Migraine sufferers, what do you do?

[Nomoreideasleft]

I am 14 weeks, and despite seemingly everyone telling me that my migraines will start to ease off in the second trimester, they haven't (as I knew they wouldn't). I get weird migraines all the time that affect just one side of my face, usually running along my jaw and affecting one part of my head. Sometimes I just get them on the top of my head.

Since about the fourth or fifth week of pregnancy, I have been waking up with incredible pain in my teeth and jaw that leads to a migraine on one side. It's always my right side (which is weird, as before the pregnancy, I NEVER had migraines on that side). I thought that maybe I was clenching my teeth, so I started to use my silicone gumshield again even though I haven't used it in years, but it doesn't help.

This morning is the second or third morning in about a week that I've woken up with intense pain in my jaw, and, from experience, it will become a migraine later on in the day.

The dentist says he can make me a retainer, but he isn't sure if it will work. The thing is, I no longer live in the UK, and it would cost 600 pounds here, which I just don't have. I'm also scared of spending all that money on something that might not even work.

Does anyone suffer from anything similar or have any magical migraine remedies? I've already taken paracetomal 4 or 5 times in this pregnancy, and I don't want to harm the baby by keeping taking it. Although it's allowed, I've read studies linking its use in pregnancy to ADHD. But this is hellish. I'm a teacher and will go back to work soon, and I just can't take six hours a day in front of teenagers with this kind of pain. It's impossible. I think I am going to crack.

My GP (sadly pp) told me he would have happily allowed my usual medication.. Nasal spray Imigran.
Or try cool packs in a thin pillowcase against the most painful area...

Things that help my migraines:

-warm shower & wash hair, really massage head.

-cup of tea

-facial sauna to steam face & head

I usually do all of the above and if still won't shift I lay down in a cool, dark room with a kool n soothe patch on my head and/or a cooling gel pillow.

Hope you find some of these tips help! X

The guard may not work. It’s really hard to say, and that’s a lot of money to pay out!
To be honest, with frequent migraines and unable to take adequate meds, I’d be looking to be signed off work. I appreciate this really isn’t helpful or possible in most cases! But, teenagers + migraines + pregnancy could be horrific.

I've had chronic migraines for a very long time. I discussed medications with both a neurologist and and ob/gyn, and I've been told I can use Sumatriptan as long as I use as little as possible. Its not an every day solution, but it might give you a break on the worst days.

I'm almost 34 weeks along now, and I also didn't believe my migraines would improve at all during pregnancy. I experienced some improvement around 21 weeks, and very significant improvement from the beginning of third trimester.

The weird changes you're describing don't really sound weird to me - rather just your hormones and the pregnancy affecting your trigeminus nerves differently. I'm not a doctor, though - just someone with a very long and boring history of migraines.

Thanks for the tips, everyone.

I can't be signed off work, really. I teach only final year students, and it would really, really mess up their year if I have frequent absences. I am the only teacher of my subject in my school, so it will be impossible to find a cover teacher (I work in a private international school abroad). It would have to be an absolute final resort.

Ugh, this is horrible. I hate migraines. I feel like I could deal with just about any other type of pain except pain in the head/face. Currently sitting with ice against my face...

@Cantbebotheredwithausername

I've had chronic migraines for a very long time. I discussed medications with both a neurologist and and ob/gyn, and I've been told I can use Sumatriptan as long as I use as little as possible. Its not an every day solution, but it might give you a break on the worst days.

I'm almost 34 weeks along now, and I also didn't believe my migraines would improve at all during pregnancy. I experienced some improvement around 21 weeks, and very significant improvement from the beginning of third trimester.

The weird changes you're describing don't really sound weird to me - rather just your hormones and the pregnancy affecting your trigeminus nerves differently. I'm not a doctor, though - just someone with a very long and boring history of migraines.

