Frecuent Migranes in Pregnancy

When I was pregnant with my youngest son I too suffered from Migraines, my doctor told me I could take asprin while I was pregnant, in fact he stated that if more woman took them the first three trimesters there would be less miscarriages. Asprin thins the blood so they suggest you stop taking it a month before you are due.

I wouldnt take the excedrine. My OB said NO!!!! Take extra strength tylonel. I also suffered from migranes which started after my nausea, but started at 14 weeks exactly. I took magnesium everyday with my prenatals ( one pill which can be found in the vitamin sectionss) Between the magnesium and tylonel it worked for me.

M.
call your local hospital pharmacy they should be able to look it up and know what is best i am not sure i would take anything with asprin in it . i to am looking for something because i had to stop taking my migrai meds

I had migranes during my pregnancies. They were not as frequent as in the past. My OB gave me Vicodin for the pain. That was all that was offered. I would too be careful about the Excedrin. I don't know too much about it, but that my OB said not to take it. Also, maybe try a coke during that time. They say you can have one coke per day. If you need one every now and then to get you through a migrane, you should be fine. It works for me now with migranes. I get them and have three kids under 5. It is really hard to care for them with a migrane.
Good luck! Enjoy the babies. They grow up fast. We had our boys in a row like that. They are great friends.

Aspirin and Motrin are fine to take up until the 3rd trimester. All they do is thin the blood a bit.

FWIW I suffer migraines between 14 and 20wks of pregnancy in all my pregnancies and then they go away. I think it's some sort of hormonal imbalance. It's annoying as Heck but this is baby #4 for me and I'm guessing that it's just normal for me...

Hi M., I know how you feel with migraines, I have had them since I was 12. For me when I was pregnant they seem to do alot better. But I did have them till about the beginning part of my second trimester. I was told not to take Excedrin Migraine. Just a note on the aspirin, when I was nursing I took that alot and then was told to stop because they think I have a ulcer caused by the asporin. Anyways before I got pregnant I usually drank at least one pepsi a day. When I found out I was pregnant I stopped drinking so much, well my migraines got worse. So instead of not having any caffeine I drank a pepsi every other day. That seemed to help alot. Tylenol did nothing for me. I was told to make sure I eat something every 2 hours, drink a lot of water since dehydration can cause migraines, and for me they pretty much stopped the further I got. Someone mentioned Fioricet, I took that before when I was not pregnant, I wish I would have know I could take that while pregnant. I would try that, and a little caffeine, since alot of migraine meds have caffine in them. I will pray something works for you, I know how stressful it is especially with another child to take care of. My daughters are 17 months apart.

Hi M.,
I am really surprised that they recommneded you take the excedrin migraine. I have the same issue (although I just hit 20 weeks and the dr. said they usually stop around 18-20 weeks so I am hopeful). Anyway my dr. perscribed a tylenol based drug that also has a small, safe dose of caffeine and codeine. they said that was better than the other alternates. You might want to check on that.

Oh I feel for you. I used to get migraines. They turned out to be hormone induced...I had them when I was about 12-14. They went away after puberty. Yours could be hormone induced and now worse because of your pregnancy. One other thing that could be causing them is MSG in your diet. Check what you are eating and stay away from anything that says monosodium glutamate, natural flavorings, natural spices etc. You could also check online to see how many secret codes food companies use to cover up any MSG. As far as taking something for them...I know it takes something strong to get rid of the pain as well as all the other stuff (nausea, light sensitivity etc.) Tylenol is bad for your liver, ibuprophen is bad for your kidneys. It seems like aspirin is the lesser of all the evils. I hope your docs can figure out what is causing them and fix THAT, rather than just taking something to "band-aid" the problem. All the best to you!

Hi M.,

Sorry to hear about your migraines! I get migraines occasionally, too - provoked often by the sun. This last pregnancy, I started getting them often - my midwife told me to eat protein whenever I ate something sweet or a simple carbohydrate (breads). And drink plenty of water. This took care of my migraines.

Hope that's helpful!
C.

I suffer from migraines as well. When I was pregnant with my (now 11 month old)son I talked to my OB about treatment options. I had prescription meds and Excedrin Migraine before the pregnancy. He strongly opposes the use of aspirin during pregnancy if it can be avoinded. He prescribed a medication called FIORICET for use while pregnant and nursing. It did provide much relief. Now that I am 10 weeks pregnant with my second he is prescribing it again. Not sure how you feel about chiropractic doctors, but that has been an absolute life saver for me as well. My chiropractor works with a lot of pregnant women and migraine sufferers. Hope this helps.
Jenny

Woke up with a migrane this morning, so I can understand. Remember in pregnancy everything can be done in moderation. Each person gets migranes for different reasons, so for some Tylenol will work. It never did for me. What I did was to break down the Excedrin and restrict the amount needed. Excedrin is caffeine, Aspirin and Tylenol. I would try some caffeine, with some aspirin. I even used "baby" or low dose aspirin to minimize how much I took.

