Our Children and Their Migraines, How Do You All Cope?

Our 12 year old son has the occasional Migraine attack. Thankfully, it is not necessary for him to take any preventive meds at this time. They can be treated with NSAIDS. His Migraine attacks seem to be triggered by chocolate, nitrates, dehydration, and interrupted sleep patterns. He seems to be more affected by stackable triggers, a few days of eating chocolate, or too many late nights.

I buy strawberry syrup so he can use that on his ice cream and milk instead of chocolate syrup. But he LOVES chocolate, I mean really loves it, just like my husband, daughter and I do. So, I purchased a new chocolate mint sauce for ice cream, not that we need it mind you, and have to hide it on my poor baby! Our daughter and husband say it is not fair to them not to have a little chocolate in the house, and our son goes nuts knowing he can't have any and that it is in the house.

We talk about making informed decisions when he wants chocolate. I explain too much of it will give him a Migraine attack. Sometimes he doesn't eat it, and then there are times, like recently with the chocolate mint sauce, that he has a hard time resisting and goes for it. He has been lucky so far--no Migraine attack.

I am wondering how some of your children who have food triggers, deal with the fact that they are not able to have some of the foods they love. Do they always obstain from them? Maybe as he gets older he will become better at resisting things that trigger a Migraine attack. Then again, when it comes to chocolate, I doubt it!