. The one problem with the internet is that people can get the wrong idea or intepret the wrong meaning based on words not said in the right way, that's kind of why I started off with the not awake comment yet I probably didn't make myself clear enough either. Someone a few months ago had said that they were interested in doing a fundraiser and I just wanted to send them a few suggestions and offer doing some price researching if necessary. Nina Thank you very much for the well written explanation about everything that goes into a fund raiser. I am suprised to hear that the rubber bracelets are more expensive than the ones we originally got. All the information you gave about the work that goes into a fund-raiser really helps all of us I'm sure. I think that article today kind of got me to thinking before I was completely awake but I was imagining in my brain, What a way to get the word out there. I appreciate your time

I would have went to Michelle but this is kind of a fact finding mission and in the past 6 months sometime there were a few people that said they would be willing to work on another fundraiser. I was really hoping to pass along the suggestion with good intentions

My block is right sided. It's been a couple of years since I've had an echo. Because I was in the hospital for my stomach they didn't really address my EKG as it didn't mean anythign to them. I wasn't complaining of heart symptoms at the time. They did ask me if I have a tendency to pass out and I told them I never let it get that far as I know when to get down on the ground so I really don't even think of myself as having a problem, even though obviously I do. The CT & US showed several problems in my gallbladder, kidney, liver & ovary. The only follow up they've arranged is to have an upper GI scope, follow up with my primary to schedule a CT, US & possible MRI in the next 3-6 months. They notated on my EKG (no old ekg to refer to.) I've been wondering about lung functions since last year when I was waking up with shortness of breath. It has to be heart or lung and they just pooh-poohed me I appreciate your time helping me trying to sort this mess out. Two brains are definitely better than one and because you're in the same boat, I trust yours better than theirs. I think I'm so concerned because there is so much heart disease in my family, hitting in the early 40's of age. I never knew my grandfather on my mom's side because he dropped dead of a sudden heart attack. My grandfather on my father's side has had a heart attack and his daughter. 3 of my mom's family has been diagnosed with Marfans in the past year or so. It goes on and on but I do worry (justifiably) about heart disease. Heart disease, blood clots & cancer are my families big killers.

My brain isn't quite functioning yet this morning and I don't have time to do a search so forgive this post. In fact this is the second time that I'm writing this because I lost my first one in it's entirety. I can't remember who recently said they wanted to work on a fundraiser or I would have sent this directly to them. I really think we should readdress the idea to get some of those rubber bracelets (like the livestrong ones.) I know that some people are allergic to the material but they can give their bracelets to family & friends to wear for them. I really think that this is a good way to spread the word about Dysautonomia. My friend at work has Marfans and she brought a bunch of bracelets to work and many people in the department bought them and wore them for her. Also there was an article today about the different bracelets so while it's still a craze, I think that we should consider it, maybe take a vote. Here is the article from the internet. Wednesday July 06, 2005 4:00AM PT Livestrong Bracelet Remember Madonna's armful of black plastic bangles, circa "Lucky Star" in 1983? Those were hot. But not as hot as Lance's bright yellow bracelet. Believe it or not, the Tour de France champ bests the Material Girl at one fashion fad: The rubber wristband with a social message. When Lance Armstrong introduced the "LiveStrong" silicone rubber bracelet as a way to display support and raise money for his cancer foundation, he kick-started a craze that has raced up the mountainous slopes of Buzz. Now you can't turn around in a middle school lunch line without spotting a rainbow of colors on most arms. Some of the prettily colored wristbands are obvious: Pink bracelets signify breast cancer awareness, rainbow bracelets demonstrate gay pride, red-white-and-blue says patriotism. But it can get confusing once you wade into other, lesser-known colors -- Red "courage" bands stand for military families, black-and-white wristlets commemorate the dead -- and it's astonishing to see how quickly new ones spring up. We've seen an armful of searches on everything from "Yankees bracelets," to "Support Our Troops wristbands," to "Spurs wristbands," to "tsunami bracelets." The multi-city Live 8 concerts over the weekend sparked new searches on the colorful fashion accessories, with "wristbands" (+102%) and "LiveStrong bracelets" (+110%) leading the pack. The consciousness-raising rock shows promoted the ONE and Make Poverty History campaigns, which have encouraged the wearing of -- guess what -- white rubber bracelets. Thousands of fans promptly turned to the Search box to look up "ONE wristbands" and "white band." So, make like the kids and load your wrist with bangles in support of your favorite cause. If you're intrigued by a more spiritual route, you can always take a gander at one last popular search. In this case, Madonna may claim some credit: "Kabbalah bracelets" have been on the rise in Search.

