We believe our 7 year old daughter is having cluster headaches. (I have been an episodic sufferer for the last 14 years.

The only thing that seemed to help me was the D3 regimen. I never found a doctor that could help me. I just suffered through my cycles and when I was at the end of myself... They ended. (Usually 6-8 weeks) my last cycle was spring of 2013.

  I can't let her suffer like that. 

Please point me in the right direction!!! 

Shoot Batch a PM.

It's unwise to play arond with the metabolism/body chemistry of a young child.

Please read AND CONSIDER:

Link to: cluster-LIKE headache:

IN: "Medications, Treatments, Therapies --> "Important Topics" --> "Cluster-LIKE headache"
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Then starting looking for a specialist and keep her doc informaed about your efforts to find help.

LOCATING HEADACHE SPECIALIST

1. Yellow Pages phone book: look for "Headache Clinics" in the M.D. section and look under "neurologist" where some docs will list speciality areas of practice.

2.  Call your hospital/medical center. They often have an office to assist in finding a physician. You may have to ask for the social worker/patient advocate.

3. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE On-line screen to find a physician.

4. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE Look for "Physician Finder" search box. They will send a list of M.D.s for your state.I suggest using this source for several reasons: first, we have read several messages from people who, even seeing neurologists, are unhappy with the quality of care and ATTITUDES they have encountered; second, the clinical director of the Jefferson (Philadelphia) Headache Clinic said, in late 1999, that upwards of 40%+ of U.S. doctors have poor training in treating headache and/or hold attitudes about headache ("hysterical female disorder") which block them from sympathetic and effective work with the patient; third, it's necessary to find a doctor who has experience, skill, and a set of attitudes which give hope of success. This is the best method I know of to find such a physician.

5. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE NEW certification program for "Headache Medicine" by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties, an independent, non-profit, professional medical organization.
        Since this is a new program, the initial listing is limited and so it should be checked each time you have an interest in locating a headache doctor.
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WHY A HEADACHE SPECIALIST IS RECOMMENDED


Headache. 2012 Jan;52(1):99-113.
Cluster headache in the United States of America: demographics, clinical characteristics, triggers, suicidality, and personal burden.
Rozen TD, Fishman RS.

THERE REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT DIAGNOSTIC DELAY FOR CLUSTER HEADACHE PATIENTS ON AVERAGE 5+ YEARS WITH ONLY 21% RECEIVING A CORRECT DIAGNOSIS AT TIME OF INITIAL PRESENTATION.

It breaks my heart to hear of children with this.

Get some oxygen - by far the safest thing for a small child. But you must have a high flow rate (15 litres per minute or more) and a non rebreather mask. The mask and flow are vital for success. Have you tried it yourself. It will abort a bad CH in 10 - 15 minutes.

Also, sumatriptan ( imigran, imitrex ) injections are given to children and are the fastest abortive there is, at 5 - 7 minutes.

Even though you obviously recognise what she's going through, she needs a proper diagnosis before using any meds so a headache specialist is a must, but the oxygen will do no harm while you wait for a appointment.
Maz.

Be very cautious, even though there is a great temptation to rush in with what you think will help.

What works with CH with an adult might not work with a child and the dose levels (assuming it is CH) will be drastically different with one factor being the large difference in body weight although it is not as simple as just scaling things down.

This is another area where you need to work with the experts to get the diagnosis and to be guided on the right treatment.

Hey Jmac,

Sorry to hear your daughter has CH. There's no reason why she can't start the anti-inflammatory regimen as long as you tailor the supplement doses to her age group.

I have my entire family taking the anti-inflammatory regimen.  That includes my brother, wife, three kids, their spouses and seven grand kids.

The kids get vitamin D3 at 50 IU per pound of body weight and the rest of the supplements at RDA for their age group.... 

You can find the RDAs for each supplement by age group at the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center at OSU at the following web site.

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My daughter has been taking the anti-inflammatory regimen for the last four years.  She announce she was pregnant in December 2013, and said she had spoken with her OB and planned to stay on this regimen throughout her pregnancy and after as she was planning to breast feed.

And that brings me to Fred...

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Fred, a.k.a., Winefred, is a 9 month old wunderkind and our 7th grandchild. (photo taken at 6 months) Born on July 7, 2014, she was rolling over and starting to crawl at 5 months and I'm positive she started to speak words in English and German about that same time... but then I'm a doting old grandfather. 

Fred's at the 99th percentile in size, weight and development both physical and mental according to her pediatrician...  She has never had a cold, a rash, rosacea, eczma, jaundice or any of the medical problems typically experienced by many newborns.

We attribute Fred's exceptional good health and development to the fact that her mother has been taking the anti-inflammatory regimen with 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3 and all the cofactors for the last four years and continues to do so while breast feeding Fred...  She's also started solid food... albeit run through an immersion blender first.

My daughter's pregnancy and Fred's delivery were flawless and trouble free.  In short this child has been on a therapeutic dose of vitamin D3 since conception and is still taking vitamin D3 today through breast feeding... 

Both my daughter's OB and Fred's pediatrician are totally on board with this regimen.  They were a little concerned at first, but after a couple rounds of labs came back in the green, the trouble free pregnancy and delivery coupled with Fred's exceptional good health... all that changed.  My daughter's OB now suggests this regimen to all his expectant and breast feeding mothers.

A recent study of breastfeeding neonates found maternal serum vitamin D3 was passed through breast milk to the suckling neonate but not maternal 25(OH)D, the first metabolite of vitamin D3.  Moreover, several studies indicate the rate of vitamin D3 transfer through breast milk is roughly one third the maternal serum concentration.

That means Fred was getting the equivalent of 3000 IU/day vitamin D3 while hooked up to cable prior to birth and she's getting the same amount now from her mother's milk.

As usual, discuss this regimen with the family PCP or pediatrician and schedule a lab for her 25(OH)D labs...

Oxygen therapy is also very safe for kids.

Soooo  I would sooner put any of my grand kids on this regimen to control CH before ever letting them take imitrex or verapamil...

Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch

There ARE such professions as a child neurologist and headache specialists who focus their education with very young children.

My CH's started when I was 11 or 12 yrs old and my parents had me in/out of all types of medical facilities, doctors of all types, etc, running every test imaginable the closest they concluded with me was a related head injury stating I have too much or not enough (I forgot which) Dopamine, chemical imbalance.  Needless to say, a very sophisticated brain test.

I was not diagnosed until 30 or 32 years old, now 46.

As familiar as you may be about CH's from your own misfortune, please take extra special consideration to treat your 7 YEAR OLD child as a unique individual that may have similar symptoms, but might not be CH's and may be something else.

My advice is to get your daughter checked out ASAP by a specialist.

We might be able to recommend a specialist in your area, where do you reside?

-Gregg in Las Vegas