Fiorcet/Migraine Headaches

Hi, I just got out of Holly Hill Hospital recently because of a Fioricet addiction. They are HIGHLY addictive! I been on and off of them for years.... the caffeine gives you energy, and the barbituate in them makes you drowsy.... you do get a high off of them. I never took them when I was pregnant, and would NEVER while pregnant..... I would take two exedrin migraine, and one motrin all at once, then lie down and try to nap.... best of luck hon!!

Hello! I wanted to just say go to the commissary and in the meds area look for a blue little box and its called goodies powder, its an asprin type thing but its works within 20 to 30min my friend told me about these when I was preg and they work great,I was very happy and now I always keep one on hand, I also gie to my oldest son who is 11 when is need.

B.

Do NOT take anything you can do with out, your child will live with your choice the rest of their lives. Change your diet try to figure out what is the trigger, you body is out of balance because of the child growing in you, there are lots of different things that can trigger a migraine. Write down everything you put into your body for a week or more, when one starts go back for 24 hours and see what is the same. You need to take a natural toxic free supplement,not over the conter supplements that won't asorbe into the system. Kay S

Hi S.,

I experience migraines on occasion, but they were very frequent during my pregnancies. I don't know how you feel about caffiene during pregancy, but I consumed a cup of coffee or two each day. The only thing that I have found to help my migraines is to wait for them to reach their peak, and then take a couple of advil/tylenol with a cup or two of coffee or maybe tea, and that would take the edge off. I have also taken fiorcet on several occasions and it has made me jittery, and not really helped the headache. Keep them and try them when you are done nursing maybe for tension headaches, but if you are uncomfortable taking them I would hold off.

Hi S. -- I sent you a private message!

I'm no doctor, but my sister suffers from migraines. She does not like the way any of the prescibed meds make her feel. Now, caffeine is usually something the doctor will tell a migraine sufferer to stay away from, but my sister uses Excedrin migraine (which contains caffeine). She said it works wonders and has used it for at least a year now. Always check with your doctor, but I can understand you being concerned about this drug and your baby. Also I work in clinical drug trials, so I would not try everything a doctor prescribes. I am not saying all doctors are bad, but a lot of doctors receive compensation from some companies for prescribing their drugs. That's just FYI. Trust your instinct. I'm sure it is uncomfortable to have those headaches. I get sinus headaches so I can't imagine anything worse. Good luck.

STOP TAKING FIORCET NOW!!!!! I can't speak from personal experience, however, my mother became extremely addicted to it about 7 yrs ago and it caused some major health problems. She had to undergo physical therapy as well as psychological therapy after a 2-yr addiction that no one knew about. (And she's like June Cleaver/Carol Brady, so it was a shock to everyone...) It's an extremely dangerous drug and must be avoided, especially since you are pregnant - I don't have a medical degree, but if it was that bad for a 60-yr-old, it can't be good for an expecting mom!!
There MUST be other options. If necessary, consult another OB for a 2nd opinion. I suffered pre-menstrual migraines when I wasn't expecting, but now that I am, I haven't had a single one. I would ask about other migraine meds like Immitrex or Amerge, but I'm really not sure if those are safe either.
Hang in there, but do not take one more Fiorcet pill!!!
(Having read the other responses, I imagine that if you take them VERY seldomly, you'll be OK. I'd get another opinion, though, and if you find yourself needing them on a daily basis, I'd find another drug...)

the migraines could be tension or they could be because of your changing hormones.

I take Midrin for my headaches but I didn't have an rx for them while I was pregnant. I dont know the safety of them while pregnant.

Doctors are not gods and they can and do make mistakes. If you are not comfortable taking the drug he prescribed, as him for something else that would be safer for your baby.

There are other ways to reduce tension and headaches. I swear by Sore No More - which is like an all natural version of IcyHot. www.sorenomore.com if you want more info.

You could maybe try seeing a massage therapist in addition to or in place of a chiropractor.

good luck... Im a tough cookie and can handle almost anything.... but headaches bring me down like nothing else... they are the worst pain ever for me!

S.,
I never took that, but my obgyn prescribed Vicodin for me while I was pregnant because I was having excrutiating pain in my back. I was afraid to take it as well, but trusted my doctor would not give me anything that would hurt my baby, and he is a healthy 13 month old baby. I got migraines while pregnant too, I still have them and the only way I can control them is if I feel one coming on I go to a dark room and put a cool wash cloth on my forehead.
Good luck to you.

I can't help you specifically with migraines, but I'm currently 31 weeks pregnant and have a prescription for Fiorcet at home. I was having terrible headaches around the 4th month as well, and that is what my doctor prescribed. I only ended up needing three or four of them, then the headaches went away and I haven't used one since. They worked great for me and so far I haven't had any adverse effects. Just listen to your doctor - they won't steer you wrong. Hope your head gets to feeling better!

Hi S.,
I would like to recommend that you try to prevent any further migraines than have to keep treating them. My mother suffered from them for a very long time and found that her diet was causing them. She had a strong allergy to something in milk products. I would like to recommend something. It is biblical and offers that you just eat fruits and vegetables. It removes dairy and meat from your diet, but in addition to green and yellow veggies, eating potatoes, rice and switching to soy milk and soy products, and eating walnuts and almonds, you will still get plenty of vitamins, carbohydrates and protien for your growing baby. Please check with a doctor that you trust before trying this. This was used by Daniel in the Bible when he raised up an army. The king he was under was amazed by Daniel's army and their strength and excellent health. I have a hereditary hearing loss that actually improved after just 1 week of being on this. My doctor was interested in it and admitted that he had heard of the benefits of it. As you slowly add one new item at a time from your regular menu, keep a record of any migraines and what you ate. You may see a pattern and be able to eliminate them altogether.
God Bless,
Jennifer

Get a full body massage with emphasis on the neck, head and feet!! Buy some peppermint essential oil and burn it in a diffuser or just put a few drops on a cotton ball and inhale through your nose while deep breathing and relaxing. Yoga is also very beneficial for pregnant women and for the relief of pain and tension. They have many yoga dvd's out for pregnancy. Also drink only water and as much as you can without flooding yourself. Try not to take meds if you can help it!!

