Is paracetamol ok for headaches during pregnancy?
i have had massive migranes during my pregnancy and no matter how much rest or fruit i eat its still the same. Everyone says it will go away but it doesnt. My doctor says Panadol or Paracetomal is ok to use but for how long? I take it about 2 times per day. Does this harm the baby in any way?
Public Comments
1. I heard acetaminophen is the best...aka Tylenol.2. Ask your doctor how long you should take it and ask him if it harms the baby...even know he recommend it i dont think it will harm the baby.
also, ask your doctor a list of medicine that you can take during your pregnancy.
3. you should talk to your doctor about this
he/she can give you better advice and information then anyone on this board could
4. Normally a dr would know what to tell u to take but while i was pregnant I only took ty. Also, have your dr check your blood pressure, constant migranes could be a sign of pre~clampsia. I had that with my 2nd son
5. Paracetamol is acetaminophen (Tylenol) in the US. It's safe to use as often as your doctor says. There are no known ill effects on the fetus from normal use. You just don't want to be taking it over the long term or in high doses, because it would stress your organs which have to remove the drug from your system, and they need to be in top form for the health of the fetus.
6. You really need to ask your Dr. about the dosage. You need to also let your Dr. know where the pain is. It might be muscle contractions. In that case, it's a different method of treatment. A lot of Dr.'s don't agree on certain medications. You may need something stronger. You may just need to lay in a dark quiet room with a cold cloth on your forhead. Make sure s/he knows exactly where your pain is at to rule out any sort of muscle contractions. Good luck!! I know how much they hurt. I'm in the same situation.
7. Panadol is fine during pregnancy. As long as you only have the recomended dosage. I suffer from migraines and during my first pregnancy was told by a neighbour that it was dagerous so I went through my whole pregnancy with really bad migraines. With my second I asked the Dr and she said it was fine. Trust me its better to take the panadol rather than suffer the migraine. Just take them as soon as you feel one coming on as this really helps stop it. Trying to wait it out till its really bad and then taking them doesnt help at all.
Its codine your not meant to take whilst pregnant.
8. It may sound strange but have you tried caffeine? It is one of the main ingredients in a lot of migraine medications. It was the only thing that worked for me. It too has some possible risks to the fetus but if you only use it sparingly...I would think it is safer than any medication.
All medications come with some risk and I would encourage you to do searches of actual medical research. Find the risks and make a decision from there. I have listed a link to some articles from pubmed.com. I am not saying don't take it...I too have to take meds for other reasons during my pregnancy but I would suggest you read all the pertinent research and make a decision for yourself. There are thousands of medications out there and a doctor can't possibly be expected to know all the research on all the meds!
