Any pregnancy migraine sufferers?

[Rose83]

Anyone suffering from migraines in their pregnancy who has never had them before? Mine started about two months ago and come about once a week. GP gave me high strength cocodamol which I only take if I really need it because it totally knocks me out. But basically that's all they've said they can do. I'm aware some places will prescribe beta blockers but my area won't and I wouldn't really want to take them anyway while pregnant. Every time I get one I'm violently sick with them too. All my midwife has suggested is holistic therapies/going to a chiropractor/massages etc which I can't afford when I don't work (stay at home mum with my 1 and 2 year old).

Anyone got any advice? Tips on how they deal with migraines? X

 

[Emily0505]

I've had one migraine before but I often get the start of them - visual disturbances and a headache. Literally as soon as it starts I take some paracetamol, drink a glass of water and will then go for a sleep if I can or if not I just sit in a dark room and that seems to work for me.

Migraines are awful

XX

 

[cassi]

Yes, they went at 12/13 weeks though. Dr prescribed Diclofenac for me. Found out satsumas were a huge trigger and never were before PG. perhaps log your food & drink intake for a few weeks as pg might've created a new trigger. Also, I tried to streer clear of the diclofenac where poss. Paracetamol didn't touch it but Aspirin helped if I got it early on.

 

[Rose83]

Thanks, I haven't noticed any pattern so far in what sets them off but will carry on looking. Also will ask my midwife about aspirin as I thought you weren't supposed to take it x

 

[cassi]

Thanks, I haven't noticed any pattern so far in what sets them off but will carry on looking. Also will ask my midwife about aspirin as I thought you weren't supposed to take it x

My dr said it's ok but check first for you. It's ibro you shouldn't take. Some people are prescribed aspirin throughtout pg for example with low PAPP-A levels. I'd be more averse to taking strong co-codomal to be honest .

 

[Rose83]

Yeah I will speak to them. I know you can't take ibuprofen which is why I'm surprised you were given diclofenac as they are both NSAID anti inflammatories so I thought you couldn't take them. I spoke to a GP in the family who described my GP's decision to prescribe the strong cocodamol as a 'bold choice' that she probably wouldn't do but that there was no evidence of it causing harm x

 

[JD.Deedee]

I did have them and I violently threw up during pregnancy from start to finish. The only thing that worked for me was sleep them off. I don't know how I would've coped with having two kids to look after as I had to switch from fulltime to part time hours as work. I think I got them because I was just properly exhausted the entire time. I think it might be worth getting all vitamin levels checked to make sure there's nothing wrong with them.. other than the usual iron.. like b12, magnesium ect.. I never really explored that one while I should've.. other than that just rest whenever you can x

 

[Rose83]

Thanks JD there's not really a lot I can do in terms of exhaustion- I'm always tired, my little boy still wakes up multiple times a night but I do try to nap when they both nap in the afternoon. Unfortunately they have both just started only doing an hour instead of the two they were doing
My sister in law also got them with hyperemesis (she was hospitalised with that) but thinks she got the migraines mainly due to lack of food and drink.
My midwife has referred me to physio where they do some sort of holistic care of you but I think I'm going to have to try chiropractors and massage too x

 

[YorksLass]

I kept getting them 3rd trimester, found yoga helped a bit, actually! Just getting rid of some of the tension in the muscles and letting my brain relax. Mine carried on a little after birth too - mainly visual disturbances not so much sickness... would sometimes affect my speech and typing, one time just before the midwife turned up lol Lying down straightaway with eyes closed helped those!

 

[poppy86]

I'm technically TTC (having tests) and have had Chronic Migraine since 18yrs. I'm terrified of them getting worse in pregnancy. The extent of my Chronic Migraine has caused other health problems which I can't medicate for if expecting. We don't have any children yet. Are there are pre-existing migraine sufferers here who can confirm if for them, migraines got better whilst pregnant? Or worse?

 

[lillith112]

I'm technically TTC (having tests) and have had Chronic Migraine since 18yrs. I'm terrified of them getting worse in pregnancy. The extent of my Chronic Migraine has caused other health problems which I can't medicate for if expecting. We don't have any children yet. Are there are pre-existing migraine sufferers here who can confirm if for them, migraines got better whilst pregnant? Or worse?

Poppy I suffer terribly with migraines, every month without fail. Mine are menstrual migraine, they make me so ill with nausea and vomiting, I am bed bound anything up to 7 days of the month. I can confirm that in all 3 of my pregnancies the migraines stopped. x

 

[cassi]

That sounds awful! Are there any triggers? Have you guys spoken to your DR about triptain or zomig to control them? Zomig completely gets rid of my moms migraine if taken at onset and has reduced the occurance of any onset too. I've heard the same results with triptain for people too I think they're expensive so the Dr's steer away from giving the option as lots of headache sufferers go in with 'migraines'.

 

[lillith112]

That sounds awful! Are there any triggers? Have you guys spoken to your DR about triptain or zomig to control them? Zomig completely gets rid of my moms migraine if taken at onset and has reduced the occurance of any onset too. I've heard the same results with triptain for people too I think they're expensive so the Dr's steer away from giving the option as lots of headache sufferers go in with 'migraines'.

Triggers for me are the drop in hormones before a period. I've seen a neurologist and tried lots of meds including triptans, they were brilliant, got rid of the migraine within half an hour BUT the next morning it would come back so I was taking triptans 3-4 days in a row which you're not supposed to do so I had to stop them. I've tried amitriptyline, Lyrica, propanelol but all of them gave me awful side effects. I bought some progesterone cream so I'm going to try that as heard migraines can be caused by estrogen dominance so we shall see if that works. xx

 

[Eryinera]

I'm technically TTC (having tests) and have had Chronic Migraine since 18yrs. I'm terrified of them getting worse in pregnancy. The extent of my Chronic Migraine has caused other health problems which I can't medicate for if expecting. We don't have any children yet. Are there are pre-existing migraine sufferers here who can confirm if for them, migraines got better whilst pregnant? Or worse?

I have bad migraines from the age of 16. Bright lights white chocolate hormones and pain are some of my triggers. (Seriously the day I broke my toe I had the mother of all migraines coz that's just what I needed right then. .. more pain lol)

However when I was pregnant with my son I didn't get any migraines at all and my hayfever which is usually terrible disappeared too.

This pregnancy I've only had 2 or 3 migraines when usually I have one a week. And when I don't have a migraine I usually have a headache chunnering away in the background it's weird to be headache free I think that's the cause of my pregnancy brain x

I'm slightly annoyed they use opened a new drug trial and I was invited to new on it been waiting for a drug trial for 10+ years and they chose when I was pregnant to run one lol. Oh well c'est la vie!