Migraine Prevention for Children: Beta Blocker Success

For children who suffer from recurring migraine pain, preventing their migraine is as equally as important as treating the migraine pain. With many products on the market designed to alleviate migraine pain in adults, neurologists are on a quest to find solutions for migraine pain in children as well.

Migraine prevention for children, when successful, is believed to reduce the frequency of migraines by up to 70 percent. In many cases, a child who is suffering with migraine pain, after utilizing effective migraine prevention, will experience improved attendance at school and an improved quality of life.

As a parent, if your child is currently in treatment for migraine pain, ask the pediatric neurologist about the ways in which to prevent future migraines in your child. While the focus may be on the effective ways to alleviate your child's migraine pain quickly, the prevention of migraines in the future should be your child's pediatrician's next focus of interest.

In the battle of migraine prevention for children, beta blocker medications such as Inderal and Blocadren have shown to be effective when used daily. Commonly referred to as propranolol, pediatric neurologists, today, believe this line of drug therapy is the most effective at preventing migraines in children.

However, with propranolol use in children, there is an increased risk for side effects including dizziness, sleep disturbance and even marked fatigue. Additionally, if your child suffers from diabetes or pre-existing cardiovascular complications, the use of propranolol may not be indicated.