Kid headaches when reading/playing piano

[genet313]

My DD (9) is complaining that her head hurts when she reads or plays piano. I will get her vision checked, but does anyone have any experience with this and maybe alternative causes?

She is diagnosed ADHD combined type but the older she gets I really think the correct diagnosis is anxiety/hyperactivity resulting from anxiety. Not sure if that is related or maybe a compounding factor but she has never expressed anxiety around either reading or piano.

[Deleted]

My first thought was vision, and my second thought was posture. If she’s hunching her shoulders it could cause tension headaches maybe? I’d make sure that she’s seated at the right height and is using the correct posture.

[kitty]

Does the time of day matter?

My DS was complaining about headaches every day in reading at school in 3rd grade. We did take him to get his eyes tested but ended up figuring out that it was his Strattera. We had increased his dosage and he was taking it at the same time each AM with breakfast. Apparently, reading time at school that year was about when the Strattera reached its max level in his bloodstream and was giving him a headache at the higher dose. We switched to giving it at a divided dose, half at breakfast and the other half after school and no more headaches. The reading was just a red herring for us!

[nicolewi]

Sept 4, 2024 3:19:02 GMT -5 @villainv said:

My first thought was vision, and my second thought was posture. If she’s hunching her shoulders it could cause tension headaches maybe? I’d make sure that she’s seated at the right height and is using the correct posture.

Just want to say that I read this and immediately sat up straight, lol.

[genet313]

Sept 4, 2024 7:15:49 GMT -5 kitty said:

Does the time of day matter?

My DS was complaining about headaches every day in reading at school in 3rd grade. We did take him to get his eyes tested but ended up figuring out that it was his Strattera. We had increased his dosage and he was taking it at the same time each AM with breakfast. Apparently, reading time at school that year was about when the Strattera reached its max level in his bloodstream and was giving him a headache at the higher dose. We switched to giving it at a divided dose, half at breakfast and the other half after school and no more headaches. The reading was just a red herring for us!

Interesting thanks for sharing! She doesn’t take a stimulant just guanfacine, but I will ask her doc if that’s the “wear off” time. She’s usually doing piano and reading late in the day when she is actually more tired from either camp or school. She’s definitely a morning person because she’s up before everyone else in the house and falls asleep even before my younger kids, and she’s also underweight and doesn’t eat much so I wonder if it’s also an energy thing.