Migraines

[198]

This is my 4th pregnancy, all others have been very simple with no problems at all. This time though I am having awful headaches. Every two or three weeks I will have an awful migraine with aura - a blind spot in one eye, then so Ill I have to lye in bed for two or three hours, but the rest of the time I just have a general headache. I feel like I cant concentrate or focus. Dr says it is just pregnancy that is causing it and it will go away after birth. Any other people had this? Any suggestions?

I remember my last pregnancy having awful headaches. I think I was interfering too much with my caffeine intake though.

I did take paracetamol, but it didn't really shift my headaches. I tried to use lavendar candles, baths etc to relieve the symptoms.

I used to get migraines pre-pregnancy - I'm the opposite of you 198! I'm enjoying 9 months of no migraines... but know they will come back with a vengeance after the birth (hoping that bfing will delay their onset as well ....)

Anyway, some things that you might consider:
Triggers I had: Caffeine, nuts, milk products
Avoiding these things (cutting them out of my diet) really made a difference in the frequency of migraines.

Homeopaths can often offer relief - just get one who is cautious about pregnancy as well.

Crazy things that actually relieved the pain (but dr thinks are crazy): Put on a baseball cap and tighten it (or a bicycle helmet)... anything tightly squeezing on my head really helped. Pushing my head against any hard surface (wall/floor)

Imigran of course... but totally unsafe in pregnancy.

My migraines got very bad this pregnancy but stopped at about 14 weeks so was down to hormones.

You can get co-codamol on prescription which is useful for general headaches as well. I had plenty of very bad normal headaches too, those tapered off at about 20ish weeks.

I found that keeping my bloodsugar at an even level helped as did keeping my temper in check. Whenever I got upset, angry or worried a migraine would start 10 minutes later.

198, i posted a big thread on this about two weeks ago, got lots of responses. are you in London? I went to the Migraine Clinic in London, a charity, run by doctors who specialise in migraines, and it was BRILLIANT. since then, a couple of times i've felt a migraine coming on but with their advice and information i've been able to stop it in its tracks. if there's any way you could go to this clinic i could not recommend it enough.

Pleaaaaase don't take codiene, it makes the withdrawal headache so much worse! I'm a migraine sufferer of almost 9 years and had 3 really bad attacks at the start of this pregnancy. I've tried every treatment, modern scientific or complementary. I began seeing a cranio sacral therapist (google for your nearest) who have great success with migraine and she showed me how to avoid attacks, I also had some food allergy blood tests done with a reputable nutritionist as we all react to different foods. I've been lucky and not an attack in 7 months instead of my usual one a week with vomiting, pre pregnancy.
In the meantime, a bag of frozen peas or hot wheat bag on the head with lashings of tiger balm can soothe (depending on whether you like hot or cold) I do empathise, they are rotten and the last thing you need right now. Good luck.