Constant headache/ migrane. Advice?

[Firesidetreats1]

I’ve been having headaches everyday for about a week which then turns in to a migraine. I’m 14 weeks pregnant and currently just recovering from a bad cold which could also be why. I’ve been taking paracetamol but it doesn’t seem to shift them. Has anyone got any tips? I don’t know if I’m getting them due to stress of work or if it’s just inevitable as I’ve read people suffer more during pregnancy.

I suffer from migraines and can't take any of my medications in pregnancy. I found paracetamol did nothing so I stopped taking it.some other things that sometimes helped are:

• 4head stick or headache patches that use menthol to give a cooling sensation on your forehead. You can get it from boots.
• ice pack for head (I have one on standby in the freezer all the time) and hot water bottle on back of neck to relieve tension.
• tens machine on neck.
• once out of first trimester, warm bath with lavender. If I was at work sometimes sniffing peppermint oil would help.
• never skipping meals ever, keeping very hydrated, getting outside every single day for walk and fresh air can help with prevention. Generally taking care of yourself is so important right down to little details like not overloading your bag in case of neck/shoulder pain and taking regular breaks from screens.
• sometimes consuming salt, sugar and caffeine can help. I would sometimes get McDonald's Diet Coke, chips and a McFlurry.
• other than that you have to just ride it out I think. I had some days off work lying in a darkened room afraid to move but it did improve as the pregnancy progressed. I'm pregnant again now and this won't be an option with a toddler to look after sadly ☹️

If it helps, I think migraines are infinitely worse than labour. I hope something here helps. Good luck x

I suffer from migraines too, they got really bad in the second trimester and I went 6 weeks with almost constant symptoms and couldn't cope. Went to my GP and also a migraine specialist, and they gave me daily propranolol (beta blocker) and sumatriptan for bad attacks. We discussed any potential risks in detail and looked at the research and evidence and I felt comfortable taking the meds. Took a few weeks to kick in but completely changed my pregnancy, I now only get a migraine if I forget to take the daily propranolol. So suggest you speak to your GP.

Good luck and sincere sympathy, it's so debilitating.

Pre eclampsia or is it too early? If you get them later then see a doctor ASAP

Firstly, go and get this checked out with your GP.

... but secondly, it's very common in pregnancy. Hormone-related, I think.

I had migraines really badly with my first, and severe headaches with my second. GP advice was to take paracetamol - but critically to take it at the very first sign of a headache, otherwise it won't work (your system shuts down with a migraine).

They won't (or shouldn't I don't think!) last for your whole pregnancy.

You have my sympathy , I still can’t take my strong meds for migraine as am breastfeeding. I’ve got a reliable system now but when pregnant I panicked!

Great advice been given already.

For me I take two paracetamol, a strong coffee or can of coke. Pint or two of water. Digestive biscuits, toast or oatcakes.

But the essential is a bag of frozen peas on the back of your neck/base of skull for twenty minutes or so. Totally removes pain for me for a while and helps me sleep. Your bed will smell of peas though.

I had really bad headaches around that time of pregnancy and I developed eclampsia which wasn't picked up on, so probably is worth mentioning to midwife/gp.

Are you taking folic acid? I have been ttc recently and have been taking folic acid... Headaches every day until I stopped. Maybe try skipping a few days and see if it makes any difference... My headaches in my pregnancy also stopped around the time I stopped taking folic acid.

I found hypnotherapy worked for me when I was pregnant and had an attack. Cold compress on head, lots of water/can coke and something salty and a lie down with the hypno CD on worked for me

Thanks everyone, I’ve been trying the cold flannel, paracetamol so I’ll give the other tip a go. Ive got another day with it today so if it doesn’t get any better I’ll go to my GP. Did anyone find themselves having to be off work with them? I just don’t want it to effect my sickness triggers.

You might want to see your GP and get them to confirm that the headaches are caused by pregnancy and are therefore pregnancy related. Your employer should treat pregnancy related absence differently from normal absence and make allowances.

A bit late to the party but I have had three pregnancies with migraine headaches and am currently in my fourth. I have done a fair bit of reading on it and find that caffeine plus paracetamol works well for me, crucially as long as I take it as early as possible when I get the headache. The reason behind this, I believe, is that the headache is caused (at least partly) by the blood vessels dilating (everything relaxes more in pregnancy, plus greater volume of blood flowing) and caffeine helps constrict the blood vessels. I get the 'paracetamol plus' tablets which include caffeine. I also find a cold facecloth on my forehead helps while waiting for the caffeine/paracetamol to kick in. This is my go to for non pregnancy migraines too so it's something I know works for me. Hope it might help someone else!

I had this and it did ease off by say 20 weeks. I found gallons of water and full sugar squash, which I wouldn't usually drink, helped. I took paracetamol and slept when I could. I got acupuncture too but that was towards the end.