Anyone suffered constant headache during pregnancy?
I am 25 weeks pregnant, over the past week or so, I seem to have a constant headache. Sometimes it seems like it hurts so bad that I see little black dots. I had a check up today and talked to my doctor about it. My blood pressure was also up a little bit. She didn't seem to concerned at this time, just said that we would watch things. I'm scheduled to go back in 2 weeks. She also prescribed me tylenol w/ codeine.
Has anyone else experienced headaches like this, and how did it affect the rest of your pregnancy?
Thanks for the help.
Public Comments
1. I did experience some pretty narly migranes, but if its unbearable pain, you should report it to your doctor to be on the safe side.2. Yes! I have had almost constant headaches, ExtraStrength Tylenol helps some of the time.
I'd do some research on T3's.
My doctor said he would give prescribe them for me if my tailbone pain became 'unbearable' but after some research I don't think I'd take it, even with him saying it's okay.
Check for yourself, but it sounds pretty dangerous to me :)
My massage therapist recommeded soaking your feet in warm water and putting a cold cloth around your neck and shoulders. This is supposed to pull the extra blood away from your head and towards your feet, extra blood flow may be the cause of the headaches.
I haven't tried it, but it sounds like it makes sense.
3. I had migraines throughout my pregnancy. It was normal for me to get bad headaches before I got pregnant, but they became migraines while I was pregnant, and I hate to say it but I still get bad migraines at least 2-3 times a week. I hope they go away for you :) Call and ask your doctor if you are worried.
4. Yes I had headache's bad! My Doctor told me I needed to drink more water...so I started drinking water like crazy and it was magic.
5. In the last week I feel like I am getting a head cold. I am constantly sneezing, stuffed up, fun stuff like that. It is normal though. I would think headaches would be normal. Your bloodpressure needs to be monitored though.
6. YES. I experienced the same exact headaches with this pregnancy and with the last. I took T3's. I look at like this, if it was prescribed by my doc, and if I'm not taking them every five minutes it's okay. The headaches should simmer down in a few weeks, then you won't need to take them.
7. i would say when you get these head aches your body is telling you to rest if you get them that bad you see dots its a bit of a worry as your blood pressure is up to i would take thing s real easy relax and put your feet up could try to bring that blood pressure down hope all goes well x
8. I had near-constant headaches through the 2nd trimester (I'm 35+ weeks now), and Tylenol never did much for me. You can ask your doctor to prescribe something or recommend something else for you to take if Tylenol is not effective (for example, my doctor allowed me to take an OCCASIONAL Excedrine for severe headaches).
Also, here are some non-medical remedies that sometimes worked for me:
- Lie still in a quiet room with an ice pack on your forehead or the back of your neck
- Drink several large glasses of water
- Take a hot shower -- as hot as you can stand it
- Give yourself (or have your partner give you) a massage with lavender-scented lotion
My headaches went away around the start of the 3rd trimester, and I rarely get one anymore. Hopefully this happens for you, too. Good luck!
9. I had horrible headaches during my 2nd pregnancy! My vision would get very "spotty" to the point of causing me to almost black out... I took tylenol extra strength practically every day. I would have to go to bed because my headaches were so terrible. They reminded me of the migraine headaches I had as a teenager. My headaches became less frequent at the end of my pregnancy. You have my sympathy! Good Luck!
10. some things I do when I feel a headache coming on is take a shower and wash my hair, i clean my ears, and then I drink 24 oz of water straight afterwards. kills it every time.
11. I never have experienced bad headaches with pregnancy, but I always get really stuffed up in my nose. I blow my nose my whole pregnancy just about.
12. Increase the amount of protein you are eating and the amount of water you are drinking for pregnancy headaches and to keep your blood pressure level throughout pregnancy. G
13. I had headaches during my first trimester. I took Extra Strength Tylenol and that usually helped.
After the first trimester, the headaches were gone.
Hope yours go away too.
