Skip to main content

Pregnancy Headache - Take care of your body so that your head can rest

Being pregnant is a physical exertion beyond the ordinary. Of course, having severe headaches means an even greater stress for the body and mind, but thankfully it does not apply to the child who in no way gets bad from his mother's headache. Unfortunately, there are no good pain-relieving drugs that do not affect the fetus and for many people therefore the pregnancy becomes a period where headaches are extra difficult to live with.




No pregnancy or childbirth is exactly the same as any other and the same seems to apply to you who have migraines. For some women, the first migraine attack in life comes just during pregnancy and for those who already have migraines, the pain can develop very differently. Some women with hormone-induced migraines can even avoid the seizures during pregnancy and sometimes as long as the first period after childbirth. For other women, the migraine continues, just as before, with the individual triggers that created the seizures.

But remember to always be vigilant if you get a new kind of headache that you do not recognize. If, for example, headaches occur simultaneously with fever and drowsiness, you should seek medical attention. If you are worried, you can always call the medical information on 1177.

For those who are taking preventative medication for your migraine and who are planning to become pregnant, it is important to phase out the medication well in advance. This is especially important for the drug Valproat, which is suspected of causing severe birth defects. Therefore, always talk to your doctor if you are planning to become pregnant to find the medication that is right for you.

In early pregnancy when many women are nausea and vomiting, low blood sugar levels can trigger a migraine attack. Then it is important to try to eat a little and often to keep blood sugar at a more even level. Dehydration is also a common trigger so it is necessary to replenish with liquid when needed.

Insufficient sleep can cause both migraine and tension headaches and is common throughout pregnancy. Stress and worry can also be a common companion when life is about to change so radically. Therefore, take extra care of your interior through, for example, breathing exercises such as meditation or mindfullness.

It is probably not going to be possible to avoid headache or migraine attacks throughout pregnancy, and in the case of severe seizures, it will be painful not to be able to take their usual seizure medication. To a large extent, it is instead about curing and even before trying to find other ways to reduce the pain. Cold or heat, darkness and silence are as always good for relieving.

Medicines during pregnancy

The goal should be to use as little seizure medication as possible. The only medicines that are acceptable during the different phases of pregnancy are paracetamol (eg Alvedon and Panodil), however, think of the lowest possible dose and as rarely as possible. Metoclopramide for nausea can be taken during the first and second trimesters but not during the last trimester, however, it should preferably be avoided completely if no specific recommendation has been received from your doctor.

As for medicines containing acetylsalicylic acid / ASA (eg Treo and Magnecyl), you should talk to your doctor before taking it. It may be taken in single doses during the second trimester.

Triptans may possibly be taken during pregnancy, but of course as few doses as possible for as short periods as possible. Talk to your doctor!

Medicines containing ergotamine (eg Anervan) are not recommended during pregnancy because it has a contracting effect on the uterus, which reduces the blood supply to the fetus. It has not shown any increased birth rate, so there is no need to worry about taking a single tablet at the beginning of pregnancy.

The use of Botox is not recommended during pregnancy or in women of childbearing potential not using contraceptives unless deemed necessary. Botox is not recommended for breastfeeding women.



Medicines during breastfeeding

In the case of breast-feeding, drugs containing paracetamol are approved for use. Medicines containing acetylsalicylic acid / ASA can be taken in single doses during breastfeeding. You should not breast-feed Metoclopramide.

Sumatriptan (Imigran) you can take while breast-feeding. When using valproate, talk to your doctor before breastfeeding.

Of course, caution with medication during pregnancy and breastfeeding applies to all medicines, and you should therefore always discuss with your doctor or midwife what is right for you.

According to the Swedish Medicines Agency, herbal medicines and herbal medicines are generally insufficiently studied during pregnancy and lactation. Against this background, we advise against use.

Listen to your body!

Elaine Axelsson, who works as a consultant at BB Family, has reviewed the text above. She often works with patients with migraines and headaches in her maternal care.