You need to evaluate being non functional for 12 hours v medications that (after 3 pregnancies with migranes) have little if any effect on the baby. Remember to take the meds as early as you feel a headache coming on, as that minimizes that amount you need as well. Best of luck. My first two were 19 months apart, so I understand where you're at.

I can't fully answer this question however I am 36 weeks pregnant and been on aspirin since I was 4 weeks. So I don't think the fact that it has aspirin in it is a cause for concern. I also had really bad headaches at the beginning of my pregnancy and now I get them every now and then. I sure hope they stop for you.

M. ~
As an OB nurse, and a migraine sufferer, I can relate. Excedrine (regular is the same as migraine) has tylenol/aspirin/caffeine in it....it's fine to use up to about 24 weeks pregnant. After that, they don't really recommend it anymore. A prescription medication made for migraines that is safe to take during pregnancy is Fioricet, which has tylenol/butalbitol (a muscle relaxer)/caffeine. We prescribe it often for patients that have migraines, no matter what the gestation.
Another thing, it could just be the caffeine you need. You have probably cut back on the amount of caffeine you take in, and when your body is used to it, it can cause migraines as a sort of withdrawal.
good luck!
D.

I use to suffer migrane headaches. What I found that a good massage at the base of the neck works. It does not go all the way away but it makes you feel a lot better. You don't need a professional. Your husband can do it. Just talk him through it. Let him know what makes it feel better.

M.,
Have you considered seeing a chiropractor? Chiropractors are not neck and back pain doctors, we are nervous system doctors. Our bodies are self healing and self organizing. The central nervous system (our brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (the nerves that branch out of the spinal cord and go to the cells, tissues, and organs in our bodies) control how our bodies heal and organize itself. If there is any interference in the communication of our nervous system with the body, then there will either be increased activity or decreased activity, either way the body is no longer functioning at it’s highest potential. Chiropractors call this interference a subluxation (sub-lux-a-tion). This interference/subluxation is caused by three major life stresses- Physical stress (trauma, repetitive motions, poor posture); Biochemical stress (preservatives in food, drugs- prescription, alcohol, smoking); and Mental or Emotional stress.
Right now your body in under tons of stresswith not only your pregnancy but running after an active 14mo old.
Chiropractic is very safe for everyone of all ages and states of health. Not only has chiropractic helped with Migraines/Headaches but it has also made labor eiaser for many women because thier bodies are functioning at its highest potential.
I am a Chiropractor at Khalil Family Chiropractic Wellness and Intervention in Eastpointe, MI. Please feel free to contact our office for more information. Our number is ###-###-####.

Yours in Health and Wellness
Dr B. G

i have the same thing and my dr gave me vicodin. i also took it w/my last pregnancy b/c i had kidney stones w/her. maybe talk to her about that. it does get better as you get further along. my migranes are becoming further and further apart.

When I would get a headache, aspirin did not help. What has helped me is massage therapy. With the pressure you are putting on your back with being pregnant, this will loosen up the muscles and just a wonderful stress release.

I live in the Brighton area and have used two EXCEPTIONAL massage therapists. They are trained to perform massages on pregnant ladies.

The other thing that you could do is whole food supplements. Fish oils (make sure they are without mercury), B vitamins (helps with stress), calcium/magnesium/vitamin D (other than the obvious benefits, magnesium helps with nerves and muscles).

If I can be of further help, call me at ###-###-#### or email me at ____@____.com last thing on the massages...I had several massages when I was pregnant with my daughter. They really helped me to relax. Then when I had my daughter, on her due date, it was only 5 1/4 hours of labor and without any drugs.

M.

See if you notice that when you don't eat gluten if the migraines go away. That is a symptom and I've learned a lot about it for a year now... I have to stay away from gluten -which is anything with wheat, rye and barley. If you try it for just a couple of weeks even,you may notice if you get any migraines without gluten. Or it could be another allergic reaction towards another food. You can eat corn, rice and I've learned to bake and cook without wheat - and I'm Italian! Let me know if I can help you any further... or you can go online at celiac.com or any other site to learn about gluten sensitivity...
All the best,
L.

Hi M., so sorry to hear about your migraines! I had the same problem with my last pregnancy and had them frequently like you are. Thet got much better after about 22 weeks for me. My doctor also prescribed fioricet. It worked really well. If I took 2 right away, it would take my headache away completely. Good luck, I know that can be miserable, especially with another little one at home!

I had migranes too...and was specifically told NOT to take Excedrin.

Aww! I had them with my 3rd pregnancy! They put me on singular. That actually helped. I have allergies and they took me off it in the beginning. She also told me to drink a small glass of coke! It really did help! I`m not in the health field but, I am SURE to stay away from excedrin!

M. G,

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