My situation has been similar, and now that I am breastfeeding baby #2, I continue to get migraines whenever my hormones are off because of an increase/decrease in his feedings thus my milk production. I have found both during pregnancy and nursing that Tylenol plus caffeine help out a lot more than you can imagine. The extra kick the caffeine gives the Tylenol is enough to take off the edge at least. I was too cautious to take any prescription meds, but felt safe with a moderate amount of caffeine. I take Excedrin Tension (acetaminophen + caffeine) the other Excedrin varieties have aspirin so avoid those. But of course talk with your doctor first! Something else to try is chillow (amazon.com). Also great postpartum when you are getting the night sweats!
i certainly got more headaches/migraines when pregnant (both pregnancies). i was told to take a couple tylenol and have some caffeine (coffee, soda)which would help if it wasn't too bad. my friend who got migraines really bad when she was pregnant was told the same thing by her dr. if it gets real bad go to labor and delivery for something stronger. it sucks when you don't feel good when you're pregnant cuz there's so little you can do... GOOD LUCK!!!
accupuncture
Colon hydrotherapy has worked miracles for me, but I don't think you will find anyone willing to take you as a client while you are pregnant, so you might give it a try once you have delivered.
im not prego, but this remedy might be safe.
when you feel one coming on, drink a can or small bottle coca cola the real brand and 2 tylenol. works for me and my sister. drink plenty of water, at least 6 small glasses a day. if i even miss one glass of water, fer sher i get the migraine.
I found the greatest and most simple thing, but I don't remember how big of a no no it is during pregnancy, so ask your doc. (I did not know about it during mine) Drink coffee! It sounds simple, but it works. It reduces the swelling in the blood vessels in your brain. It really works. I have been suffering for years and can't take meds due to and having I.T.P. so this was a miracle for me. You can use it after pregnancy if you can't now. I would ask your doc first if one cup would hurt, I know caffeine is not good during pregnancy, but I think it is lesser than the two evils, migraines cause a ton of stress. Good luck, I feel your pain.
Ugh, yes, I have suffered miserably for several years with migraines. Fortunately mine seeemd to subside during pregnancy and post-birth. They've revved up a bit again, but I'm still nursing so can't really take anything. First, drink a ton of water! The slightest bit of dehydration will give me a killer headache and your little one is zapping your normal stores of water, nutrients, etc. I try to get home and in bed at the first sign to ward it off as much as possible. Keeping it dark and quiet is key. I drink herbal teas (chamomile, etc) and will add calming elements to it (lemon balm extract, etc). If you have noticed any food triggers, steer clear! You may also consider going to the chiropractor...perhaps carrying the weight of the baby is causing you to get out of wack and trigger the migraine. Take prenatal yoga so that you are strtching your body and relaxign your mind. Last but not least, talk to your Dr and get recommendations. I hope you feel better soon...I know your pain!!!
Hi, Shannon. I used to get migraines, also, since I was about that age. Eventually, I was dating a guy in college and had to cancel on him a couple of times because of them so he looked it up in the library! According to all the books he copied, they are caused by a hereditary blood vessel disorder and can be triggered by hormonal changes, stress, dehydration, an ingredient in cheddar cheese, caffeine and hunger. Now here's the thing about caffeine! Your blood vessels are not responding correctly to hormones and conditions, so caffeine would make mine first constrict so that I could not see for awhile (niacin helps open them back up) BUT then they let loose and over compensate as a rule of migraines and you can get that pounding for days until they settle back down! THAT is actually the time when caffeine can HELP. It will constrict them again. Caffeine was a trigger that constricted my vessels and initially increased the ocular star burst thing, but later can reduced the pounding.
I found that I usually took about 3 of these triggers to get one. I got off of aged cheddar completely; cut down on the chocolate but the biggest thing was the dehydration. Getting enough water was the main thing for me. Horomones played a huge part, also; I often got one 2 weeks before my period and then one the day I got my period!
To prevent them, I started taking feverfew, niacin and magnesium. That helped a lot! I did get more when I was pregnant, because hormones also effect them and feverfew is contraindicated for pregnancy, so I just had to decrease the other triggers. Your body is already under a lot of stess due to just being pregnant, so you really have to decrease that in whatever ways you can.
Eventually, after I had the baby, because my blood vessels increased in size, they were stretched a bit and I don't have much trouble with migraines to this day anymore. If I really push it; stay up late, don't drink enough water, eat poorly, etc. I'll still get one, though.
I'm sure you'll get a lot of good advice here, but this is my experience! A GREAT chiropractor in this area, Dr. Ross, 661-9476 knows a lot about the chiropractic end. When I get them now it is usually because I have stress on the nerve that leads to the vessels in my brain OR, this is going to sound strange, but if you are constipated, that also can be a factor! Some how, cramping and migraines are effected by what's going on their, also and I found they went hand in hand. If I got a migraine, I was also almost always constipated! Fun stuff!!
Have you ever seen a chiropractor before? Find a good one. It cured me of my migranes. I have never gotten one again. It actually made me become a chiro. It dosnt always get rid of them completely, but most often they lessen in frequency and severity, if not going away completely. and it is perfectly safe and beneficial to the pregnancy in most cases!! hope this helps!
Shannon,
I still get migraines.. I have learned to avoid drinking or eating too much caffeine or chocolate, get plenty of rest (which is difficult for a Mom), and drink a lot of water(more than the recommended 8 glasses daily). If you feel your shoulders tense, work on relaxing them.
I find a cool dark place with something cold on my eyes and warm/hot on my neck and shoulders really helps. When I had more time to do YOGA I rarely got them.
GOOD LUCK and take care.
Wendy M
i know you probably already got plenty of responses, but this may help also. i have terrible migraines (clusters!!) which have been on and off since a bad car wreck in '98. long story short, i have been through every medicine there is out there for them. the only relief i got during my pregnancies (all 3) was with vicodin. i took it with all of my pregnancies, and all three of my beautiful children (7 yrs, 2.5 yrs, and 6 months) are perfectly healthy, happy individuals. i was really skeptical at first, because it is a narcotic, but my OB told me he wouldn't prescribe me anything that his own wife wouldn't be allowed to take. i am an RN, so i know the risks with taking certain drugs during pregnancy. i can promise you this, as long as you take them only when needed (like when your eyes are going to pop out of your head from the pressure lol), and keep track of your fetal movements later in pregnancy, you'll be fine. if you feel the baby isn't moving as he/she should when you take the medicine, just stop. its that simple. you are right about the migraines being more severe during pregnancy, its all those lovely hormones bouncing around. they tend to get worse towards the end, when you have all that extra fluid racing through your body also, so prepare for that. i can't think of anything else to tell you, except the common sense stuff like drinking lots of water, resting when able, etc. if you need anymore support or have more questions, please contact me.
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