Migraines or not?

Posted By Marcia on May 17, 1998 at 22:08:16:







My son, who is 8 years old has been diagnosed with Rolandic Epilepsy, although all of his seizures do not occur when he is asleep.  They are either when he is asleep or when he spikes a sudden raise or lowering of body temperature.  He was diagnosed 2 years ago, and is on 100 mg of Tegretol - 1 w/breakfast, 1 w/ lunch, and 1 1/2 w/ dinner.  For about the past 7 or 8 months, he has complained off and on about headaches which come on suddenly on the right side of his head just above his ear, and stop him from playing or doing whatever he is doing at the time.  At first they were once every couple of weeks.  At that time, I let his Neurologist know, and he suggested that I get his eyes checked.  When the headaches began to be about once a week, I got his eyes checked, and he has 20/20 vision, and good eye muscle reflexes.  This was a couple of weeks ago.  After that he started getting a headache at least once a day.  Last week I took him to see his pediatrician about that.  He suggested that there was a strong chance that it is migraine headaches, and to just give him Motrin for the pain when it comes on.  I have done that.  He is now having headaches around the clock...as soon as the Motrin starts to wear off (5 - 6 hours) he has another headache that is very strong, and in the same location every time.  Last Wednesday, he had an MRI done after my requesting it of the neurologist.  The MRI was normal in the preliminary report, thankfully.  Still, of course, the headaches continued, so his pediatrician prescribed 10 mg of Inderal to be taken twice a day.  He started that two days ago.  Ever since going on the Inderal, he continues to have the headaches at the same intervals, but they are more intense, and last longer (45 minutes after the Motrin, instead of 15 minutes after the Motrin).  He is scheduled to have an EEG this Friday to confirm Migraine patterns in his brain.
My questions to you:
1.  What are the long-lasting side effects to his body to take Inderal and Tegretol?   I feel like I am drugging up my son, and I hate this feeling.
Is there something that I can do instead of drugs for the Migraines?
2.  Do these headaches sound like Migraines to you? And is it normal for them to continue around the clock?
3.  If the EEG does not show Migraine patterns,( and I have no idea what these look like, and am always having to trust that the neurologist is not just  trying to appease me), what  should my next question to the neurologist be?  I will of course state that I don't want to have him on Inderal for Migraines if there are no migraines.  My mother had migraines, and I know a few people who have migraines, but they are not around the clock, as soon as the pain reliever wears off.  I really mean this.  If he has a headache at 8:45 p.m., I can rest assured that I will be awakened by him between 1:45 a.m. and 2:45 a.m. with another headache in the same location.  
4.  What do I tell my son?  He tells me that he must be dying or his head would not hurt so bad.
Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You.