Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

Original poster

Headaches and parcetamol

14 replies

Kitcat159 · 06/04/2018 12:47

I am 24 weeks and I have always had frequent headaches.
I take paracetamol for it and it helps a bit.
Problem is I take 2-4 tablets a day (very rarely more than 4 in a day) for maybe 3 or 4 days a week.

Is that bad?

People keep saying I shouldn't be taking them that often or I take too many!
Is there anything else I can do to ease a headache?
The only other thing that helps is a dark room and sleep but can't do that if I'm working!

OP posts:

Addy2 · 06/04/2018 13:24

If you have to take them, you have to take them. There is apparently a link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and infertility in the fetus as it can affect development of the reproductive organs, but at 24 weeks most organ development has already happened. Maybe try and cut down but don't worry if you can't.

Addy2 · 06/04/2018 13:25

The link hasn't yet been proven, it's just being investigated as it apparently causes infertility in mice, so it could all be fine.

Lyra2018 · 06/04/2018 13:34

Talk to your gp or midwife. I have very severe headakes and migraines and am they are anxiety and sleep related and antianxiety medication helped. I've been recommended small quantities of coffee and paracetamol as coffee is far more effective. I'm in good health and know coffee. Is not the best but now I'm in the second trimester effects from drugs are less. Go on the NHS website and speak to a health professional, everyone is different. Also I drink lots of coconut water and different calcium sources (almond is my favourite) and have new glasses. My Headakes though have many causes. Stress is the biggest.

SuzieKD · 07/04/2018 19:42

I had really brutal headaches from week 9 to about week 18 (currently 28 weeks) and paracetamol was the only way I could survive them. It didn't even get rid of them, just reduced the pain to the point that I could function and I would have to take two tabs every 4 hours for several days at a time. Midwife said it was fine, just not to take anything stronger and yes, to have my morning coffee as well to help.

MeadowHay · 07/04/2018 20:47

Yes there is some evidence that paracetamol and caffeine together can be more effective than paracetamol alone so definitely try taking one or two of the doses with a cup of coffee or at least tea, that could really help. Have you tried putting cold things on your forehead? I find that helps, I like the Migraine Kool n Sooth patches and I have a special cool forehead band thing that I keep in the fridge and then whip that out and put it on my head when I get migraines. I don't get tons of headaches but I do get migraines about once a month and personally I've never found paracetamol to have any effect with or without caffeine but obviously you know what works best for you. I find sleep in a dark room also helps, be kind to yourself, if you're at home and can take a little nap then do so! Do you know what is triggering your headaches because it sounds like you're getting an awful lot, is there anything you can do about the triggers? Is it just like this during pregnancy or was it always like this? I have had periods of time when I have got loads of headaches like you describe and it was miserable.

Bluebirdsky · 07/04/2018 21:35

Have you tried 4head as I find that this helps me; I have also recently bought this headache balm which I have found really helpful www.loveherbsonthehill.com/headache-balm
A cold ice pack on the back of my neck helps too.
When I do take paracetamol I take two dissolvable paracetamol in a small amount of coke as I also find that the caffeine helps and this gets to work quicker than taking normal paracetamol.

Lyra2018 · 07/04/2018 21:49

Hi meadow hay. Sorry to jump in on the op. I am getting a lot and am getting better at identifying triggers. Unfortunately work stress, strip lighting at and the telephone ringing are big ones... I'll definitely get a cool pack for the fridge, at home and work. Fresh air works really well. I used to find a dark room at work but next time I'll get fresh air on my breaks inside. I've been signed off work for the past week, been good to relax but also stressful having suddenly lots of unplanned free time. I hope to get back soon, but need to see occupational health first. I was recommended the cold compress before.

happymummy12345 · 07/04/2018 21:53

The only thing I ever use is 4head. O swear by it.

Lyra2018 · 07/04/2018 21:58

I've had severe headaches, but not such bad migraines (which run in my family). I had one migraine as a teenager on an overnight school coach trip... too loud and lots of annoying teens, couldn't sleep like I needed to. I didn't get sick in my stomach like some other people, who had their tablets and bands. Equally I got hardly any nausea or vomiting in my first trimester so it's swings and roundabouts.

Lyra2018 · 07/04/2018 22:01

The irritating thing was the migraine hit just as everyone had quietened down and fallen asleep... It was not as bad as the pregnancy one though, only knew it was a migraine when I explained it to my mum, who suffers with them.

CannaeBeErsed · 07/04/2018 22:12

When I met DH he was always getting headaches and taking the max dose of paracetamol a day. I told him to try going without for a couple of weeks and his headaches disappeared. It was just as I had thought, he was taking so many he was causing the headaches he was taking them for.

As others have said, try 4head or something similar.

MySerenity · 07/04/2018 22:22

You may well have medication-overuse headache (or "painkiller headache"), caused by the frequency you are taking paracetamol. It's a common and well recognised cause of headache. Likely what the previous poster's husband had!

Here's a basic NHS article explaining it and how to treat it: www.nhs.uk/Livewell/headaches/Pages/Painkillerheadaches.aspx

Penguin34 · 07/04/2018 22:58

I've had some terrible headaches and migraines.
My gp told me to take co-codamol (paracetamol wasn't touching the sides)

With regards to taking paracetamol, she told me to take them every 4 hours to deal with the pain of periformus syndrome (like sciatica) just to miss a dose when taking the codiene.
But I didn't, just put up with the pain of that until the physio's magic worked

Lyra2018 · 08/04/2018 11:21

I'm just missing ibuprofen, I don't overdo the paracetamol only one day recently did I take the max, often take one at first then another in half an hour if I still have the headache. Someone talked to a doctor who said double dose does not give you double the effect and I'm quite small so sometimes one paracetamol and lots of liquid works for me. If I have a proper migraine though I go for 2, a lie down under and anything else I can do to reduce the pain. I've been craving liqurish from the begining. I have no blood pressure issues or risk factors for preclamsia so have found liquishie and peppermint tea after a meal really good (NHS website has recommended liqurish doses) (I'm pretty sure sugar crashes have been giving me headaches so I've stopped the sweets.

Flip