My 4 year old son complains of headache for the past few days. He usually points to the centre of his forehead (upto the top of his head sometimes). From yesterday he started pressing the area on the top of his nose between his eyes, and on the area above the eyes. Does this suggest a sinus headache?
What remedy can I give him for this? I've just started olive leaf extract (does this help in sinus headaches)?
Does Mag Phos help in relieving pain? Any other homeopathic remedy that is specific for a sinus headache?

Thanks a lot
Rima

Dear Rima,

We usually think of Kali Bichromicum when we think of sinus headaches, but, we have a questionnaire here listed on the topic page, if you'd like to answer the questions pertaining to the "chief complaint", we might be able to be of more help.

Snoopy

Thanks for your reply, Snoopy. Before I answer your questionnare, I would like to tell you that he was on antibiotics for a bacterial infection 2 weeks back. This headache seems to be more frequent after that. It started a few days before he was sick (with the bacterial inf.) but those were rare occassions of headache and not so frequent as now. Reg. the questionnare :

1. What is your chief complaint (CC)? : headache
location : top of his nose - between his eyes, and on the area above the eyes, sometimes on the forehead (centre as well as on the 2 sides) right upto the top of his head
It sometimes makes him irritable, unable to concentrate

2. When did this problem begin? What happened in
your life around that time? What do you think
caused it?

It began almost 3 weeks back (before he was on antibiotics) maybe once in about 3 or 4 days then.
Nowadays almost everyday - lasts for a few hours, better after I give him a pain killer

3. What aggravates the CC?

I've started him olive leaf extract (2 days back). It could be resulting in a die-off recation as well.

4. At what time of the day or night is the CC the
worst? Specify an hour if you can.

Generally towards evening/night (after 6 pm)

5. What symptoms can you identify that accompany
the CC (whether directly related or not; for example, headache with nausea; or menstrual cramps with diarrhea; a cold with irritability and anger)?

irritability (sometimes), unable to concentrate

Thanks
Rima

Dear Rima,

I'm sorry there are so many questions.

What does the headache make him do?

Do you have some idea as to what about the headache bothers him the most? For example, some people might say, "It's having to look at the light or the sun" or they might say, "Noise really bothers me", and so forth.

When you say the headache is making him irritable, tell me what you mean by that; what is he doing or saying that indicates he's irritable.

Tell me about the bacterial infection. Did he have the headache before the infection?

What were the antibiotics? Are you saying they made his headache worse eventhough they did stop the infection?

Thanks for the answers,
Snoopy

Also, the poor concentration: tell us more about that.

Thanks again,

Snoopy,

Will try to cath up with you later tonight. Ask if the child is still keeping busy vs. resting and or weak as he may be over doing things as some of this sounds like nux but still need more info. If competitive and irritbale when can not do his work and if find out senses acute and worse as day goes on, also if chilly any, could be nux but again need mroe info.

Will be in touch later.

JO

Dear Snoopy,
Thanks for your reply. When he has a headache, he either presses the area bothering him (forehead, above the eyes etc.) with his hand or presses his forehead on the bed or sofa. He points to these areas and says its painful.

About your 2nd question :
Do you have some idea as to what about the headache bothers him the most?

No idea

Especially when the pain bothers him, if I make him sit down and study or pay attention to some task, he gets irritated.
He's unable to concentrate on the given task (probably because of his headache) - puts his head down on the table, tries to escape by running away.

Tell me about the bacterial infection:
Symptoms were similar to that of flu, but the doc said that his throat was also affected. A few days before he fell sick (with the inf. ) he did have headache, but on rare occassions (once in about 3 days).

He was given Augmentin. I dont know why, but he seems to have more frequent headaches after the antibiotics.

Thanks
Rima

Dear Rima,

Correct me if I'm wrong:
I'm getting the impression that the child had a "flu" 3 weeks ago, with a sore throat. The headache was part of the prodomal stage of the illness, starting as it did a few days before the onset of the illness. The doctor, concerned about the sore throat, thinking perhaps that it may be strep throat or something similar, gave an antibiotic. Now, because of the antibiotics, the headache is much worse.

The headache is on the forehead between the eyes and over both eyes and is better for hard pressure.