I have been told I can use Imigran but only for the absolute worst headaches that make me feel like death is preferable (and I do get those headaches every few months). So it doesn't really help with the three times weekly problem. I honestly feel like this is some kind of awful torture...

I get hemi plegic migraines so cannot take triptans

Best thing I have found is 3 x 300mg dispersible aspirin in full sugar coke

No, using Sumatriptan/Imigrain three times a week would certainly be too much, even when you're not pregnant (even though I have, admittedly, done just that at times before my pregnancy).

Honestly, it does sound like some kind of torture. You obviously also can't teach with an icepack on your head, and the only OTC painkiller allowed during pregnancy is paracetamol, and I'd imagine it barely touches the pain (it doesn't for me, at least). I was adviced by the ob/gyn at 21 to be signed off from work for the rest of my pregnancy (I live in Denmark with very beneficial rights for pregnant women), but I sort of refused for similar reasons to yours, and thankfully my migraines improved on their own around that time anyway.

The only thing I have ever used for my terrible migraines is aspirin, like 700mg of it. Not sure how safe this is in pregnancy though. Good luck, it sounds really tough..

I don't even consider paracetamol, really. I find it works for fever and body aches but doesn't make any impact whatsoever on headaches. I've taken it four or five times this pregnancy out of desperation, but it hasn't worked, and I never normally take it when to pregnant.

Not sure about the aspirin either. I think I am going to beg and plead with my gynaecologist to do something about it. She really wasn't very sympathetic the last time, and neither was the GP!

The consensus seems to be that as long as the baby is doing well, it's okay for the mother to suffer during pregnancy. The thing is that newer studies indicate that being stressed out and in pain during pregnancy is actually bad for the baby, too, both during pregnancy itself and long term (it's the concept of epi-genetics, on which I'm also not thoroughtly educated). A study on Danish migraine sufferers from 2018 also seemed to indicate that migraine during pregnancy increased the risk of miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, low birth weight and premature birth, but the risk was actually less if the mother took her prescription medications during pregnancy. I brought this up with the ob/gyn when she lectured me on the need to keep my use of Sumatriptan as low as possible. She didn't seem convinced, but still. Either way, I really hope you can find a better solution than torturing yourself for months. If you don't get some relief soon some other way, either by luck or medication, I'd really consider working less or not at all. I know it's a tough piece of advice - one that I didn't follow, either, but the truth is that I would've had to if I hadn't run into some lucky circumstances with regards to both my work and my migraines.

I'm sure that's there loads of different reasons for migraines but this might help, it's worth try at least. My friend suffered from terrible migraines and nothing seemed to help. She got them regularly and often was throwing up and in bed for two days.

Then someone suggested that, when she feels one coming on, she should eat lots of protein - whatever she's got around, meat, fish, cheddar etc ... and super weirdly this has helped stave off her migraines ! Thought it was worth saying so you could give it a try. Hope it helps

Hey op.

I suffer from migraines in my current pregnant and also had them in my pregnancy with my daughter, also caused by TMJ disorder. When I feel one coming on I take paracetmol and dissolvable aspirin. It's been a life saver for me, and if I get on top of it quickly I've found that I only have to take one more dose of both, and sometimes no more doses at all.

I also highly recommend having an Indian head massage or your partner following a tutorial on YouTube and doing it for you - mine now knows exactly the spots I need rubbing to relieve the tension. I generally find around my eye area and eyebrows really effective. There are some trigger points you can find online which if you rub are really relieving.

Finally - get a cooling eye mask, the ones you put in the fridge.

Hope you are pain free soon.

I saw an osteopath for headaches and dizziness, not sure if it was vestibular migraine. She found that one half of my head/neck/jaw was really tense and after seeing her only twice I've not had another one since. Might be worth a try.

Ice packs were the only way I could manage mine while pregnant.

Really cold on the worst part of the pain, and also on the back of the neck helps a lot. I still do it now as I don't always want to use triptans.