Just a query for you migraine sufferers who have had a pregnancy.....

What was your experience of migraines during your pg ?

Thanks

Oh I was migraine free! It was wonderful! And it continued for about a year or 2 afterwards. It was seriously wonderful.

Still unable to isolate a trigger that I didn't have through pregnancy and after, as the things I stopped during pregnancy restarted afterwards. And some of my worst migraines have very much been unrelated to food given that I got them wehn in the middle (so not beginning) of healthy eating stages. (but I digress, lol)

I've had always had migraines to begin with, but they were more frequent during both my pregnancies, no let up at all. Was a bugger really, because panadol didn't make a dent whatsoever.

oh you poor thing, that would have been hard. Only mersyndol and sleep help with mne so I would have been stuffed in pregnancy!

Sleep is a good thing for sure but hard when you've got little ones around during the day at home and can't leave them alone! I'm still breastfeeding so still only take panadol in the hope that one day it might work, but am hanging out for something stronger when I do finally wean her!

Well I took panadiene in pregnancy (only a cuple of times for severe sinus infection) but also when breastfeeding (especially as she self weaned at 3 1/2) which were more than fine according to all med peeps. Codiene is even what they give you post c section, well, along with voltaren, to help with pain. I would look at that, it might give the extra kick you need to get through - there is no way I am able to look after anyone when a full blown migraine hits, I had 2 last year one on a weekend and one on a workday, and they were both at the - move your head even to lie on your side and you will spew everywhere variety.

I quite often use a water bottle under my neck and on my head to help actually, cold, from the fridge. The neck one (lying on it) helps a lot.

I had terrible migraines during my last pregnancy & ended up going to whitecross emergency cause it was unbearable & they gave me something stronger than just panadine & nurofen for them. I think it was Nortriptyline from memory, either that or a different one I can't remember the name of at the moment sorry its in my medicine cabinet at home but we are overseas!

But yeah try everything you can possibly before heading down that route tho, but I had to get something else cause with 4 other kids I just couldn't function.

So far I've only had 2 migraines since birth (11months ago) and they haven't been as bad & just easily sorted with rest/dark/panadol

During the first trimester I got HEAPS of migraines, one every 3-4 days, for about 2 months. then they disappeared for the rest of the pregnancy.

Now that I am in menopause, my migraines are getting worse, and becoming more often.

I think it's due to my lack of oestrogen, and my migraines were always a couple of days before my period started - which is when the oestrogen is the lowest.

I have heard that other women get their migraines mid cycle though, when the oestrogen is high.
and others are not hormone related at all.

iteresting NS, i haven't noticed a cycle trigger yet for me. Sometimes it will be around AF, sometimes nowhere near it.

Nightsky - I think mine are related to hormones and my cycle for sure. I average two migraines a month and they last for 48 hours each. Always a day either side of my period and around ovulation. I am reading a book of natural hormones for women at the moment, and it's quite interesting and explains alot of what I suffer. I now need to find a dr who has an interest in this sort of thing and is open to discussion etc.. to help the the symptoms instead of saying they can't do anything.

Suche - that mustn't have been very pleasant haven't to go to A&E for it. I know I have days where I think this is the end as the pain is that bad but then tell myself I survive each time!

I went through the high risk clinic at Auckland Hospital (due to high BP) and they were really helpful with my migraines.
Firstly they put me on a preventer which was a betablocker. They also said if I ever suffered from a migraine to come to the hospital and they would put me on IV Maxalon. I had this once when I was in hospital for something else and got a migraine and it really worked.
You can also take 'paramax' safely. It is panadol and maxalon .

I am now taking MAXALT and it seems to work well. it is fully funded, I am on a low income so get it for 3 dollars.
it dissolves on the tongue.
(not recommended for those with uncontrolled high blood pressure, or heart/stroke issues, or while pregnant)

http://www.maxalt.com/rizatriptan_benzoa...rs.jsp?WT.svl=2

Although recent evidence suggests that triggers do not actually cause migraine, they can interact with the pain centers in your brain, potentially making you more vulnerable to headaches.