I've felt drunk before but it's not quite how you described. I actually slur my words and can't remember peoples names. I feel tipsy and off balance. It's been a long time since I've experienced one of these episodes, hopefully do to my medications keeping me better on track. steph

Wareagle I had a barium swallow about 10-15 years ago because of muscle spasms in my throat that made me feel like I was always choking. The test confirmed that indeed I was having spasms. I know that things can change over time so maybe I should bug them about this again. I've been having the coughing spells worse since last year. I bring it up now because I'm starting to worry that it's more serious. I had been seen last year and my primary just told me that it's normal but last week when I was an inpatinent in the hospital one of my doctor's told me that it's not normal. I hadn't really thought about aspiration.

Ernie Thanks for your input. I've been taking daily medication for many years to treat GERD. Maybe it's not enough anymore. Laura I think it depends on what I eat to the extremity of the cough. I thought it might be allergy related but I really don't think so, although Chinese food really makes me congested, runny nose worse than normal and the extreme cough. I'm starting to wonder if soda pop can aggravate the cough too. I sometimes worry about Congested heart failure or something horrible that they've missed. I am doing a lot better than last week thank you for asking, the pain was almost as bad as being in labor. Although now that I've had time to rest up, I've been thinking about a few of my test results. I should probably be worried about the CT & US findings but I'm more concerned about the EKG. In the past, all of my EKG's were normal sinus rhythm with or without tachycardia. I've had PVC's, PAC's and a run of non-sustained V-tach but now my EKG is abnormal with Incomplete bundle branch block and Nonspecific T-wave abnormality. I'm not sure what it all means but what bothers me most is that I went to the doctor last year with increased chest pain, skips, flutters & worsening shortness of breath especially upon waking in the morning, sometimes coughing up phlegm. I'm not sure that he really believed me and he never did an EKG at that time. I'm wondering if it was then that I had the change in my EKG and it was missed. Now I'm wondering what it all means I'm sorry for such a long statement about my health but it has been weighing heavy on my mind. I would like to be around long enough to see my kids graduate from college and grandchildren would be an added bonus. I'm not depressed when I say this but I'm starting to feel like my time is limited. I get angry at doctor's for making you wait 3, 6, 12 months before they want to recheck you. What could have been a mild problem, 12 months in the future could be a horrible problem; if you know what I mean. You know that song by Tim McGraw - Live life like you were dying? It's taken on a new meaning for me. That song should have been around a 1 1/2 years ago because that's how I started thinking and making some of my decisions, even if not always in my best interest So many things have become an urgency to me. I'm anxious to take my children to meet their extended family in the midwest. There are a few places I would personally like to visit. I would also like to make a difference by helping educate people about chronic illness and what people go through. Some understanding will go a long ways

Some would say that this is impossible. But since learning of Dysautonomia I don't believe anything is impossible. However I would check your batteries or wait a few minutes and take another reading to check for errors. This is probably a question for a knowledgable medical professional. I did do a quick search about this and all I could turn up was that a nurse said it was possible intra-aortic balloon pump which I'm pretty sure doesn't apply to you or anyone else here.

