Chronic migraine sufferers come in.

lovesBup

I have been dealing with migraines since I was about 9 years old. The became pretty frequent when I hit puberty and no matter what medication I take, or how well I manage my diet, I still manage to get at least 3 debilitating migraines every week.

As I grew up, I always just kind of assumed that when I got pregnant, the hormones would set them off like crazy, much like the hormonal changes that set them off before I get my period but much to my surprise they completely stopped. They were getting so frequent right before I got pregnant that I actually had to change my work schedule (work only half days/ bringing me from full to part time). Right around the time I was expecting my period I noticed that I had been getting mild headaches for about 2 weeks, but I had not experienced a full blown migraine in that time period. I thought it so strange that I almost called my neurologist to ask what he thought about it, but figured it was normal when I found out I was pregnant.

I can count the number of migraines I had in the first and second trimester on one hand, but I've noticed since around 28 weeks I've been getting them 2-3 times a week again.

Have any other chronic migraine sufferers experienced anything similar? I'm more curious than anything else. I'm so grateful for the 6 month break I got!

AKay25

During pregnancy mine went away almost completely, and have yet to return. My OB said that that may last, or they may return when I am done breastfeeding and my cycles return to normal -- it's hard to know for sure until it happens. I do have a good friend who had horrible, crushing migraines (like, "see a special clinic" bad) and her did almost entirely go away after she had a baby. She still gets them on rare occasions but nothing as bad as she used to.

ETA: Mine were primarily menstrual migraines and would come on a few days before and/or after my period.

pattersg

I had migraines before I got preggers and was on medications that didn't completely take them away but reduced their frequency and severity enough I could work. once I got preggers i had to go off the meds and i was fully expecting issues, but thank goodness GONE! Once I hit about 30 weeks,they didn't return to migraine intensity but definately an increase in headaches. I am told that pregnancy might relieve them completely, or they may return after BRF as PP stated. I am definately grateful for the break I have gotten to, but I am sad that i have a headache daily now. Still grateful headache daily or not tht they have yet to increase in intensity. I hope you feel better.

elfgirl11

i've had debilitating migraines since I was 7. At puberty they went full blown and I went on BC to help regulate them. I have gone 6 months without one and feel like a diff person.

just today a coworker told me hers went away after her first child. (I pray for this for myself and family!!) 

the ONLY thing that works for me

(on top of eating no chemicals -no meats, wine, processed foods, food coloring, MSG, nitrates, sodium benzoate...and the list goes on; regulating sleep and hormones, stress, weight, etc)

(and taking a whole bottle of ibuprofen and sleeping for 3 days straight)

is iris versicolor- homeopathic remedy that only takes the edge off....any meds with it in it (including head-on) make it so I can at least move my eyeballs...

(no Rx's have worked for me....maxalt and all those are like a baby aspirin)

andreajdowns

Hello, I too have had horriable headaches since I was a child.  So bad that I have been in the hospital for them several times for weeks at a time with no relief.  I have been on many medication etc.  I got off a lot of them to get pregnant... hoping they would go away.  However, my first trimester was still rough with headaches.  Then after 12 weeks I have felt better and had the most headache free time I have ever had in my life!!  It has been awesome! I hope it lasts.

 

If I were you I would talk to your neurologist about the time after the baby is born.  Mine says that they can memic the pregnancy time by continuously taking birth control pills so your hormones don't change the same way they do normals.  He said this has helped several of his patients who found relief during pregnancy.  I am sure that this solution is not for everyone, but I am going to try it as soon as I am done BFing. 

 Good Luck! 

karakaye

i normally have them but ever since i got preggo they've disappeared. this whole last week i've been getting headaches but nothing near to my migraines. worried they're gonna come back though. was really worried about having them and not being able to take anything for the pain, but like i said, they've disappeared for now so it hasn't been an issue.

Lisa Frank

I also have chronic migraines and they are exacerbated during pregnancy. I've always been envious of the women that have less headaches while pregnant. 

I'm wondering....is your BP normal? I only ask because you are getting to that point in pregnancy where BP issues can start to show their face.  With my last pregnancy, I noticed mine getting worse as time went on and it correlated with an increase in my BP. Just something to consider.

I hope you can find some relief soon. 

mmks

I'm not sure if I'd qualify as 'chronic', but I've also suffered from migraines since I was a child.  I had one of the worst ones I've had in years when I was around 7 weeks pregnant (which seemed to coincide with the start my morning sickness...weird) and then haven't gotten any since then.  (knock on wood)

I've never been able to pin down any triggers for mine.  I can go months without any and then get like 2 or 3 in a week (nothing near as bad as some of you ladies are describing).  I've also heard that pregnancy makes them go away or at least causes them to be less intense.  I'm also keeping my fingers crossed!