Headaches

Ladies, I was wondering what you have done for headaches during your pregnancy? I've taken the Tylenol, it simply doesn't work. Naps tend to make it worse. I've had a headache now for about 4 days, on and off. I just put a call into my doctor. I'm curious about how much is too much Tylenol in a day or if your doctor has approved you to take anything else? I don't want a prescription with say codene (spelling) or anything like that but I have a feeling it's the way he will go! I'm starting to get nervous that this is a signal that something is wrong. This is my third pregnancy and I've never had this problem before. Any help is appreciated!

EDIT: They called in Fioricet, it's a catergory C drug. I won't be picking it up. FYI, 2 500mg tablets of Extra Strength Tylenol is safe for a pregnant woman every four hours. Of course, try not to do this daily!

I feel for you!  I had tons of headaches with this pregnancy, but I'm used to having migraines anyway (I just wish I could take my meds).  I took Extra Strength Tylenol, and made sure not to exceed the recommended dosage on the bottle.  Of course, it really didn't help at all.  :(  Napping makes my headaches worse, too.  The best I could do was to just try and tough it out and remind myself that 9 months would fly by.  LOL! 

I hope you feel better soon!

If your doctor prescribed something knowing that you're pregnant, you can be pretty sure it's safe for use during pregnancy - unless it's some newfangled thing, and fioricet is not. It's been well-studied.

Also, have your blood pressure checked.

I too was going to say check your blood pressure.  Also up your water intake.  Water is a wonderus thing.

funny thing is that pregnancy is the only thing that took away my headaches.  i've had one almost every day since giving birth.

but, when I did have the occasional doozy while pregnant; I took tylenol and drank a 1/2 cup of coffee-  it seemed to do the trick.  also-  hydrate-  water is a wonderful thing likr dms said!

i hope you feel better soon!

PLEASE go have your blood pressure checked, if you haven't since the headaches started!  I have a friend who recently had to have an emergency C-Section almost 2 months early due to Eclampsia, even though the doctors never diagnosed her with Pre-Eclampsia at any of the checkups she'd gone to -- her blood pressure had been fine.  The only symptom she'd had for a few days before it happened were terrible headaches, and then one morning she went in to convulsions, and had to have the C-Section.  Please don't think I'm an alarmist -- I know this was an extreme case, but it was recent enough that it's still very fresh in my mind.  Best of luck, and good health!  :)

I had the exact same problem flgirl, if you recall I posted a topic on this. My doctor too called in fiorocet and I was concerned about taking it. I finally did pick up the prescription because my headaches got so bad but it didn't even help me at all. Finally they called in tylenol 3 with codeine for my fibroid pain and that helped my headaches a little. Eventually they just tapered off and I don't get them very often anymore. I sometimes still wake up with a headache but it's usually gone after I get in the shower and get out of the house. My heaadaches lasted about 3 months straight. I thought I was going to lose my mind. Then boom right after they subsided my fibroid started acting up and giving me so much pain. I feel for you because I know. Just try to deal with it until it passes.

Thanks for the replies. My headache disappeared as of this morning. I ended up doing a total of 3 doses of tylenol yesterday, it really helped.

Vanessa is right, caffeine has been a treatment for headaches since forever. This morning I had a coke, and no headache at all now! I gave up coffee several months ago so I know it wasn't caffeine withdrawl. The small amount of caffeine each day won't hurt and it certainly will help!

My blood pressure has been great. I'll keep it in mind though. I don't think any of you are crazy for suggesting it.

I sincerely have the instinct that this will be a little girl, I have 2 boys already and this pregnancy is a world of a difference from them! I keep saying, it's only 9 months, it's only 9 months!!!

Original Post by flgirl:

I sincerely have the instinct that this will be a little girl, I have 2 boys already and this pregnancy is a world of a difference from them! I keep saying, it's only 9 months, it's only 9 months!!!

I said the exact same thing!  This pregnancy was so different than my son's, so I just knew I was having a girl.  I had 2 migraines while pregnant with him, and I've had constant headaches/migraines with her. 

My blood pressure has been great, too!   It's been on the low side of normal at every visit, and I'm thankful for that.  Our headaches are probably just hormonal.  I wish I could say that mine subsided after the first trimester, but they didn't really until around the third trimester.  I hope yours taper off sooner than that!

2 things worked for me when I was pregnant and had a headache.

1. I was out of adjustment, and went to a chiropractor that specialized in pregnant women. If you're in MN, I can tell you who it was.

2. I didn't drink enough water. It seemed water helped a lot when I drank more.

I wish you the best.

I also had undiagnosed pre-eclampsia. They noticed when I went into the dr because "something didn't seem right" to me when I was 1 week from the due date. The dr hooked my belly up to a monitor and they were satisfied that everything was ok. But they said because I had a feeling, and mothers are usually right, they did some blood work anyway and sent me home. 2 hours later they called me and said I had to deliver. I was right, something wasn't exactly right, although it wasn't urgent yet. It was a simple birth. 6 hours start to finish from when they broke my water. No drugs.  No screaming. Pretty boring, actually. There might have been an undiagnosed reason for my headaches, but water and chiropractic care did the trick every time for me.