Migraine and Pregnancy

Filed in archive Pregnancy on March 30, 2007

In a recent article on the relationship between migraine, strokes and epilepsy, I mentioned the problems with migraine in my family. I suffered terribly with migraine headaches every time I was pregnant, especially in the first trimester.

My response was to take a couple of aspirins with a glass of Eno's fruit salts and lie down with my eyes closed, preferably in a darkened room, at least until the blinding aura stopped. Was that wrong or harmful to the baby? Probably not, but stronger medication might be.

An article from About.com's Headaches and Migraines section has this to say:

"Migraine management during pregnancy presents special problems because of limitation on medication use," says Timothy R. Smith, MD, RPh. Smith is the director of the Ryan Headache Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Smith encourages his female patients to postpone pregnancy until their migraines are stable and manageable. Then, preventive medications can be slowly discontinued prior to pregnancy.

"In the ideal situation, the pregnant mother would not require medications of any kind," Smith explains. Non-pharmacologic measures should be encouraged as a first-line treatment for migraine in pregnant women - measures such as trigger identification, lifestyle change, ice, rest, biofeedback and relaxation.

Teri Robert, MyMigraineConnection.com, tells us:

There is a lack of information about the effects of many headache medications in pregnant women. Ideally, women with headaches who desire to become pregnant should be encouraged to discontinue all medications prior to conception. Non medication treatments such as biofeedback and relaxation techniques may be helpful.

Sure, migraine can be really miserable, but remember the health of your unborn child. That's more important. Check with your doctor before taking any medication.