Re: headaches and compulsive med-taking

[Guest guest]

I just got back from the pediatrician with my 9 year old son who has a bad

flu. He commented that these kids with OCD many times show signs of worse

sickness then others. I have noticed that my son has a very low tolerance to

pain. So yes, I would say that she is acting like her head aches are worse

than they are. That is not to say that it truly is hurting her. She just

feels it much more intensely than others.

I have been advised by a psychologist and pediatrician to continue to put

responsibility on the child by giving them their own control over the

situation. As for the alarm clock I would think she would need to be in

charge of that. Have you ever gone to a PHD. Psychologist? If not, it sure

can help just to help you know how to handle situations. Mine has become my

best friend through all this constantly giving me suggestions on how to

handle situations like you are talking about.

Good luck, sorry you are struggling. Maybe the neurologist will have some

advice to help tomorrow.

_____

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of sher

Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 8:20 PM

Subject: headaches and compulsive med-taking

I haven't come to all of you for many months...but I'm very glad

you're there! and I are having a very hard time sorting all

this out.Our oldest daughter D has OCD and takes Luvox and Lamictal.

She is functioning, but was unable to start college because she is

too scared to do drivers ed. She works full time and the plan is for

her to work until she can get her drivers license and can start

college (any time she;s ready, that's fine with us). She has 1

friend (boyfriend), no social life, but is friendly with us and at

work. she is easily stressed and that kicks her OCD into high gear.

She is very eager to be 'an adult', but in reality takes little

responsibility for herself.

She lives at home with us and 3 younger siblings. The problem

curently is that she has been getting severe headaches daily since

thanksgiving, and I have shared my painkillers with her, but after 3

weeks, her doctor felt she was getting " rebound " headaches due to the

heavy duty meds (of mine) she was demanding. She was medication-free

for 1 1/2 weeks, but has continued to get the headaches. She will

see a neurologist tomorrow. When I have a migraine, I cannot

function, even move. Yet my daughter is claiming to have severe

headaches, and that they're unbearable, yet she goes about her

business, goes out to dinner, is in horrible pain one minute and

laughing the next. Are some kids with OCD " out of touch " with their

bodies? Is my daughter's sense of discomfort skewed so that she

cannot tolerate a small amount of pain? I believe that she is is in

some pain, but not enough to use narcotics every day. What

complicates things is her age, where she may seem to be responsible

for herself because she is 18, but we know that her judgement is poor

and her life-experience too limited to make good decisions.

The other issue we're having is that her moods are ruling the house.

Everyone walks on eggshells, because we don't know whether D is going

to be happy or go on a rampage. My other teen resents this very

much, and my little ones are terrified that there will be a fight if

D has not had a good day. I'm tempted to go to " Tough Love " , because

I really feel that D can control much of her out bursts, although we

have chalked them up to her mental illness in the past. She is using

her age now to get what she wants,at home, but she has not grown up

mentally. we are trying not to enable her, but we still wake her up

each morning, provide clean clothes and food, bail her out when there

are problems...is it possible or preferable to treat a kid with OCD

just like any other typical kid in that they have to grow up the

usual way (ie wash thei own clothes, do chores, deal with their

employers themselves, use an alarm clock to get up)?

I think we really got off track with our daughter, but we want to do

the right thing by her. Please help! Sher

[Guest guest]

Hi Sher,

I am just in the process of getting what seems to be extreme migraine

headaches in my 15 yr old checked out too. The doc ordered some blood

tests and we will go in to see him next week about the results. She

claims to have up to 4 severe headaches a day and extra strength

tylenol does not help in anyway but that is all I give her at the

moment.

The doctor believes they are tension headaches due to the stress of

the OCD. He did order the blood work though as she was showing other

symptoms that may indicate hypercalcemia(not related to OCD). We will

find out next week. I also have the same concerns about college etc.