Some potential migraine triggers are:

Certain foods (eg, red wine, aged cheeses, foods with nitrates, chocolate, MSG)
Stress (most often after a stressful period)
Caffeine withdrawal
Medications
Skipping meals
Changes in sleep patterns
Menstruation or ovulation
Migraine and the Menstrual Cycle

One migraine trigger can be a change in hormone levels. For women, this can happen around menstruation or ovulation and results from a drop in estrogen levels or reduced availability of estrogen in the body. Migraine attacks that regularly occur within 2 days before and 3 days after the first day of menstrual flow are sometimes called "menstrual migraines." If attacks also happen on other days of the woman's cycle, this may be called "menstrually related migraine." If you suffer from these types of migraine attacks, you are not alone. Talk to your health care provider about the timing of your migraine attacks. This may help you to understand whether they may be triggered by changes in hormone levels.

Identify and discuss your potential triggers with your health care provider as part of your overall treatment plan.

With DD, 8 years ago I only had one migraine, and was headache free... it was amazing. This time round though, I had migraines constantly. Waking me up in the night, throwing up, excruciating pain. But, I am 8 years older, did get swine flu and did have suspected whooping cough, so wasnt as healthy, (or young), as first time round.

Night Sky, what you wrote was fascinating. I didnt even connect migraines with ovulation! Derrr, I put alot of it down to just before, during and after AF, but couldnt work out why I was so bad mid month too.... it must be that.

I find triggers that make it worse are often fine at certain times of the month, but really bad at others... soy sauce, (I eat alot of sushi), can only be tolerated really rarely, and I cant even smell red wine without it making me ill.... would red grapes be a trigger too then?

Anyway, going back to the original question, I experienced both, better and worse migraines throughout pg, and so I hope and pray for you that yours disappear completely.
Maybe going into pg as healthy as possible would help... and also, cranio sacral therapy.... that helped me heaps. Lots of 'neck clicking'; fine during pg, and natural and got rid of those nasty migraines.
Do you have a cranio sacral therapist near you? Maybe check it out and see what you think, it may help, (and, as a side note, its awesome for bub too once they arrive.... but Im digressing abit there! ).

oh that's true, I was having really regular chiro work during my pregnancy from about 17 weeks, so that probably helped a lot too.

I don't remember having migraines when pregnant with DS (maybe I have simply forgotten), but had terrible migraines when pregnant with DD - I took panadiene for them. I've also noticed a couple of food triggers - artificial sweetners and cashew nuts.

Nightsky, I find that I get them around mid cycle until a couple of days before AF. Also using Maxalt melt and find it good - glad it's subsidised or I wouldn't be able to justify $100 plus for 9 tablets!

yes, my gp is going to hate me when I need more maxalt after just a couple of months. And I want more than 9!!!

I have had migraines for 25 years, but two severe ones.
once I woke up and it was like someone was smashing my head with an ax. Straight to A&E for pethidine.

The other time was a few months ago (hence the maxalt) and I was in the fetal position crying and just wanting to die.

SUCKS!!!

I'm a huge migraine sufferer and go through about 30 maxalt melts a month and maybe 6-8 imigran. I Was recently put on the pill to control my cycle for IVF and haven't had one since!! Definitely hormone related here!!!

Night sky I request 30 maxalts a month and always get them, no problem.

Good to know about the IM maxalon though. Have had migraines in early pregnancy but tend to disappear around 10 weeks and never got one breastfeeding! They came back when I stopped.

wow! that is a lot of migraines and meds!
maybe you are naturally low in hormones. I'm glad they are not plaguing you now.

Low in hormones is right - hence why I'm about to do my 17th IVF cycle -lol!!!!

oh yes, sorry, probably a very dumb thing for me to say!
I don't know anything about IVF / hormones

Not a dumb thing at all - just my reality!!! Just so very thankful we now have maxalt melts and imigran!! I use to self inject stemetil and Voltarin into my butt with a very big needle before they came along!!

wow that is very intense! I should probably consider myself lucky that my migraines have been mostly manageable up to this point.
but now I am in early menopause, I am having more and more and some have been heinous. so sorta sux. but i'm alive, so that's all good :-)