The most important thing she thinks is that the woman listens to her body. More migraine attacks during pregnancy can sometimes be due to a woman trying to do more than her body can do at the time. -The pressure on the body during a pregnancy is a little extra so taking in and working more than your usual time often becomes too much and then the headaches can come creeping. For some, it may not even be possible to work full time, but needs sick leave, says Elaine.

- Many people are worried about having migraines during childbirth, but I have never encountered that during my almost 20 years as a obstetrician. On the other hand, I remember a prospective mother hanging over the bedside between the painters and watching her husband lying on a mattress on the floor as well as vomiting and having migraines. They were fantastic both and had a nice and healthy baby, Elaine concludes.

Comments

Popular Posts

Headaches during pregnancy - Common or dangerous headache?

Healthcare professionals need to know that some types of headaches can have unusual and serious causes. Most of all headaches during pregnancy are benign and deal with 90 percent of common migraine or tension headaches. However, in rare cases, pregnancy can lead to an increased risk of headache caused by serious, underlying conditions. Pregnancy a risk factor According to a British report, neurological conditions are directly or indirectly the third most common cause of the country's maternal mortality. Now a British overview is presented of common causes of headaches during pregnancy and the time after, what they depend on and how the health care staff should take care of the women in the best way. Headache is the first symptom patients report when they have suffered from cerebral venous thrombosis, CVT. Pregnancy is also a recognized risk factor for CVT. Caesarean section, systemic infection, vomiting and anemia increase the risk of suffering, the overview shows.

Pregnancy problems and diseases - Pre Eclampsia

Pregnancy poisoning is if you get too high blood pressure when you are pregnant. The baby can grow poorly and your organs can be affected if your blood pressure becomes too high. To lower blood pressure, you may need to rest. If that doesn't help, you may need to give birth to the baby sooner than expected. Most people who get pregnant are not affected very much. But some need quick hospital care. Pregnancy poisoning is also called preeclampsia. symptoms Often you do not get any symptoms. The most common is that the disease is detected at a check in the midwife. But some may have one or more of the following symptoms: You get a sudden headache that you do not recognize. You get vision problems, such as flicker of the eyes, loss of vision, blurred vision and double vision. You get a lot of pain in the upper abdomen, especially right under the ribs. You get nausea and vomiting after week 18. You swell up on your face, hands or feet. The swelling comes quickly. Yo

Headaches and pregnant

Usually, a headache during pregnancy is harmless and disappears relatively quickly. However, if the pain is persistent, followed by dizziness, fever, weight gain or swollen face, midwives should be contacted. Pregnant women with headaches are at greater risk of high blood pressure Women of childbearing age are rarely affected by migraines. However, the pain is usually benign and medical care is not necessary. During pregnancy, migraines become more and more mild,   but pregnant women are twice as likely to suffer from high blood pressure, so-called pregnancy poisoning. Symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, weight gain and eye symptoms can occur and care should be sought. What is the cause of the headaches? Hormone changes, insomnia, stress, increased hunger, weather changes, stress, digestive problems, allergies or overheating. How do you relieve headaches? Usually taking paracetamol is enough, but there are many other things you can do to relieve your headache. R

Anemia during pregnancy

Anemia during pregnancy can appear in the form of fatigue, paleness but also as palpitations and shortness of breath. The red blood cells are produced in our bone marrow and have a survival time of about four months. Iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid are used for the production of the red blood cells. If one or more of these substances are missing, the production of red blood cells will gradually be affected and you will get symptoms of anemia. Causes of anemia Iron-deficient diets, can often be seen in vegetarians and people who lose weight for a long time. This is linked to the fact that our most important iron source is meat. folic acid deficiency Large blood loss due to, for example, bleeding hemorrhoids or gastrointestinal bleeding. During pregnancy there is an increased need for the building blocks used in the production of red blood cells. Of course, the unborn child also needs red blood cells. What symptoms cause anemia during pregnancy? The first symptoms ma