Severe daily headaches at 23 weeks

[ARTLV]

Hi,

Just wanted to check out if anyone else has experienced something similar- over the past two weeks I'm having almost daily intense headaches, always behind the same eye/temple. I didn't usually get headaches pre pregnancy and know that these can develop but these started at 21 weeks.
Have been to maternity unit, checked for preeclampsia and although BP slightly higher then normal for me no other indicators so this has been ruled out. They think may be migraines.

Any advice/feedback appreciated. Thanks

I would see your gp they can/will prescribe stronger painkillers than paracetamol. My first thought was pe but I'd keep an eye on them if they don't get better I'd ask for more tests for pe to be done. Are you getting enough Sleep/ drinking enough water

@Boymummy3 Thanks for your reply- my sleep hasn't been great but am getting 6-7 hours at least. Def resting and drinking lots of water.
Hoping they agree to look in to if continues.

ask for PE bloods to be run. Rarer forms of PE can present without raised blood pressure such as HELLP syndrome. Unlikely to be a problem but personally I would want it ruled out to be safe

get your eyes tested too, with each of my pregnancies, my eyesight has changed x

@squee123 thank you- will ask them about this.

@bessie84 I went and had eyes tested straight after as I wondered about this too. No change and did extra tests to check.

Today the obstetrician decided that there is nothing they can currently do and that issue could be a number of things and said my only option is to take a strong form of prescribed codeine for 3 months and hopefully will reduce pain of headaches. You can imagine my response. I repeated several times I'm not putting that medication in to my body when pregnant and she said there is no other option. I sobbed after the appointment as felt so let down.

I get hormonal migraines, during my first pregnancy it was bliss as I had no headaches at all. During my second pregnancy I had so many, so focused in a certain place, I got scared and ended up getting a really lovely Dr to do silly neurological tests to make sure it wasn't something more sinister!
In the end it was all just obnoxious hormones and pretty much sod all you can do about hormonal headaches. Painkillers don't tend to help me much for them, I get migraines related to points in monthly cycle.

Something that does help my hormonal headaches was a warm bath and laying with my head submerged and trying to relax a bit.

You may just unfortunately have to ride them out and hope your hormones settle down at some point. Miserable I know.

Oh thats poo. I got bad headaches when pregnant with my girls and it was a horrible time (not my boys) its good youve been checked, shite you have to suffer though. The joys. Hope they sod off soon x

@WeirdPookah thanks for sharing. I'm hoping they are just hormonal and also totally get that I may just have to ride them out. 🤞🏽🤞🏽

@bessie84 thank you!! X

If it is migraines your having then you can take sumatriptans when pregnant. You can buy it from boots over the counter.
Migraines are bloody awful, I get them all the time & have had a few since Iv been pregnant even though my last 3 pregnancy's I had none.