Doctors want me to wean my son at 22 months so I can take medication

[SomethingAnonymous]

I hope this is the right sub-forum for this-

I have always wanted to let my son nurse as long as he wants, so it's really heartbreaking to hear multiple doctors all telling me I should wean him now.  The reason being that I am getting migraines every day, and they want me to take a daily preventative medication to try to prevent them.  I have tried everything else- at first it seemed like they were related to food because I would get them after eating. This started 2 years ago.  I have been eliminating foods since then, and overall I have felt a lot better (less joint pain, more clear headed, less tired) but the migraines haven't stopped.  I have a prescription of Imitrex to stop the migraines, which works, but a migraine will return about 24 hours after taking it.  And the problem is I can only use 9 of those a month, and I'm getting them almost every day. 

I just had a IgG and IgE test which was negative for everything .. which is really weird because I swear I get a terrible migraine after I eat gluten, dairy, soy, and a whole list of other things.  I have read about false negatives on those tests.  I am seeing an Osteopathic doctor, she tried acupuncture which hasn't worked so far.  She has me taking a bunch of supplements, vit D, fish oil, magnesium (which is suppose to be preventative for migraines), and something called GI fortify because she thinks I have leaky gut from taking a lot of antibiotics.  

I just don't know what to do.. should I wean him so I can take the medication?  I really really don't want to, he's not remotely ready, he still nurses all the time, all night and during naps.  He still doesn't eat a lot of food.  He doesn't talk yet, he's just such a baby still and I know it would be devastating for him.  On the other hand I need to do something to stop these migraines because it's hard to function when I have a migraine.

[crunchy_mommy]

Ugh... I get very very occasional migraines, I can't even imagine getting them daily :jawdrop I would do everything in my power to get them to stop!!!!

Originally Posted by SomethingAnonymous 

I just had a IgG and IgE test which was negative for everything .. which is really weird because I swear I get a terrible migraine after I eat gluten, dairy, soy, and a whole list of other things.

Have you tried eliminating ALL of those things at once?

I am not really the type to suggest weaning but in your case, if you've tried everything you can, I would take the meds... perhaps work on getting your DS to eat well first (this happened magically for us right around when DS turned 2...) so that you don't have to worry about that. Or maybe once you wean he will eat well.

AHhh just realized you said the migraines started 2 years ago and your DS is just about 2... could it be a hormonal thing? Have you had blood tests for hormone levels? Maybe something about pregnancy (or maybe nursing itself???) has thrown your levels way out of wack....

Oh also... can you take the preventative for a few days (pump & dump), see if it works, and THEN decide if you want to wean?

[tibeca]

I would try chiropractic, it has worked wonders for me. Also, what medication do they want you to take? Most are safe while breastfeeding. Call the infant risk center to get info about your meds. Considering your babe is older, it is more likely to be completely safe.

I too got migraines daily for many years, chiropractic did wonders for me. Also, magnesium should be taken with calcium and not alone to be most effective.

[sapphire_chan]

First off, definitely check the medication with Hale if you haven't already. 

http://www.safefetus.com/Search.asp seems to be a fairly comprehensive database as well.

Really you're approaching an age where nursing stops being the magical fixative that it is in the first year or so. Also, you do NOT want to get into the stubborn twos with daily migraines. Toddlers require more patience than pretty much any other age group, and even with 2 years of practice it's going to be hard to have any patience at all with migraines.

I hope it works out that your migraines can be healed without having to stop nursing (like you suddenly discover there's a trigger in your water or something), but if you need to wean, go for it. No guilt.

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by tibeca 

I would try chiropractic, it has worked wonders for me. Also, what medication do they want you to take? Most are safe while breastfeeding. Call the infant risk center to get info about your meds. Considering your babe is older, it is more likely to be completely safe.

I too got migraines daily for many years, chiropractic did wonders for me. Also, magnesium should be taken with calcium and not alone to be most effective.

