HEADACHES!!!

[HeadacheCentral3]

I'm 32 weeks pregnant.
For the last 4 days I've had horrendous headaches. I woke up in the middle of the night last night with a pounding head (probably after the paracetamol had worn off).

I'm drinking loads of water.
I have just been to the docs to provide a urine sample to see if I have a UTI - I don't.

Is this normal? I have read that headaches can increase in pregnancy. But I didn't think it would be all day and night.

Have you had your blood pressure checked?
A moderate headache I couldn't shift was my only symptom of a very sudden onset of blood pressure so high it required admitting me to the high dependency unit to get it under control at 37 weeks followed by a c-section that night.

@Cuwins
Oh god that's terrifying!

Did you have a routine check or did you go to the doctors/hospital specifically to have your blood pressure etc checked?

I tried the blood pressure machine in the doctors last night which said it was normal, and then my partner also checked their blood pressure and it said she was practically dead so I'm not sure how accurate it was.
It's been 4 days with this headache now.

@HeadacheCentral3 did they not check your BP properly at the doctor's just now? 😳i would have thought that would be the first thing they'd do with a person in the third trimester with bad headaches, due to the risk and seriousness of preeclampsia.

You really really need to call your maternity assessment/triage unit as soon as possible.

Like pp said it can be a sign of pre-eclampsia.

No it was literally just dropping off a urine sample and then they texted me with the results.

We just called the triage at the hospital and she asked about some of the symptoms of preeclampsia such as swelling etc which I don't have.
So she just said to carry on taking paracetamol and if it doesn't improve after a couple of days to go to the doctors.

Please go into the assessment unit for BP check and so they can dip your urine.

I had preeclampsia and a headache is a sign.

I didn’t have swelling or any other signs and had to have an emergency section that night. Please ring back, better to check.

My gynecologist told me to see an osteopath when I started getting headaches as it can be caused by swelling of the menges (sp) due to a change in posture. She said it worked for her when she was pregnant. My heacahes went away before it got to that stage but she was adamant it would help.

It was a routine check at a diabetes appointment although because I had clocked the headache if I hadn't been going to the appointment I would have called the triage.
It was pretty terrifying- the consultant told me to go straight to the hospital (appointment at a local one that doesn't have the main maternity facilities) and not even to go home for my bags. It took them 3 different meds to get it under control (it then bottomed out completely and I felt drunk! 😂) they planned a c-section for the next morning but I had a small bleed in the night and dodgy blood sugar numbers along with rising blood pressure again so they did a cat 1 emergency section at 1 in the morning.

I asked my Dr about pre-eclampsia too and see said that 3 factors have to be present in unison in order for it to be that. High BP, protein in urine and the headache/flashing lights. She said they don't diagnose pre-eclampsia unless all 3 symptoms are present.

Nor did I.

But she won’t know if she has protein in her urine or a high BP unless it’s checked.

I know. Don't know what I was trying to say. Been a long day!
Hope you're OK OP!

I have a urine sample a few hours ago which they said was normal. And I used the blood pressure machine last night at the doctors and it came back normal. I did it twice.

The triage lady said it could be just a tension headache and she isn't concerned. So I'm not sure if I should just see how I am tonight and tomorrow.

Isn't your midwife checking your urine samples?

I *gave that should say

Yes. The last time was last Thursday at the hospital. And then I did one a few hours ago which the doctor said was fine.

Did the dr check for signs of pre eclampsia or just for an infection?

@Cuwins
I asked them to check it as I wasn't sure if I had a UTI and they texted saying 'no abnormality detected in urine sample'.
So I'm not sure if they tested for UTI only. Or if they test for anything else?

I've had pre-eclampsia in both pregnancy's and had awful headaches. Contact your midwife if you can and ask her to check your blood pressure, if your BP and urine are fine it could be sinus headaches, I get these in pregnancy too🥴 try a steamy shower.

@HeadacheCentral3 if your bp and urine is fine probably normal headaches? If you're concerned go to your fetal assessment unit x

I think I would be calling triage again and asking them too see you to check your urine and BP just for reassurance if nothing else.

Sorry meant to add to last post- not sure I would completely trust a machine you do yourself although I guess it's not likely to be that far out. And if you can't be sure they checked for signs of preeclampsia then I would want to be sure it was checked

Mine were hormone related migraines. Which I never had before and now have frequently.

Thanks DD!