Tylenol During Pregnancy

Many women who have migraines and headaches seem to watch their head pain disappear during pregnancy. Nearly 70% of women with a history of migraines improve during this period. Unfortunately, 30% do not improve. They are the same or worsen. Let's be clear .. I speak of moderate to severe headaches that are not relieved by Tylenol.

Headaches during pregnancy may become more frequent and more severe as levels of estrogen increase in the first quarter. If you're one of those women, you might improve if the care of both your OB / GYN and a neurologist.

If this is a new onset of headaches or migraines, it might be an emergency. Please call your doctor and tell them if you have headaches, you've never had. A headache with moderate to severe pregnancy should be taken seriously. High blood pressure during pregnancy can be serious and can cause a headache. Conditions like that are bad for the mother and baby.

Treatment of migraine during pregnancy

As previously mentioned, these headaches can be severe. If accompanied by nausea and vomiting should be processed to avoid stress on the baby. Tylenol with codeine is the drug of choice during the first quarter, which will be used at the onset of migraine. In addition, you can take medication every day during this period. In general, we put our patients on Inderal (propranolol) low dose 10-20mg per day to start. Usually, a low dose, as this is sufficient. Rarely, we use low doses of an anti-epileptic and although these drugs are not recommended for pregnancy, once again the risk for both mother and child must be weighed.

Can you have triptans, like Imitrex, while you are pregnant? We get this question a lot and generally NO you can not take your triptan during this time. Most OB / GYN s and primary care physicians would agree.

However ... if your headaches are so severe, Tylenol with codeine, Lortab or, does not work, then you should consult a specialist headache. ONLY a neurologist to work with your OB / GYN should determine whether you can have a triptan during pregnancy.

While the drug should be avoided during pregnancy if the risk to you is greater than the state must be treated. Intense pain of chronic increased levels of adrenaline headaches. This increases the baby's heartbeat and your blood pressure rises.

Sometimes we do not prescribe medication every day for mothers who have pain with nausea and vomiting. This should be guided by both your OB / GYN specialist and your headache.

MRI and CT scans during pregnancy

Many people ask me questions about MRI, CT scans and being pregnant. You should not have a CT of the brain during pregnancy. It is a form of X-Ray and is not good for the fetus form.

But if a doctor considers it necessary, you can have a brain MRI or MRA. the use of MRI magnetic fields. ARM are similar, but only watch the arteries in the brain, not the brain itself, such as MRI. MRI is generally not done when you are pregnant and we did not do if the diagnosis is clear .. as a recurrence of migraine. But in case of need, we do it now. Rarely, I have seen brain tumors and aneurysms (out pouching of the arteries) during pregnancy. Remember, medical intervention is justified if the health of the mother is endangered. If you are in trouble, the child is in difficulty.

Talk to your provider about your headaches. Headaches and pregnancy is not something to endure everything. This should be one of the most beautiful moments of your life, not one of the most miserable.