14. I definitely did experience a REALLY bad headache when i was preggo with my 2nd daughter. I called the dr. to make sure i and the baby was ok. To begin with, I NEVER get headaches! So that's why i was really concerned... but then dr. told me that i was getting Migranes! it is part of your pregnancy at times. and i was about around the same weeks as you are right now. I no longer get them and they went away after a month or soo. but sometimes they stay throughout your pregnancy and after.
Good luck.. oh.. dr. gave options as of what to take and prescribe but those prescriptions did have an effect on the baby.. so i decided to tough it out with tylenol.
15. Yes...progesterone sucks.
Hope you feel better soon!
16. go to walmart and check you blood pressure at one of those machines near the pharmacy ...if it is high get to your doctor asap ...
it could be preclampsia , which can be dangerous if not treated , you blood pressure will be really high , then you will have headache ...
so get take your blood pressure , if it is normal then i wouldnt worry
17. I have experience in my both pregnancy i did see a doctor like u did but i only rest because if u think allot of many things it can have a effect on your pregnancy avoid any presure witch is coming to you.further my labor was normal.
18. I too had crazy headaches during my pregnancy. I was told it was due to all the hormone changes going on in my body. My doctor prescribed tylenol w/codeine (tylenol 3) and I took it, because I trusted my doctor. He said he wouldn't give me anything that would hurt the baby.
The tylenol w/codeine helped sometimes, you should probably drink more water and rest a little bit more than you are. My headaches never really went away, they just were easier to deal with at the end.
Continue to mention it to your doctor at your visits, if they are really unbearable make sure you call the doctor's office and let them know what's going on.
19. I am 21 weeks and have been experiencing migraine headaches every other week throughout my pregnancy.
20. I had them very bad with my son. You need to go to your doc and let them know, it can be a sign of Pre-E. If your blood pressure is high it can cause headaches like this.
21. Yes I did and it was the most terrible thing in the world. I had constant headaches, 24 hours a day every day for almost all of my 1st trimester and half of my 2nd trimester. I had tests done and had my eyes checked and finally my doc decided it was just hormones. It was awful. I was so depressed from being in constant pain and I missed so much work! Then finally in the second half my second trimester *poof* they were gone. And I didn't have problems after that.
For pain relief I would seriously suggest massage therapy. You don't have to go and pay for a full hour or even a half hour. Ask if you can just get a 15 minute massage for your headaches. They can trigger the muscles at the base of your skull that tighten up and cause the headaches. Since yours are probably hormone related, I don't know if that would be 100% effective but if you are as miserable as I was, I know you will try anything!!!!
GOOD LUCK!!!
22. I had some pretty bad headaches maybe not everyday. But headaches that I would go to sleep with and wake up with. Then by the end of the day it would go away. By the time I was ready to go to sleep it would be back. I know its bad and im not recommending it but every once in a while I would take exedrin because its the only thing I could do to get rid of my headache
23. I have been having a lot of migraines during my pregnancy too. My doctor said it was because my hormones are so high. My doctor said it is normal. Good luck! =]
24. it is normal but i would do some research on the tylenol w/ codeine because it sounds a little dangerous to take it while your pregnant it may harm the baby!
25. I'm also suffering from constant headaches...so bad it makes me nauseous. Nothing seems to help anymore. I take tylenol to take the edge off of it then when it wears off I get the monster headache again. i spoke with my OB and all he said was it is completely normal and take tylenol. I told him it doesn't help. He's one of those docs that hates to give anything while you are pregnant. I hope you and I both feel better soon...love and luck to you and the little one.
26. i am 3 months and i have a 2 year old. i have killer headaches too, i just take some tylonol and tell my 2 yearold its quiet time. i didnt have headaches the first time....but this times its baddddddd.
27. At around 15 weeks I started to get headaches all day every day! It actually started because I had a sinus infection. I took antibiotics for 10 days and the headaches went away. Well, a few days later the headaches came back and my doctor told me drink water. Now, when I start to get a headache I drink water and it goes away. You could just be dehydrated.
