Struggling with "Head Dizzies"

"The head dizzies are coming on..."

Age: 12

Diagnosis: Vestibular Migraine

I am writing on behalf of my 12 year old son. He has been struggling with vestibular migraines for the last 5 years. I can’t recall when we actually received the diagnosis but it took several trips to the hospital as a young toddler before someone finally told us about vestibular migraines. I had never heard of them before. His episodes as a toddler were frightening – the dizziness, the constant vomiting, the dehydration. I sit here today, while he lays beside me fighting another episode of what he calls his “head dizzies”. Doctors have told us he could grow out of them but this year alone he already has had 5 attacks. That is the most he has had in a year so far. My fear is that with puberty and other hormonal changes he may get them more frequently. I am looking for other parents out there who have had to navigate this diagnosis with their children. He misses several days of school and falls behind work each time he gets ill. He is wiped out for 3-4 days after. We are under the care of a neurologist but it seems as if treatment is very patient specific. Maybe we just haven’t found what works best for him!