I've had a really bad headache/migraine for several days now - I've lost count. I've tried Fioricet (prescribed by my OB when I had a weeklong migraine a few weeks ago) and it did absolutely nothing. My BP at the neuro on Friday was 115/86 and then I started swelling the next day, although I'm sure there is much worse out there. I've tried massaging my neck/shoulders, heat/ice, lying in a dark room, magnesium, Gatorade.
What else can I try?
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
Chewing on ice chips or a Popsicle.
Peppermint I believe can help (or maybe someone else has an essential oil recommendation)
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts
how far along with you? I'd call my OB to ask if they had any suggestions, or if they wanted me to come in..especially if it's not going away.
eta: @Mrs. Jacks: caffeine always helped me too!
GOLD / pineapple / 12662 posts
Have you tried the Fioricet with Benadryl? If you take the same meds all the time, you can actually get rebound headaches from the meds. It can be a really nasty cycle.
honeydew / 7916 posts
@T.H.O.U.: I forgot, that was another thing I did last night - ice chips. And I used a headache relief balm that had some essential oils including peppermint (as well as lavender, etc). I have seriously tried it all!
GOLD / pineapple / 12662 posts
@T.H.O.U.: I would avoid strong smells with a migraine. It can really intensify the pain.
honeydew / 7916 posts
@MsLipGloss: Probably a few of the times I used the Fioricet it was with Benadryl, only because I thought I might be having an allergic reaction to something. Yesterday I inadvertently took a break because I ran out (and was taking a reduced dose before that).
GOLD / pineapple / 12662 posts
@spaniellove: also, oxycodone is safe to take while pg. you could always give that a shot as well.
coconut / 8472 posts
Take a shower in the dark while drinking a coke. Weird, but it offers some relief.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@MsLipGloss: I think it may depend on the person. Some people are "triggered" by smells. Others that aren't sensitive to smell as a trigger could really benefit from oils.
Do you have any idea the cause of the migraine or the trigger? Is it BP related? I know I've posted before but a lot of times mine are due to sinus pressure and Sudafed really helps.
honeydew / 7916 posts
@T.H.O.U.: @MsLipGloss: Pre-preg smells were a horrible trigger for me. It's not so bad now as long as it's an herbal type scent. But I don't think they're doing much to cure my migraines.
My neuro thinks it's definitely hormonal (it's always been) and I think it also has a lot to do with barometric pressure.
GOLD / pineapple / 12662 posts
@T.H.O.U.: you're right! my smell sensitivity was heightened during pg. the only smell I could tolerate was the almond smell in my L'Occitane supple skin oil! even boiled water had a smell.
@spaniellove: I hope you are able to get relief soon. I have had a migraine now for 2 weeks, and the constant nausea and visual disturbances are really starting to wear on me. I haven't had one this long since I was pg (had a migraine from weeks 16-21).
honeydew / 7916 posts
Maybe I should try calling my OB. I just realized I've gained 6 lbs since last week.
apricot / 441 posts
I get in a warm bath, with an ice pack on my neck or forehead.
I had a migraine earlier this week and after 24 hours with no relief, I called my Dr. He prescribed Tramadol. I didn't end up taking it because I was too nervous, but my usual drug and caffeine cocktail wasn't safe either!
I'm sorry. Migraines are awful and when you feel helpless to combat them, they get worse.
honeydew / 7916 posts
Well speak of the devil, my neurologist's office just called - they got my b/w back and my Topamax levels dropped to basically nonexistent apparently. So they're raising my dosage right away.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@spaniellove: glad you maybe got some answers. For hormonal migraines I always took B complex and Iron to help.
olive / 70 posts
@spaniellove: So sorry to hear this! I just posted on this because I too had a migraine that would not go away. Mine was only 3 days, not a week. My doc wouldn't give me anything. He told me to go for a walk and get rest. blah blah blah!
Luckily, after 3 days, it finally went away on its own. Mine are hormonal and the weather definitely effects them as well. I've been getting them since I was 5 years old. How often do you get them? Has it changed during pregnancy?
I'm surprised that you are still allowed to be on meds. I was taking Keppra daily and fioricet as needed before pregnancy, but when I told my doc I was trying, he told me to get off all meds immediately. I hear that people are still allowed to take fioricet...so maybe if they get really bad again he will give me that.
Otherwise, I do gatorade, coffee, ice packs and sleep. I also have an oil that smells like mint and lavender that I put on my head.
Good luck with everything!!!! I hope you get some relief quick. A week is WAY too long! Let us know!
honeydew / 7916 posts
@Mrs. BD: Go for a walk?! Sorry, that is the worst thing I've ever heard, worse than Tylenol. Mine were under really good control before pregnancy and got much worse. I wasn't on any pain meds before getting pregnant and even my neuro won't give me anything now but my OB felt bad for me in third tri and gave me Fioricet. (He's pretty liberal with the meds.)
Part of the reason I stayed on Topamax is because I have epilepsy, and my migraines are sometimes hemiplegic so there's some risk of falls, etc, that outweigh the meds. I'm taking 5mg folate daily and seeing an MFM and as far as we know there's no neural tube defects, just some growth restriction that they're not sure is from the Topamax or just me being small framed.
Is the oil you use by any chance Badger Balm? It smells so nice! I hope you're one of the lucky ones who get relief during pregnancy!
honeydew / 7916 posts
@MsLipGloss: Have you talked to a doctor about your current migraine? It worries me, especially with the visual disturbance/aura. That usually indicates vascular constriction.
GOLD / pineapple / 12662 posts
@spaniellove: I have. 
These issues aren't too uncommon for me (sometimes I experience partial blindness for a while, for example) but when things start to ramp back up like they have been, we do a round of tests/scans, etc. just to cover all the bases.
olive / 70 posts
@spaniellove: Yeah, it really wasn't very helpful. My neuro is very focused on lifestyle choices and how they affect migraines. He encourages me to spend 20 min a day outside, and walking to the train doesn't count. It needs to be a relaxing 20 min. He says that this can have the same effect as an SSRI. I don't know if it's true, but being active and relaxed certainly can't hurt.
The epilepsy thing is really scary! And @mslipgloss: partial blindness? Wow! I thought I had it bad with fuzzy thoughts, dizziness, unstable gait and major pain.
Next time, I will definitely call my OB. I'm only 10 weeks pregnant, so I think that's why everyone is telling me absolutely no meds other than tylenol. I don't even bother with tylenol though.
So far, they haven't changed much. I was doing really well before pregnancy, but I'm still doing okay. My migraines are always cyclical, so I don't know if this is just a bad bout or if it's the new normal. Only time will tell!
nectarine / 2433 posts
@spaniellove: Weird but works for me is meds but then a snack bag of salt and vinegar chips and a coke. I don't know why this combo works but it does. Whatever the solution I hope you can get it sorted out soon, migraines are the worst 
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