Breastfeeding and migraines

[BorgLady]

My migraines went away when I was 16 weeks pregnant and I was hoping they wouldn't come back.

DS is now 7 months and they have been slowly coming back bit by bit. They are pretty nasty and so inconvenient with a little one. I used to think it was hard when I went to work!

I don't want to stop breastfeeding, but DS has never had a bottle and won't drink milk from a cup, so pumping and discarding while I take my pills is out.

I'd like to know if anyone has any ideas to help prevent or cure them when they happen that I can do while breastfeeding. Since DS started eating solids he has fed less from the breast, so I am thinking this is why they have come back as I don't have so many hormones in my system.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

You can take paracetamol while bf ing. I find that I get migraines each time dd changes her feeding patterns, I put it down to hormones. It is awful dealing with a LO at the same time. Maybe worth seeing your GP - if they are bf friendly.

What a pain. I used to suffer from really bad migraines and sometimes used 4Head which is a natural remady and I found this helpful, although they are more for headaches than migraines but worth a try.

hi I'm a dr, and although not a neurologist, I have done headache clinics and so have useful experience.

There are things you can do without drugs to help:

1. have a good fibre or protein containing breakast every day (with or without a migraine) low blood sugar levels can trigger migraine - this, or dehydration, may be the reason you get them when your feeding pattern changes, or it may well be due to the prolactin surge

1. avoid caffeine and codeine and derivatives (i'm sure you already avoid codeine)

the body gets used to these, and so when the levels of these drop, it triggers migraine.

1. if remotely possible with a young baby, try to get enough sleep. Irregular sleep patterns and not enough sleep trigger migraine.

In terms of drugs, you can take anti-inflammatories, but only ibuprofen or diclofenac (neurofen & Voltarol= trade names)
and the other anti migraine drugs are not advised.

Best way to take them is when you get the aura (if you do) and take the full dose advised. With any luck the migraine may be switched off, but this is more likely if you can shut down for a bit (dark quiet room etc)

i looked the safety in bf'ing up on this official website:
www.ukmicentral.nhs.uk/drugpreg/qrg_p1.asp#Antimigraine%20drugs

hope it all settles down soon

Thanks all for your help.

noolia I have tried paracetamol already, but it doesn't touch my migraines sadly

Kempie I have used 4Head during the early part of my pregnancy, and it was nice, but again, didn't actually helo get rid of it, if you see what I mean.

babybrained

1. Thanks, I will try the breakfast idea. I often skip breakfast if we have somewhere to go, I won't do this any more.
2. I was given the exact opposite advice from the phamacist, who recommended Solpadeine. He said the codeine would be a stronger painkiller and the caffeine would dilate the blood vessels in my brain! If he is wrong, then that would explain why it isn't working either!
3. Sadly my sleeping patterns are still very irregular. DS either sleeps less than an hour between feeds, or goes three hours at a time, which means I feel groggy from too much sleep in the mornings.

Ibuprofen hasn't helped, and a darkened room is pretty impossible with DS as I don't have anyone who can easily take over during the week.

Thanks all for your advice, some good things to try!

I get migraines and they stopped when I was pg too but are back now. I've read quite a lot online to support the theory that triptans are ok - i.e. sumatriptan which is what I take and works for my migraines - when bf as a limited amount passes to breastmilk and baby especially if you can take it 4 hours before you know you will feed. I've taken it once at 7 in evening when I knew I wouldn't bf DS until 3 in the morning at earliest.

My migraines have come back too! I had none during pregnancy and until DS was 7 months, and then I've had 2 in the last fortnight.
With me they seem to come on in the middle of the afternoon and if DS goes down for a nap then I do too if I feel one coming. I'm allergic to ibuprofen so that's a non-starter for me, I find that if I can lie down soon enough, take 2 paracetamol and drink a glass of water then I'll be ok, not easy with a 7 month old though!!