28. Yes! Around 22 weeks I started getting them SOOOO bad. I NEVER got head aches b4. But these were KILLER and they lasted for days and days. I told my doctor and she didn't seem to worried at first. She told me to drink a lot more water and take Extra Stength Tylenol. It helped SOOOO much. I think I mainly wasn't drinking enough water. Now I'm 26 weeks and I rarely get head aches. But if I do, Tylenol really helps. But only the extra strength! And I make sure to drink like 3 bottles of water a day plus all the jucie and milk I drink on top of that.
29. I would tell your doctor that you are having the headache with visual disturbances...that is a classic sign of hypertension and you may need to go on bed rest or change your diet.....try to cut down your salt intake check for low sodium foods and don't salt your foods....But you really should talk to her about it......if it is pre-eclampsia you will need close monitoring to keep an eye on baby!!!!
30. I had headaches off and on throughout my pregnancy but my blood pressure was always normal during pregnancy. I took Tylenol and would rest. You need to be monitored closely because the severe headaches along with elevated blood pressure could be the start of preeclampsia.
31. Yeah I got that alot in my first pregnancy and early in this one, the third pregnancy. I recommend using the Tylenol your doctor prescribed and if that doesn't "work" right away, use Head On for a temporarily relief until the Tylenol kicks in. I'm not sure why we get them, but it always seems to be extreme in the mornings. I just worked through them, even though they hurt really bad, I would take cat naps as well, and if possible I would use a really hot rag over my forehead. They would go away for a while.
I hope the Tylenol helps!
32. I never had anything like that during pregnancy; but the fact that you mention that your blood pressure was elevated certainly gives an explanation for your headaches. Those could be a symptom of high blood pressure. She probably wants to see you so soon to see how that pressure situation is going.
More than likely controlling your blood pressure will also alleviate your headaches; so try to get lots of rest, be as stress-free as possible and cut back on salt. Good luck.
33. every one of my pregnancies I had headaches. I was also prescribed to tylenol #3 and this time around I went to see a specialist and they recommended that I not take the Tylenol 3 cause they can cause rebound headaches and so now they put me on a stronger pain med that I don't take as much as I needed to take the Tylenol 3. good luck!
34. Yes, Try the cold compresses or hot - what ever works for you, drink lots of water, elevate your feet. Take tylenol if your doctor approves but do NOT take Motrin.
Motrin is not good while you're pregnant.
35. Oh yes! I had to take Tylenol PM just to sleep. Mine was mostly because of lack of caffeine... I cut out coffee all together. My doc almost prescribed me pain killers, but I did not want them while I was prego. He suggested that I try tylenol with 1 can of soda. I actually drank half the soda at noon with tylenol and the other half with tylenol at dinner. Then I took tylenol PM to go to bed if I needed it. My headaches did seem to go away after a couple months. There were gone by my 6th month.
One caffinated drink will not hurt the baby and it will help you function!
36. yes.. i think im around 7 weeks.. and every morning when i wake up i have a headache, i have taken paracetamol a couple of times but it doesnt seem to get rid of it so i gave up on the idea and had the first migraine i had had in a very long time last night.... which is when i actually found out i was pregnant funnily enough.
37. I would probably have had some if I was not taking my medications. What u are saying right now its probably preclamsia what u r devoloping since u say your pressure was high. U should check your blood pressure more often go get it at some store where they have the free pressure machine and keep track of it. Because if it is u need to watch yourself. I had blood pressure in my 2 pregnacys and in one of them I was not taking medications and it was the same symptoms u had well it didn't went good I had it before and a c-section due to that. But the next baby came ok thanks to the medication for blood pressure.
