One known trigger for migraine sufferers is a change in hormone levels. For women, hormone levels change greatly during pregnancy. If you are pregnant, your migraines may improve or they may get worse.
Hormone Levels During Pregnancy
The estrogen levels of women can increase as much as 100 times the normal level during pregnancy. For progesterone, the levels dip at the start of the pregnancy and increase towards the end of the pregnancy.
When a woman is not pregnant, the fluctuation of her hormone levels is not as pronounced as compared to the ones that occur during pregnancy. This could be the reason why pregnancy can actually improve migraines.
During pregnancy, the levels of endorphins are also several times higher than normal. Endorphins are pain-killing hormones that are naturally released in the body, so this could be another reason for the improvement of migraines.
Migraines are not Always Improved
Unfortunately, being pregnant does not always improve migraines, particularly during the early weeks. When a woman eats and drink less during this time then gets morning sickness, low blood sugar and dehydration will most probably bring on a migraine.
- If a migraine is menstrual and has no aura, some women experience less migraines migraines. About 60% to 70% of women experience improvement.
- If the usual migraine has aura, the migraines are likely to continue.
- Some migraines become worse, but these are rare cases.
- Some women usually experience their first migraine with an aura during their pregnancy. If the headache seems worse, it is recommended to see a doctor, as this could turn out to be pre-eclampsia, a medical condition among pregnant women that needs to be treated right away.
Safe Drugs to Take During Pregnancy
It is best to consult your doctor to sort out your medications if you plan on getting pregnant, as you have to consider taking them before and after the baby is born, or when breast-feeding. The ideal plan is to stop all migraine medications, as drugs can’t be tried out on pregnant women or those who are breast-feeding.
If a painkiller is needed, paracetamol is safe to take during pregnancy and breast-feeding. It is a good idea to take paracetamol with food to avoid irritating the stomach, and the soluble ones are better to take when you feel a migraine about to start. If you are towards the end of your pregnancy, avoid taking aspirin for your migraines as aspirin prevents clotting. Also, you should avoid taking more than 600mg of ibuprofen a day. As for triptans, they are not supposed to be taken at all during pregnancy.
Many kinds of anti-sickness drugs are safe to use during pregnancy, among them are buclizine, chlorpromazine, prochlorperazine, domperidone and metaclopramide. In the case of domperidone and metaclopramide, it is not advisable to take them during the first three months of pregnancy.
Medication and Breastfeeding
If you are breast-feeding and have to take aspirin or Metaclopramide, you should not attempt to breast-feed again for at least 24 hours after taking the medication. Taking Propranolol in low doses is safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding, while Amitryptiline and Pizotifen are also both safe to take too.
Triptans are safe to take during breastfeeding, but it is wise not to breastfeed your baby after you have taken the medication. Wait at least 24 hours before breastfeeding again. Among the Triptans that can be taken include almotriptan, eletriptan, frovatriptan, rizatriptan and sumatriptan.
Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Many women try out alternative medicine during their pregnancy. While some alternative medicine can be safe, be aware that some can affect your pregnancy like conventional medications. An example would be aromatherapy, where some oils like rosemary shouldn’t be used if you are pregnant. Other treatments to avoid during pregnancy are feverfew and reflexology. In all cases, you should always inform your therapist that you are pregnant.
Returning Migraines
Due to the sudden drop in estrogen levels, some women will experience migraines several days after giving birth. The migraine can also be caused by other factors, like tiredness, dehydration and a low blood sugar count.
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