The child is worse if asked to concentrate. He becomes irritable and runs away.

He's worse around 6 at night. So far, this is all we know.

I need to know:

1. How is the child's energy? Is he weak and lying around the house, or weak and restless, or is his energy normal, etc.?

2. Is he irritated because you make him sit or because you make him concentrate on a task? Can he sit still if not asked to concentrate?

3. Tell me all about this "flu". What were the symptoms? Fever? Chills? Body aches? Gastro-intestinal symptoms? What were the sore throat symptoms? One or both sides of the throat? Trouble swallowing? Pain shooting to ear? Swollen glands? Perspiration? Thirst? What was his mental state during the illness? A cough? Any mucus? If so, what color and consistency? Bad breath or odors? Any idea what might have caused the illness?
Weather change, a fright, sleep-loss, etc.? What was most striking about the illness? Was he cold or warm while sick? What was his energy during the illness--restless, apathetic, still and quiet, etc.? What made him feel better? What made him feel worse?

4. How long after onset were antibiotics started? Did they work? How soon did they start to work?

5. Did headache continue during the illness? Does he chronically have headaches or are these headaches peculiar to this particular illness and after-effect of antibiotics?

Thanks again,

Snoopy

Thanks again, Snoopy.
Reg. your questions :

How is the child's energy? Is he weak and lying around the house, or weak and restless, or is his energy normal, etc.?

Energy seems to be normal. He dosent look weak or anything.

2. Is he irritated because you make him sit or because you make him concentrate on a task?
Both.

Can he sit still if not asked to concentrate?
Yes - if he is just allowed to play.

3. Tell me all about this "flu". What were the symptoms? Fever? Chills? Body aches? Gastro-intestinal symptoms? What were the sore throat symptoms? One or both sides of the throat? Trouble swallowing? Pain shooting to ear? Swollen glands? Perspiration? Thirst? What was his mental state during the illness? A cough? Any mucus? If so, what color and consistency? Bad breath or odors? Any idea what might have caused the illness?
Weather change, a fright, sleep-loss, etc.? What was most striking about the illness? Was he cold or warm while sick? What was his energy during the illness--restless, apathetic, still and quiet, etc.? What made him feel better? What made him feel worse?

Symptoms of flu that he had - slight cold,
reddish eye (this disappeared on the first day without any medication),fever, shivering early morning (I was scared and took him to the doc because of this only) during which there was high temperature (104 deg F),body aches, cough, mucus - whitish.
the doc said that his throat was slightly reddish.
it lasted for about 5 or 6 days. Esp. on the 2nd to 4th day he was very tired - used to lie down most of the time.

It looked like a purely viral infection because there were many children around with those symptoms at that time (esp. in his school)

4. How long after onset were antibiotics started? Did they work? How soon did they start to work?

antibiotics were started on the 3rd day.It took about 2 days to have effect. Then the fever started coming down.

5. Did headache continue during the illness? Does he chronically have headaches or are these headaches peculiar to this particular illness and after-effect of antibiotics?

He seemed to have headaches during the illness (but not so often) He dosent chronically have headaches but they seemed to start about 3 or 4 days (or maybe 1 week?) prior to the illness. Seemed to increase after the illness.

Thanks a lot
Rima

Dear Rima,

OK, my assessment is that the child had a flu-like illness, which explains the headache--common symptom of the flu. My suspicion is that the antibiotics have disrupted the normal course of this flu causing the headaches to become worse and linger on.

My approach would be to give him the remedy he needed at the time of the flu, as he still essentially has it.

Your description of his illness sounds like a flu that matches our most common flu remedy, Gelsemium.

To quote from Murphy's materia medica on Gelsemium:

"Temperature: Influenza with much muscular soreness, great prostration and headache. Chill with aching and languor...chills up and down back."

So, this would seem to fit your son's case.

I would drop one or two pellets of Gelsemium 30C into a small half-filled bottle of water. Shake the bottle, give him a sip, and do this 3 times a day for 3 days, remembering to shake the bottle before each dose.

If the remedy makes him worse, stop the remedy, and we'll re-take the case. Also stop the remedy if at any time you see a striking improvement.

If there is no improvement after 2 days, let us know and we'll retake the case.

Let us know how things go,

Snoopy