constant head pain

[caroline509]

My daughter has had a headache constant since the end of January.  Her eeg and mri have came back normal.  Nothing seems to be working what can be the cause of her pain????  

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

Let's take this one step at a time. The lumbar punch may shed some light on the condition. I understand you are very concerned about this. At this point, it is best to have all possible conditions assessed first before migraine headaches and tension headaches be given as a differential. Hormone levels (eg thyroid hormones ) may also be determined as hormonal imbalance may also present with headaches.

[caroline509]

Right now she is scheduled for a lumbar punch to rule out pressure build up in her spine.  Also we have tried physical therapy but that  didn't work either.  Thank you for responding to my questions please let me know if you can think of anything or come up with some ideas.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

The tests came back normal. This may be a case of migraine headaches in a more severe form. Migraines may sometimes be associated with allodynia. Allodynia refers to pain caused by an otherwise normal or non painful stimuli. This is true in cases of neuralgia. At this point, your child does not seem to respond to the medications,is this correct?

If this is neuralgia there are ganglion blocking therapies that have been used to relieve this. However,at this point I can not provide any information in terms of its safety and effectiveness in children . You may ask your physician about this.

[caroline509]

She is 14 years old.  To describe the pain sometimes it's just a mild constant pain (not really throbbing) to severe that even her hair hurts.  They have tried her on topamax, steriods and muscle relaxers and that doesn't help or ease the pain.  All of her blood tests so far have come back normal.  And there are no rashes or changes in behavior, (except when it is hurting really bad).  

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

How old is your daughter?

Are there any other associated signs and symptoms with the headache?

Migraine headaches, tension headaches and hormonal fluctuations may be considered here. Hormonal imbalance or changes especially adolescents may cause migraine headaches. Stress may also present with headaches. Nutritional deficiencies may also present similarly.

How would you describe your child's headaches?

Are there any associated rash, change in bowel movement, change in behaviour and sleeping patterns?