Advice for migraines? (and how does pregnancy affect them?)

[ParisFrog]

I've had migraines regularly for over 10 years. Am on a daily treatment (propanolol) but it barely seems to help - I still get a bad migraine every one or two weeks. The migraine tends to start in the late afternoon, by bedtime its awful, keeps me awake half the night then the next day I'm a wreck.

I do get them when really stressed, but I also get them when I am not in the least bit stressed.

I've tried:
Eye physio (for muscle strain)
Osteopath
Neurologist
Changing my diet (cutting out chocolate, cheese, red wine - I don't drink coffee or tea or coke)

Any ideas what else I can try?

Also, I know this is a mums thread but I haven't had children yet and someone told me pregnancy can give people migraines - if you already have migraines anyway does pregnancy make them worse or better?

Thanks for any help.

[Bucharest]

Not want you want to hear, but mine definitely got worse....not during pg itself- I just had the 2 or 3 I would usually get over that space of time...but for the following 3/4 yrs (dd is now 6) they became monthly. Now, they're dropping off again, to the 2 or 3 stonkers a year. (managed when they come on with sumatryptan)

I have heard though, some people say that migraines stopped completely when they were pregnant.

I suppose it depends what kind you get...yours sound pretty horrid, mine are hormonal..I know exactly when one is going to start depending on where I am in my cycle...

[weegiemum]

Mine stopped totally when I was pg and when I had the mirena, but the pill made them unbearable!

I was recently put on atenolol (a beta blocker) for something else for a very short time and for the first time in years I had a period with no migraine! Doc is now talking about me taking it for a week before my period if due every month to stop the migraine.

[ParisFrog]

Thanks for your replies. I admit I was kinda hoping for lots of "I stopped having migraines when pregnant and after birth" stories!

No link to my period that I can work out - the migraines seem to be totally independant of my cycle....

Will go back to Dr I think to change my treatment...

[mosschops30]

Mine stopped and have never returned

[pucca]

I am taking betablockers as a preventative...it works a treat

When i was pregnant i came off them with the GP's consent, i didn't actually get any migraines through pregnancy which makes me think now that maybe mine are linked to hormone levels.

[Tocky]

Mine sound similar in severity to yours, but I get them every 4-6 weeks rather than as often as you (poor you). Anyway - I didn't have a single one when pregnant with my ds. They came back when he was a few weeks old, I think.

I am now 8.5 weeks pregnant and have not had one since around the time I conceived. Am really hoping that this pregnancy is like the last!

[IMoveTheStarsForNoOne]

Mine stopped when i was pregnant, thank god.

Are you on the pill? Mine were awful when I was on the pill.

Must go back to the docs for more codeine - I've run out (meep!)

[ParisFrog]

Yep I'm on the pill but I came off it for a couple of years (bit of a dry patch boyfriend-wise!) and still had migraines...

Maybe I should just try to be permanently pregnant...

[claricebeansmum]

Pregnancy made mine worse...

[belindarose]

Mine stopped during pregnancy and haven't yet returned (8 weeks after giving birth). I did have some nasty headaches at the beginning of the pregnancy - nothing like migraines though - and was able to cure them with a strong coffee and 2 paracetomol each time.