26 years
Is there is any treatment for migraines? Do migraines have any effect on pregnancy?
Aug 26, 2014
It depends on the severity & frequency. Some medications that cause vaso-constriction are contra-indicated.
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some women has less migraine attacks during pregnancy and other have more attacks
Hormonal change in women is a common trigger for those prone to migraine. This is often shown in pregnancy when the sex hormone levels show profound changes which has an effect on whether your migraine get better or worse. Oestrogen sometimes reaches one hundred times the normal level, whilst progesterone levels decrease, rising again towards the end of the pregnancy. However, the fluctuation of levels is not as pronounced as during the non-pregnant state, which may be why migraine often improves during pregnancy. This improvement may also be due to the increased levels of natural pain-killing hormones (endorphins). These are several times higher during pregnancy, and though the relief from migraines they provide might last the whole pregnancy, the levels settle back down after delivery, normally allowing migraine attacks to recur.
However, it is not always the case that your migraine will improve, especially in the early weeks of pregnancy. For some women, migraine can go on unchanged, or more rarely even get worse.
If you are taking any prophylactic (preventative) treatments you should discuss stopping these or switching to a safer alternative with your doctor. It is advisable to take as few drugs as possible in the lowest effective dose and ideally all drug treatments should usually be avoided whilst you are pregnant.
For treating a migraine attack as it begins, paracetamol(panadol) is the drug considered safe during pregnancy and breast feeding. This should be taken in soluble form at the earliest signs of an attack, preferably together with something to eat.
Hormonal change in women is a common trigger for those prone to migraine. This is often shown in pregnancy when the sex hormone levels show profound changes which has an effect on whether your migraine get better or worse. Oestrogen sometimes reaches one hundred times the normal level, whilst progesterone levels decrease, rising again towards the end of the pregnancy. However, the fluctuation of levels is not as pronounced as during the non-pregnant state, which may be why migraine often improves during pregnancy. This improvement may also be due to the increased levels of natural pain-killing hormones (endorphins). These are several times higher during pregnancy, and though the relief from migraines they provide might last the whole pregnancy, the levels settle back down after delivery, normally allowing migraine attacks to recur.
However, it is not always the case that your migraine will improve, especially in the early weeks of pregnancy. For some women, migraine can go on unchanged, or more rarely even get worse.
If you are taking any prophylactic (preventative) treatments you should discuss stopping these or switching to a safer alternative with your doctor. It is advisable to take as few drugs as possible in the lowest effective dose and ideally all drug treatments should usually be avoided whilst you are pregnant.
For treating a migraine attack as it begins, paracetamol(panadol) is the drug considered safe during pregnancy and breast feeding. This should be taken in soluble form at the earliest signs of an attack, preferably together with something to eat.
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