I tried to do a search on this topic here so I wouldn't have to post the question, but I've pretty much failed. Does anyone else experience a cough (congested or otherwise) while your eating or immediately afterwards? I don't know whether to be concerned about CHF or just GERD.

Thank you for sharing this post with us, nicely said and very true!

Appeal to the lawyers office or maybe consult with another attorney.

I think I would do a 1 hour consultation with an attorney to see what they advise but we'll support you either way. steph

I'm not sure about the med but it's certainly nice to have a diagnosis and plan. I believe CVS is aka Abdominal migraine so you might be interested in this website as there is a listing for NORD towards the bottom and they usually have some good info. Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome National Organization for Rare Disorders Topic Contents Synonyms Disorder Subdivisions General Discussion Resources For a Complete Report Email this article Print this article Important It is possible that the main title of the report Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report. Synonyms Abdominal Migraine Childhood Cyclic Vomiting Chronic Vomiting in Childhood Periodic Syndrome Recurrent Vomiting Bilious Attacks (back to top) Disorder Subdivisions None (back to top) General Discussion Cyclic vomiting syndrome is a rare digestive disorder that affects children and adults. This disorder is characterized by chronic nausea, vomiting, extreme fatigue, motion sickness, abdominal pain and, in some cases, dizziness (vertigo) that may last for hours to days. These episodes of symptoms seem to be similar in onset and duration for each affected individual. The exact cause of cyclic vomiting syndrome is not known. . (back to top) Resources Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Association (CVSA) 3585 Cedar Hill Road NW Canal Winchester, OH 43110 USA Tel: 6148372586 Fax: 6148372586 Email: waitesd@cvsaonline.org Internet: http://www.cvsaonline.org National Headache Foundation 820 North Orleans Suite 217 Chicago, IL 60610-3132 USA Tel: 3124605399 Fax: 3124609049 Tel: 8886435552 Email: nhf1970@headaches.org Internet: http://www.headaches.org NIH/National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse 2 Information Way Bethesda, MD 20892-3570 Tel: (301)654-3810 Fax: (301)907-8906 Tel: (800)891-5389 Email: nddic@info.niddk.nih.gov Internet: http://www.niddk.nih.gov (back to top) For a Complete Report This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ? (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only. NORD recommends that affected individuals seek the advice or counsel of their own personal physicians. It is possible that the title of this topic is not the name you selected. Please check the Synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and Disorder Subdivision(s) covered by this report. This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder. For additional information and assistance about rare disorders, please contact the National Organization for Rare Disorders at P.O. Box 1968, Danbury, CT 06813-1968; phone (203) 744-0100; web site www.rarediseases.org or email orphan@rarediseases.org Last Updated: 4/25/2002 Copyright 1992, 1998, 1999, 2002 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.

You guys are welcome. I'm glad you're able to use it too Ernie. I was going to post a few different articles but didn't get through them all.