I agree with the chiropractic suggestion.  I've had severe headaches for over 2 years, since the onset of severe preeclampsia with my second pregnancy, and they have never gone away.  The most relief I've felt is from craniosacral therapy, and the relief was instant and shocking, and lasted for about 2 weeks after each session.  I've also tried many different kinds of supplements, painkillers, and acupuncture, and CST was by far the most effective treatment (and I was a bit skeptical going into it).

[Contrariety]

If it were me and my 20 mo DD, I'd hit up the chiropractor for a month or so first, and if that didn't work, I'd wean.  You've given your DD 22 months of a beautiful gift, but you do not need to be a martyr for extended BF.  There are legitimate reasons to wean, and at 22 months, you should never have to feel guilty about weaning for any reason!!

[ewe+lamb]

I have a copy of Hale's give me the name of the medicine and the brand name and I'll look it up for you.

[SomethingAnonymous]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy 

Ugh... I get very very occasional migraines, I can't even imagine getting them daily :jawdrop I would do everything in my power to get them to stop!!!!

Originally Posted by SomethingAnonymous 

I just had a IgG and IgE test which was negative for everything .. which is really weird because I swear I get a terrible migraine after I eat gluten, dairy, soy, and a whole list of other things.

Have you tried eliminating ALL of those things at once?

I am not really the type to suggest weaning but in your case, if you've tried everything you can, I would take the meds... perhaps work on getting your DS to eat well first (this happened magically for us right around when DS turned 2...) so that you don't have to worry about that. Or maybe once you wean he will eat well.

AHhh just realized you said the migraines started 2 years ago and your DS is just about 2... could it be a hormonal thing? Have you had blood tests for hormone levels? Maybe something about pregnancy (or maybe nursing itself???) has thrown your levels way out of wack....

Oh also... can you take the preventative for a few days (pump & dump), see if it works, and THEN decide if you want to wean?

Ok, I got the actual results on paper and it wasn't an IgG panel, just an overall IgG level.  It was a IgE test for 22 foods which all said the levels were clinically insignificant.   I have eliminated everything for about 2 months straight now and at first it helped a lot.  I have other triggers like fragrances and cigarette smoke- and its very hard to avoid those things in public unfortunately.  So I might need to try a IgG panel now.  I didn't realize they weren't doing one.. this was with a regular MD who doesn't know much about this stuff.  My OD that's helping me seems a lot more informed.  She wants me to try manipulation/chiropractics and more acupuncture, and continue on the supplements.

It definitely could be hormonal.. or something about that pregnancy made some other problem worse. 
 

Originally Posted by ewe+lamb 

I have a copy of Hale's give me the name of the medicine and the brand name and I'll look it up for you.

All I know is that the MD was talking about calcium channel blocker, I'll have to call the doctor's office and get the names and get back to you. Thank you!

And I really hope my son does start eating better when he turns 2!  I swear it's actually gotten worse. He used to eat his whole plate of about 2 scrambled eggs for breakfast and now he only takes about 1 or 2 bites and then wants to play. 

[tibeca]

Calcium channel blockers are discussed here, with Dr. Hale making a specific recommendation for a mother with a 10 mo old. 

http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/discus/messages/45/175.html

[SomethingAnonymous]

Thank you, that helps a lot.  Now I wonder if I end up having to take one of those medications.. how do I convince my doctor that Dr. Hale thinks they are safe?  Maybe bring a copy of Dr. Hale's book in when I have an appointment?

[tibeca]

If you contact someone from LLL, they can usually photocopy you the page(s) that are relevant and give you the complete information per Dr. Hale.

I'd still check out Chiropractic. I have been migraine free for about 2 years and couldn't be happier with the results. Good Luck, no matter what you choose!

[blessedwithboys]

OP, you don't have convince your doctor about anything.  Just tell him/her you weaned.  :)

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by SomethingAnonymous 

Thank you, that helps a lot.  Now I wonder if I end up having to take one of those medications.. how do I convince my doctor that Dr. Hale thinks they are safe?  Maybe bring a copy of Dr. Hale's book in when I have an appointment?

Or ask your doctor to call http://www.infantrisk.com/