s/o if you get migraines...

vrt235 · April 2009

and don't take anything for them - how long do they last until they go away on their own? And how bad is the pain? Can you actually go to work with one or are you down in bed?

For me after about 24hrs of one I am completely non-functional and miserable.

so far this pregnancy I have had two real full-blown migraines. Both lasted 7 days before I finally gave in and took some Midrin.

rosesandpeonies · April 2009

no I can not work. I throw up and I get very nauseous, plus the whole can't stand light thing. I got one every day from around 16 weeks until about 22 weeks and all I took was tylenol because of the baby. However, I had migraines before pregnancy. I used to take the fast acting imitrex shot before I was pregnant.

sare_bear · April 2009

I take tylenol as soon as I think one is coming on. That's helped a lot.

Edit: No, I don't work with a migraine.

vrt235 · April 2009

rosesandpeonies:
no I can not work. I throw up and I get very nauseous, plus the whole can't stand light thing. I got one every day from around 16 weeks until about 22 weeks and all I took was tylenol because of the baby. However, I had migraines before pregnancy. I used to take the fast acting imitrex shot before I was pregnant.

How did you survive!?!? Did the tylenol do anything????

ArcticFox · April 2009

Mine last a good day (24 hours) but only fade to a headache. I've gone 6 days where I bounced between migraine/headache pain.

Basically I have to lay down and use an icepack on my head and take Tylenol, which doesn't work, but makes it bearable.

suprchicy · April 2009

I can't work with mine for the most part. I have gotten lucky with 2 of them that they were really mild, but that is unusual for me. My longest is 3 days so far, midrin and tylenol didn't help me at all. I was in bed most of those 3 days. I have quite a bit of pain as well, but thankfully no vomiting. I also get the fun auras. I have found that taking Zyrtec daily has stopped them for the moment since my recent ones were allergy triggered. Too bad I also have about 10 other triggers so it's only a matter of time before I get another one.

Melanie.Brown · April 2009

I don't get them very often, maybe 2 or 3 a year, and thankfully I haven't had one during my pregnancy...yet. When I get them I can not function, I get nauseous and am sensitive to light. I don't really like taking medications unless I have to and I've been able to ward them off with a cold compress over my eyes and a good sleep.

absred2000 · April 2009

I just went to the Doc today to talk to her about this. She said to drink caffeine when you are getting a migraine and it should help. Otherwise, there are some things your Dr. can prescribe you to take other than Tylenol. I want to say Mitex (or something like that) is what she's giving me as a last resort type thing.

GypsyEsq · April 2009

When I was working the answer would be no, I couldn't work with a migraine. But now that I've at home I can usually function at a very low level. I tend to prefer to sleep it off though. Pre-pregnancy I would just take my meds and go. Average length of a treated migraine is 24 hours, untreated I've had them go as long as a week.

cindy453 · April 2009

I must be the unlucky one... I've NEVER had a migraine go away without medication. It just builds and builds until my BP shoots up, and I puke and my hands/feet go numb. At that point not taking medication really isn't an option.

If I have a bad migraine, I can't work, I can't have lights on, I can't have the TV on, the dogs can't mak noise... it's bad. The loratab helps some, it makes it bearable. I also have a prescription for phenergan that I can take with the loratab, since it makes me sick sometimes. However the combo will knock me out for a good while... so even taking medicine I can't work with a migraine!

I don't mean to sound harsh, but if tylenol works for you then you don't have a migraine. Even the ER doctor laughed when I said my OB said to take tylenol.. it physiologically doesn't work for migraines, it does nothing to help with the blood vessles dialating. Benadryl can help some though.

vrt235 · April 2009

cindy453:

I must be the unlucky one... I've NEVER had a migraine go away without medication. It just builds and builds until my BP shoots up, and I puke and my hands/feet go numb. At that point not taking medication really isn't an option.

If I have a bad migraine, I can't work, I can't have lights on, I can't have the TV on, the dogs can't mak noise... it's bad. The loratab helps some, it makes it bearable. I also have a prescription for phenergan that I can take with the loratab, since it makes me sick sometimes. However the combo will knock me out for a good while... so even taking medicine I can't work with a migraine!

I don't mean to sound harsh, but if tylenol works for you then you don't have a migraine. Even the ER doctor laughed when I said my OB said to take tylenol.. it physiologically doesn't work for migraines, it does nothing to help with the blood vessles dialating. Benadryl can help some though.

Glad someone else understands! I couldn't figure out how anyone could "work through" a migraine!! Interesting about benadryl.....I'll have to try that!

cindy453 · April 2009

I didn't even think about the benadryl until the ER doctor put it in my "migraine cocktail". I did some research and apparently the new thought is that migraines are caused by swelling in the trilingual nerve (somewhere in the sinus area). Benadryl reduces swelling in the sinuses, so it helps with migraines. It DEFINITELY won't kick a migraine alone, but taken with another pain reliever it helps some.

Also, when you have a really bad one laying flat on the floor with a (cold) soda can under your neck helps too. Don't do it for longer than 15 minutes at a time though. And put an ice pack on the back of your neck and stick your feet in warm water- it draws the blood from your head and helps the pounding. Neither of those things will "cure" a migraine, but they can take the pain from "I'm about to stick a fork in my eye just make it STOP!" to "Owowowowowow I can't move."

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