I took this out of Steph's recent post about migraines to give you some information and I wasn't sure if you would go back and check anymore. Sorry I'm so late responding but have had many health issues recently and was in the hospital this past week. Here is a government website question & answers http://www.4woman.gov/faq/migraine.pdf Migraine Headaches What is a migraine headache? What causes migraine? Are there different kinds of migraine? How does a migraine headache differ from a tension headache? When should I seek help for my headaches? What tests are used to find out if I have migraine? Are women more prone to migraine headaches? How is a woman?s menstrual cycle related to migraine? Can using birth control pills make my migraines worse? Can stress really cause migraines? How are migraines treated? I?m pregnant. Can my migraines still be treated? Is taking medicine for migraine dangerous if I am breastfeeding? Can migraine be worse during menopause? How can I treat a migraine at home? What are some ways I can prevent migraine? How are children affected by migraine? See Also: Stress and Your Health What is a migraine headache? A migraine headache is a severe pain felt on one, and sometimes, both sides of the head. The pain is mostly in the front around the temples or behind one eye or ear. Besides pain, you may have nausea and vomiting, and be very sensitive to light and sound. Migraine can occur any time of the day, though it often starts in the morning. The pain can last a few hours or up to one or two days. We don?t know what causes migraine headaches, but some things are more common in people who have them. Most often, migraine affects people between the ages of 15 and 55. Many people have a family history of migraine. They are more common in women. Migraine often becomes less severe and frequent with age. What causes migraine? One theory about the cause of migraine is the blood flow theory, which focuses on blood vessel activity in the brain. Blood vessels either narrow or expand. Narrowing can constrict blood flow, causing problems with sight or dizziness. When the blood vessels expand, they press on nerves nearby, which causes pain. Another theory focuses on chemical changes in the brain. When chemicals in the brain that send messages from one cell to another, including the messages to blood vessels to get narrow or expand, are interrupted, migraines can occur. More recently, genes have been linked to migraine. People who get migraines may inherit abnormal genes that control the functions of certain brain cells. And something the person?s body is sensitive to in some way triggers the actual headaches. Headache triggers can vary from person to person. Most migraines are not caused by a single factor or event. Your response to triggers can also vary from headache to headache.Many women with migraine tend to have attacks brought on by: lack of food or sleep bright light or loud noise hormone changes during the menstrual cycle stress and anxiety weather changes chocolate, alcohol, or nicotine some foods and food additives, such as MSG or nitrates To help pinpoint your headache triggers, it may be helpful to keep a headache ?diary.? Each time you have a migraine, write down the time of day, point in your menstrual cycle, where you are at the time, and what you were doing when the migraine started. Talk with your doctor about what sets off your headaches to help find the right treatment for you. Are there different kinds of migraine? Yes, there are many forms of migraine headache. But, the two forms seen most often are classic and common migraine. Classic migraine. With a classic migraine, a person has these visual symptoms (also called an ?aura?) 10 to 30 minutes before an attack: sees flashing lights or zigzag lines has blind spots or loses vision for a short time The aura can include seeing or hearing strange things. It can even disturb the senses of smell, taste, or touch. Women have this form of migraine less often than men. Common migraine. With a common migraine, a person does not have an aura, but does have the other migraine symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting. How does a migraine headache differ from a tension headache? While migraine headaches affect millions of people, they are still less common than tension headaches. Tension headaches cause a more steady pain over the entire head rather than throbbing pain in one spot. Most of the time, migraine attacks happen once in awhile, but tension headaches can occur as often as every day. While fatigue and stress can bring on both tension and migraine headaches, migraines can be triggered by certain foods, changes in the body?s hormone levels, and even changes in the weather. There are also differences in how these two types of headaches respond to treatment with medicines. While some over-the-counter drugs used to treat tension headaches sometimes help migraine headaches, the drugs used to treat migraine attacks do not work for tension headaches. When should I seek help for my headaches? Nearly half of the people in the United States who have migraine do not get diagnosed and treated. The National Headache Foundation suggests you talk to your doctor about your headaches if: you have several headaches per month and each lasts for several hours or days your headaches disrupt your home, work, or school life you have nausea, vomiting, vision, or other sensory problems What tests are used to find out if I have migraine? If you think you get migraine headaches, talk with your