Pregnancy, Headaches, And Migraines

[Rachel]

Lately I've been having constant headaches that sometimes turn into mild migraines. Because I'm pregnant I am only supposed to take Tylenol, which does very little to help with the pain. I recently started taking magnesium supplements as well, at the suggestion of my POTS doctor. I haven't had as bad of migraines since starting the magnesium, so it may be helping a little. I do still have a constant headache, though, and extra sensitivity to light and noise.

I spoke with a nurse at my OB/Gyns office last week, and she had a prescription called in for me - Fioricet. But after reading up about it on RxList.com, I'm really not comfortable taking the med. It contains butalbital, acetaminophen, and caffeine. I'm already taking Tylenol, and I do still drink a cup of coffee each morning to raise my bp. So I already have acetaminophen and caffeine daily. I don't want the butalbital (a central nervous system depressant) that is also in the the Fioricet. In the last year I've had some adverse reactions to meds that affected the central nervous system like that.

My blood pressure is normal, so the headaches are not due to high blood pressure. I am keeping up with drinking fluids. All my other symptoms are the same as normal, and I'm not having any problems with pregnancy. Headaches and migraines are something I get occasionally, but I've always been able to take ibuprofen or excedrin to help with the pain.

Have any of you dealt with headaches and/or migraines in pregnancy? If so, did you find anything that helped?

Rachel

[firewatcher]

From what I can remember of my migraine research, pregnancy migraines are often induced by the changing hormones. Often they'll be worse in the first trimester and then disappear, but they can occur in the second and third as you approach the big day. Unfortunately, there is not much that you can take for them while you are pregnant. My best advice is to try to get to sleep as soon as you feel like you are getting one. Before I found the triptan that worked for me, sleep was the only migraine cure I had. Granted, it is hard to get to sleep when half your head is pounding and you want to throw up, but something about the difference in brain waves in sleep resets the neurochemicals and stops the migraine progression. Anything less than a two hour nap had no effect for me (maybe going through a REM cycle?) Good luck, sweetie, pregnancy is rough without the headaches! If there are any sleep meds that are OK for pregnancy, use them to induce the nap and have someone on call for your other little one...either way, asleep or with a migraine, you can't care for the child you have now!

[worththewords]

I'm also pregnant and I had migraines throughout my first trimester. I didn't even bother with Tylenol because it has never helped me even for just a headache. The only thing I could do was take to a dark, cool room with no light or sound with an ice pack and sleep it off. My OB told me if they continued past the first trimester he would have me see a neurologist to find something safe to take for pregnancy and POTS. He felt they were related to the changing hormones. Thankfully they subsided after the first trimester. Perhaps you need to consult with a neuro that understands POTS and knows what to prescribe during pregnancy?

[Jan]

I was pregnant before I got POTS but yes, my headaches/migraines were much worse during pregnancy. Part of it was only being able to take Tylenol, which didn't even dent them.

I had a prescription for Fioricet at one time in my life and it helped a ton. I wasn't pregnant and didn't have POTS when I took it. I haven't taken it since I got POTS, because I was afraid. Since getting POTS, I am afraid of a lot of meds.

I am sure it is obvious, but if you do try the med, don't take Tylenol too.

Can you take Tylenol 3's when you are pregnant? I have tried those with some success for headaches, the codeine makes me sleepy, and a bit dizzier, but all I want to do with a migraine is lay down anyway.

Just for the record, I am now in menopause and rarely get a migraine now. It has also leveled out the POTS symptoms. In my experience, a hot flash is NOTHING compared to a migraine. Something all you ladies with menstrual migraines and cyclical POTS flairs can look forward to.

I hope your headaches go away as the pregnancy progresses. How far along in your pregnancy are you?