She has such a long list of fears and anxieties that I worry she will

not be able to handle living on her own and the stress of post

secondary schooling. She is very competent at home though, due to her

contamination fears we do not have a problem getting her to clean or

do her own laundry that is for sure. She is pretty good about getting

herself ready in the morning too. We also all walked on egg shells

due to mood swings for quite some time until she went on celexa which

seems to have stabilized her mood completely. Her OCD is still there

though and her panic disorder too but she is managing better with it.

I hope the trend keeps up and her OCD starts to improve more in the

new year. Let us know what you find out with the docs about headaches

etc. I would be very interested as we are in the same boat right now.

Thanks,

Kim M

[Guest guest]

> Hi Sher,

>

> I am just in the process of getting what seems to be extreme

migraine

> headaches in my 15 yr old checked out too. The doc ordered some

blood

> tests and we will go in to see him next week about the results. She

> claims to have up to 4 severe headaches a day and extra strength

> tylenol does not help in anyway but that is all I give her at the

> moment.

>

> The doctor believes they are tension headaches due to the stress of

> the OCD. He did order the blood work though as she was showing

other

> symptoms that may indicate hypercalcemia(not related to OCD). We

will

> find out next week. I also have the same concerns about college

etc.

> She has such a long list of fears and anxieties that I worry she

will

> not be able to handle living on her own and the stress of post

> secondary schooling. She is very competent at home though, due to

her

> contamination fears we do not have a problem getting her to clean

or

> do her own laundry that is for sure. She is pretty good about

getting

> herself ready in the morning too. We also all walked on egg shells

> due to mood swings for quite some time until she went on celexa

which

> seems to have stabilized her mood completely. Her OCD is still

there

> though and her panic disorder too but she is managing better with

it.

> I hope the trend keeps up and her OCD starts to improve more in the

> new year. Let us know what you find out with the docs about

headaches

> etc. I would be very interested as we are in the same boat right

now.

>

> Thanks,

> Kim M

>

Hi Kim, We went to a neurologist today for D's headaches and he

prescribed topomax as a preventative for migraines...he said that

Lamictal and Topomax are both mood stabilizers and anti-seizure

drugs, and that they both can act as migraine preventatives, but that

she can take them both, then later substitute Topomax for the

Lamictal that she already takes. He also asked her to try a migraine

med (maxalt) for the actual headaches at onset. Then he threw in

some Amedrine for regular headaches. I am not afraid of meds, though

my husband is, but this seems like alot of stuff to me...yet I hate

to see my daughter in pain. Then on the way home from the dr., I

made a deal with D: that she would try a specific diet that has

worked for some family members, including me. We must have some

wierd form of celiac disease, because gluten affects many family

members in a negative way. Some cousins and other relatives have

actually had mental illnesses ameliorated by cutting out gluten

entirely. Not cured. But have become functional people. So I asked

her would she try this for a month, and she agreed. It can't hurt,

and I know it has been helpful to some.

The other things that I believe would be helpful to my daughter

are to have a form of exercise on a regular basis (yoga class, bike

riding, something!) and regular chores. Our OCD kids can get so self-

centered simply because they have so much going on inside that they

are forced to attend to (those little OCD gremlins or demons that

torture them)and they forget that others exist around them. I would

love to find a way for my daughter to volunteer at the food pantry or

nursing home where helping others who have worse problems might move

her focus from herself to others. My daughter badly needs a broader

perspective. But because D is not interested in anything else, I

would have to force her in some way to do this. Not that she's a bad

girl...she can be very kind, but she feels that she already has

enough to deal with just with her own guilt and headaches. Little

does she know that one of the best ways to put your own troubles

aside is to help others.

Kim, I hope your child's headaches resolve somehow. Of course, our

kids are more likely to obsess on brain tumors and anuerisms as the

cause. And I think you're right: stress has a lot to do with it!

All the more reason for them to have alternate ways to engage

themselves...exercise, sports, hobbies, etc. Nor it's your turn to

let me know what happens on your end. Best of luck, and have a glass

of wine in the meantime (that's my stress reducer), Sher