doctor. Before your appointment, write down: how often you have headaches where the pain is how long the headaches last when the headaches happen, such as during your menstrual cycle other symptoms, such as nausea or blind spots any family history of migraine Your doctor may also do an exam and ask more questions about your health history. This could include past head injury, sinus or dental problems, or medicine use. By just talking with your doctor, you may be able to give enough information to diagnose migraine. You may get a blood test and other tests if your doctor thinks that something else could be causing your symptoms. Work with your doctor to decide on the best tests for you. Are women more prone to migraine headaches? Yes, migraine headaches are more common in women. In fact, about three out of four people who have migraines are women. They are most common in women between the ages of 35 and 45; this is often a time that women have more job, family, and social commitments. Women also tend to report higher levels of pain, longer headache time, and more symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting. Hormones may also trigger migraine. Over half of women with migraine report having them right before, during, or after their period. Others get them for the first time when taking birth control pills. And some women start getting them when they enter menopause. How is a woman?s menstrual cycle related to migraine? More than half of women with migraine have more headaches around or during their menstrual cycle. This is often called ?menstrual migraine.? But, just a small fraction of these women only have migraine at this time. Most have migraine headaches at other times of the month as well. How the menstrual cycle and migraine are linked is still unclear. We know that just before the cycle begins, levels of the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, sharply go down. This drop in hormones may trigger a migraine, because estrogen controls chemicals in the brain that affect a woman?s pain sensation. Talk with your doctor if you think you have menstrual migraine. You may find that medicines, making lifestyle changes, and home treatment methods can prevent or reduce the pain. Can using birth control pills make my migraines worse? In some women, birth control pills improve migraine. They reduce the number of attacks and attacks may be less severe. But in others, birth control pills cause migraine. For these women, migraine headaches seem to occur during the last week of the cycle when they take sugar pills, or the pills that don?t have the hormones. The last seven pills in the monthly pack (if included) help remind you to take them daily. But without the hormones, this fall in estrogen may trigger migraine in some women. Talk with your doctor if you think birth control pills cause your migraines or make them worse. Switching to another pill or dose or taking a type of pill that contains all ?active? pills in the monthly pack, instead of skipping a week, may help. Lifestyle changes, such as getting on a regular sleep pattern and eating a healthful diet, can help too. Can stress really cause migraines? Yes, stress is the most common trigger of headache. Events like getting married, moving to a new home, or having a baby are all sources of stress. But studies have found that it is the day-to-day stresses, not these major life changes, that are most linked to headaches. Juggling our many roles, such as being a mother and wife, having a career, and financial pressures, can be daily stresses for women. Learning to make time for yourself and finding healthy ways to deal with stress are important. Some things you can do to help prevent or reduce stress include: eating a healthy diet being active (at least 30 minutes most days of the week is best) doing relaxation exercises getting enough sleep Also, it may be helpful to pinpoint which factors in your life cause stress. You may find that you can even avoid some of these stresses. And for other stresses that you can?t control, try to think of things you can do ahead of time to help you cope with them. How are migraines treated? Even though migraine has no cure, you can work with your doctor to come up with a treatment plan that meets your needs. Make sure your plan has ways to treat the headache symptoms when they happen, as well as ways to help make your headaches less frequent or severe. It may include all or some of these methods. Lifestyle changes. Finding and avoiding things that cause headache is one way to reduce how often attacks happen and how painful they are. Your diet, the amount of stress in your life, and other lifestyle habits may add to getting migraines. Eating a healthful diet, quitting smoking, and reducing your alcohol intake may help improve your headaches. Learn stress reduction techniques and find other positive ways to cope with stress. Try to get on a regular sleep pattern. Medicine. There are two ways to approach the treatment of migraine headache with drugs: prevent the attacks, or relieve the symptoms during the attacks. Many people with migraine use both forms of treatment. Some medicines used to help prevent attacks include drugs that were designed to treat epilepsy and depression. To relieve symptoms during attacks, your doctor may start by telling you to take over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen. If these drugs don?t work to give you relief, your doctor can prescribe types of drugs called ergotamines or triptans. Ergotamines narrow the blood vessels, which