38. yes, there were times in all 3 of my pregnancies that I got those headaches--it's from all the hormones. Your blood pressure could be up from stress related to the headaches--that's probably why your doc wasn't too concerned....if your bp is still up at your next visit they might be alittle concerned... take the medication the doctor gave you--he wouldn't give you something you couldn't take...just try to take it easy--try to put your feet up as much as possible...drink alot of water because it's extremely easy to get dehydrated while prenant ....these will stop and the blessing in the end is worth it!!~~
39. It sounds like pre-eclampsia. Ask your doctor about this condition, as it could be dangerous if left untreated.
40. Yes! I had terrible migraine headaches during my pregnancy too. They started around 8 weeks, and they wiped me out. They were so painful. My doctor also recommended Tylenol and drinking a little bit of caffeine like some coffee. I was worried about the caffeine, but my doctor said a little bit would be ok and would help with the headaches. The thing that helped me the most was placing a cold, wet washcloth over my forehead and eyes while laying down in a dark room.
The headaches did not effect my pregnancy at all. I had a full term, healthy baby. But, I always had blood pressure in the normal ranges. It sounds to me like you have a good doctor who is monitoring your blood pressure closely to make sure you don't have complications. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy, and I hope your headaches go away!
41. Oh big time, Eat sugar if you dont want to take t'3 or advil. Sugar in water or have fruit since it has so much natural sugar. My midwife also suggested lemon water. Hope it helps!
42. Congratulations on your new family member! So sorry about your headaches...OK - things to watch for....
Watch what you eat, sodium can raise BP & cause headaches, everchanging hormones cause headaches, lack of sleep causes headaches... From what you describe, you may be having migraines. The elevated BP may be your body's reaction to the pain...so relax. My doctor gave me UltraCal Night (Ultra Mag works too). It is a Magnesium supplement (Ultra Cal has Calcium too). I take one in the AM/one in the PM. VOILLA! Headaches are gone. I take one Selenium at night too. If I miss 3 or more days, I get a migraine again. I have Fibromyalgia and gave birth to #2 10 mos ago. I used Codeine during pregnancy and both babies are beautiful and healthy. Use in moderation, of course. As your hormones balance out, the headaches WILL subside. You need to find what your body needs to balance itself out. Write down what you eat/drink/meds, etc so you can see what may be triggering your headache or making it worse. Good luck to you. Pregnancy is a short-term job with a long-term benefits package attached. Enjoy it!!! :)
43. i had them through out the 1st and 3rd trimesters with my daughter and now i have had them so far this time as well (6 weeks) they are caused by the surge of hormones known as a hormone headache. the hormones in your body are in overdrive during the 1st and last trimesters and your body is not used to them so it causes a headache or migraine. they will go away i promise what helps me is to take 2 extra strength tylenol and lie down in a dark room with a cool wash cloth over my eyes. almost every time i take a nap if i have a headache i wake up and its gone. they wont last forever.
44. yes...i have my doctor said it was from stressing out .... thinking to much and pressure. try to relax and be patient everything is going to be fine...good luck
45. Make sure your doctor has checked to make sure your blood pressure is within normal range, also make sure you drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. 75% of all headache is caused by dehydration
46. I'm 16 weeks pregnant and yes Tylenol has become my friend. I get them regularly but just bear it.
47. I learned this trick from someone, but I don't remember who. Alls I know is that it has worked very well for every person, including myself, I tried it on. First, you find the Most sensitive spot in between your ends of your eyebrows (between your eyes). Second, take your index finger and thumb and apply hard pressure until it's painful for about 30 seconds. Take your fingers off and it should be gone! Make sure you apply enough pressure to put some pain into it. This way, although the tylenol is safe, you don't have to keep taking pills and waiting for relief.
48. I had never experienced migraines until my second pregnancy. I too was prescribed tylenol with codeine and it worked wonders. The headaches made me feel like I couldn't even open my eyes. They were b-a-d! Your blood pressure could have been elevated because of your pain and distress over the headaches, but better to be safe than sorry. If I were you, I would take the medicine as prescribed and then have your doc check your blood pressure again without you having a headache. An elevated blood pressure reading shouldn't be passed off.
