Migraines

[mooonbaby]

I had my first migraine yesterday. I’m 25 weeks pregnant so midwife thinks it’s hormonal and I may (or may not) experience regular migraines for the rest of my pregnancy.

I know people say how painful and debilitating migraines are but I had no idea how so until experiencing one. I am so sorry for you if you experience regular migraines, I honestly wanted to die yesterday!

Anyway, the point to my post is to ask if anyone with more experience of migraines wouldn’t mind sharing their prevention tips (if any) and how to cope with them once they get them. I had the aura preceding as a warning so particularly wondering if there’s anything you can do to prevent a migraine after having the aura. I realise this might just be wishful thinking though!

I was very similar at that stage of pregnancy. I got referred to a neurologist as they affected one side of my body and my speech at time. Terrifying but they disappeared as pregnancy progressed. The consultant advised me to drink a can of coke when I felt one coming on.

I suffer from chronic migraines and take vitamin b2 to prevent which has worked wonders for me. Might be an idea to discuss taking this with a healthcare professional if it's something you'd like to consider. Only side effect for me is luminous green urine. Also I just avoid stress as much as possible and cut out caffeine.

Vitamin B2 also is miraculous. Stay hydrated, if you feel one coming on take treatment immediately. Don't wait to see if it develops into a migraine.

The aura is not really a warning, it's part of the migraine. Some people get visual migraine with no headache. (People who are luckier than me.)

Best advice is to take your pain killers and drink coke or coffee as soon as you can. In general, the longer you wait the worse the headache will be.

I take zolmitriptan (prescribed by gp) when I feel one coming on. It's usually pretty effective. I don't know whether it's OK during pregnancy, though.

I'm lucky in that I don't get the aura but get nausea and vomiting so I have specific anti sickness meds for that.
Prevention is the usual healthy lifestyle stuff for me (healthy diet, drinking lots water, enough sleep) but yours will be hormone linked so not always avoidable.
When one hits, I take full fat coke and dissolvable aspirin (massive caveat I'm not advising this specifically for you as you're pregnant, need medical advice etc) and stay in a cool, dark, quiet room.
I also use refreezable ice pack hats (from Amazon), I find the coke helps me, not cure the migraine but helps me.

Second the drinking of a coke or coffee
If you're getting one.

BUT

I have found that eating more sugary or carb heavy foods will make them happen more often. From what I've experienced it's the sugar crash that causes the migraine so topping up your sugar when having one makes it better, but to avoid them altogether I have to keep my sugar levels stable which means lowering carbs and avoiding sugar.

Get a massage and sleep if you can.

Google thw stages of a migraine, it usually actually starts a lot earlier than you think. Frovatriptan is often recommended for menstrual migraines and they are hormone related. You need to ask a doctor what you can take in pregnancy. For non-medicine help, agree with others of full sugar coke or sweet coffee. 4head and white tiger balm provide relief when rubbed on your forehead or back of neck. Ginger can also help.

I was told I couldn't have any triptans or migraleve (which is Cocodamol with an anti emetic) during pregnancy. It's worth speaking to your gp though as advice may have changed or there may be something else you can have.

My main migraine trigger is hormones so there's nothing I can cut out of my diet to reduce frequency of migraines.

The best thing I found during pregnancy was to take paracetamol and ibuprofen with a can of coke as soon as I got the first symptom and to lie down in a quiet, dark room with a cold cloth on my forehead.

The cooling strips and 4head stick are also okay in pregnancy and have the same effect as a cold cloth but they can get pricy if you have a lot of migraines like I do.

I had migraines almost daily for two months during pregnancy, one of the big reasons I didn't have a second! I used a migracap - a hat with gel packs that you keep in the freezer. Gave me some relief. Fingers crossed this was a one off for you!

www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.amazon.co.uk/Migra-Cap-Drug-Migraine-Relief-Black/dp/B000VZ3218&ved=2ahUKEwis29jCx634AhUs8LsIHQc7CBMQFnoECAgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3vNWndI3TkkWk5LIOQkmP-

There is a hard fold of skin in your ear (not the first one you come to, the second one that's in a bit) called the daith. Squeeze this as hard as you can for a while as it's a pressure point. If it helps relieve your migraine and they keep happening, it might be worth having your daith pierced. I had mine done 6 years ago and have only had 2 migraines since. Before that it was very regularly and I was on prescribed medication for it. I get the feeling that one is coming on sometimes but it never fully develops and is very manageable.
Hope they ease x

It’s horrible, my total sympathies. Keeping as hydrated as possible is important - it can trigger the migraine if you get dehydrated. My neurologist insists on this before anything else.

I take triptans, which I see you can’t, and Nurtec (am in the US) - Nurtec may not be available yet on NHS - but if it is, it is worth asking about. It is based on recent research into the CGRP receptors (I think!) and for me is a wonder drug.

Pre-Covid I was visiting an acupuncture provider - that was also incredibly successful in keeping the frequency down and it could stop a migraine that was in progress. Sometimes it did come back later though. I have a friend who deals with her migraine completely through acupuncture. Worth considering I think.

Thank you all so much. I never have coke in the house so I’m going to stock up just in case. I’ve also been making sure I’ve been really hydrating myself today - I didn’t drink much yesterday and it was boiling so maybe the heat and hormone concoction brought it on together.

I’m praying it was a one off but if it happens again I’ll be calling my GP for sure to see what they can give me. My midwife said to call the GP if I start getting them more than once a week but I’m not going to let it get that bad! Once was bad enough

Are you eating and drinking enough? You may find (as I did) that some foods give you migraine.