helps the migraine?s throbbing pain. Triptans are new types of drugs that relieve pain by both narrowing blood vessels and balancing the chemicals in the brain. Hormone therapy may help some women whose migraines seem to be linked to their menstrual cycle. Work with your doctor to choose the best medicine for you. Alternative methods. Biofeedback has been shown to help some people with migraine. It involves learning to control how your body reacts to stress to reduce its effects. Other methods, such as acupuncture and relaxation, may help relieve stress. Counseling can also help if you think your migraines may be related to depression or anxiety. Talk with your doctor about these treatment methods. I?m pregnant. Can my migraines still be treated? When you are pregnant, your doctor may advise against taking some medicines commonly used for migraines. Some of these drugs may cause birth defects and other problems. This includes over-the-counter medicines as well. Taking aspirin may increase your risk and the baby?s risk of bleeding. Talk with your doctor if migraine is a problem while you are pregnant or if you plan to become pregnant. Other home treatment methods can help, such as doing relaxation techniques and using cold packs. Is taking medicine for migraine dangerous if I am breastfeeding? Ask your doctor about what medicines, even over-the-counter medicines, are safe to take while breastfeeding. Some medicines can be passed through breast milk and can be harmful for your baby. Can migraine be worse during menopause? If your migraines are closely linked to your menstrual cycle, menopause may make them less severe. As you get older, nausea, vomiting, and pain may be less as well. But for some women, menopause worsens migraine or triggers them to start. It is not clear why this happens. Hormone therapy, which is prescribed for some women during menopause, may be linked to migraines during this time. How can I treat a migraine at home? Work with your doctor to come up with a home treatment plan to manage your headaches. Sometimes, at the onset of a migraine, lying down in a dark room with a cold pack can help. Stress management techniques, such as relaxation and massage, can help limit pain. They may also make attacks happen less often. Keep over-the-counter pain killers handy. In your headache diary, make a list of home treatment methods that work for you in different situations. What are some ways I can prevent migraine? The best way to prevent migraine is to find out what events or lifestyle factors, such as stress or certain foods, set off your headaches. Try to avoid or limit these triggers as much as you can. Since migraine headaches are more common during stressful times, find healthy ways to cope with stress. Talk with your doctor about starting an exercise program or taking a class to learn relaxation skills. If your doctor has prescribed medicine for you to help prevent migraine, take them exactly as prescribed. Ask what you should do if you miss a dose and how long should take the medicine. If you use headache medicines too often or more than what your doctor prescribes, the medicines can even start to cause a condition called ?rebound headaches.? With this condition, your medicines stop helping your pain and actually begin to cause headaches. Talk with your doctor if the amount of medicine you are prescribed is not helping your headaches. How are children affected by migraine? Like adults, children can have stresses that lead to headaches. Migraine headaches, with nausea and vomiting, most often begin in childhood. About half of all school-aged children have some type of headache. And the frequency of headache increases as children go through puberty. During childhood, boys and girls suffer from migraine at about the same rate. But during their adolescent years, more girls are affected. Childhood headache can also be a sign of a more serious problem, such as depression. Parents should look out for other signs as well, like changes in mood or sleep habits. Keeping a headache diary and doing relaxation exercises, such as deep breathing, are most often suggested for children. If headaches are linked to depression, your child?s doctor may suggest medicines and counseling. You should talk with your child?s doctor before you give your child over-the-counter pain killers. Do not give aspirin to anyone under age 20. It increases their risk of Reye?s Syndrome. This is a rare problem in children and teens that causes nausea, fever, severe vomiting, and other health problems. Talk with your child?s doctor to find the right treatment for your child. For More Information? To find out more about migraine headaches, contact the National Women?s Health Information Center at 800-994-9662 or the following organizations: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH, HHS Phone Number: (800) 352-9424 Internet Address: http://www.ninds.nih.gov American Council for Headache Education (ACHE) Phone: (856) 423-0258 Internet Address: http://www.achenet.org American Headache Society Phone Number: (856) 423-0043 Internet Address: http://ahsnet.org Migraine Awareness Group: A National Understanding For Migraineurs (MAGNUM) Phone Number: (703) 739-9384 Internet Address: http://www.migraines.org National Headache Foundation Phone Number: (888) 643-5552 Internet Address: http://www.headaches.org Back to FAQ Index This FAQ was reviewed by Allan I. Basbaum, M.D., Department of Anatomy, W.M. Keck Foundation Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco November 2004