If you are in the Charlotte, NC area, please email me. I can give you the name of a very good chiropractor who is also licensed in acupuncture and you will not have to wait 2 1/2 weeks to see her. She will see you within a matter of days, if not immediately. I have seen chiropractors my whole life; I take my children to her. I agree that you have to find a good one, but I wouldn't be afraid of good chiropractic care.

S., I am sorry to hear about your migraines. I have never taken Fiorcet, but I am a migraine sufferer. I really get them when I am pregnant as well. I had a very hard first trimester last year with migraines coming every other day disabling me from working quite often. I thought I would die because my doctor told not to take anything but Tylenol to avoid harming the baby. My usual prescription for migraines had been taking a self-administering shot in the arm of Imitrex. Then, I was on Relpax. However, I could not take any during the pregnancy. So, what I would do is AS SOON AS I felt the slightest chance of a migraine (I saw spots at the very start), I would take two Tylenol (650mg ea) and lay down in a dim or dark area. That helped sometimes, but other times I just really suffered. I was very blessed that my husband would either be there to hold me until I stopped crying and sobbing or he would drop work and come to my aid. My migraines would have me bent over and literally crying for my mom. After the first trimester, they stopped and I survived. I had my baby in October and she was healthy. I pray that she does not get them when she gets older. I hoped that helped even a little bit.

I thought one of the articles on Chet Day's site might help:

http://www.google.com/custom?domains=ChetDay.com&q=mi...

Or on Earth Clinic's site:

http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/headache.html

Good luck!

So sorry to hear about your migraines. Chiropractic care may be a good alternative. I know some people are skeptical of chiropractic care but I've used it almost all my life (on a maintenance schedule) due to my Scoliosis and it was a lifesaver during my pregnancy. The great thing with chiropractic care is that unlike pharmaceuticals, it is non-invasive. The biggest thing is that you've got to find a GOOD qualified chiropractor whom you trust and who has your and your baby's good health in mind. Our obgyn's and primary physicians certainly have our best care in mind but I've found that they often turn to pharma before exhausting all other alternatives. You may even be able to find a chiropractor who also specializes in acupuncture, which is another alternative therapy for migraines. Do some research online and see if there are other stress reducing therapies or even what might be your migraine triggers. They could be foods, smells, etc. I'm no expert but there's got to be other alternatives better than pharma that would put your mind at ease and help with your migraines. Good luck in your search!

I also suffer from these types of headaches and have been prescribed Fiorcet. From my personal expereince Fiorcet will get rid of your headache. It will also make you feel as though you have consumed a bottle of wine with a bottle of caffeine pills. I would exercise great caution and only take HALF of one if you were in blinding pain and could lay down. I was given these after my first son was born. They really knock you out and wire you at the same time. While I prescribed these I also lost 60 lbs. Way too fast and without trying.

I am not sure about the saftey of this either but when my tension headaches get bad sometimes a little Icy Hot on the back of my neck really helps.

The question really is: what type of headaches are these? A lot of people equate bad tension headaches with migraines. Migraines are very different! Are you getting an aura? Do you have other neurological symptoms during the headaches? If they are truly migraines, go see a neurologist. If they are just nasty tension headaches, you may need to learn some relaxation techniques. I would say a WARM compress on the back of the neck and a nap to help loosen up. And instead of a chiropractor (watch out for neck adjustments), go get a therapeutic massage. They work wonders. Some places even have massages which are specially designed for pregnancy woes. Honestly, I would lay off the pharmaceuticals as much as possible during pregnancy. Good luck!

Hi S.,

I've had migraines since I was young and had some during my pregnancies. Fiorocet shouldn't be a problem as long as you only take it when you need it. I was on it when I was younger. During my pregnancies, my dr gave me Darvon. I usually use Zomig, but he said it wasn't a good choice during pregnancy. The Fiorocet should help and just limit it's use to when you really need it. Hope you're feeling better soon!

I had bad headaches throughout my pregnancy. My doctor just continued to say take Extra Strength Tylenol but that just continued to not work. I read into some different meds that are ok to take while you are pregnant and found Excedrin Tension Headache (it is asprin free), my doc said it is probably the same as Extra Strength Tylenol but it worked for me when Tylenol wouldn't. I would take 2 and relax, if I was at home I would lie on my bed in the dark with a cold rag over my eyes, and soon my headaches would ease. Just remember though that nobody reacts to meds the same way. What works for one person may not work for you. But I just thought I would let you know about this safe med to try. I think I would try all the options I knew were safe before I would take a risk with the others. Hope your head starts to feel better soon! Good Luck!

Good morning! I would not take it either. I suffer from Migranes and did so before pregnancy as well. The medicine I normally take I can't take when pregnant because it can cause seziers in the fetus. So they gave me hyrdocodone. It is not as adictive as Fiorcet. This usually works for me and is safe through pregnancy. Sometimes it does not work and I have to go the ER for treatment, this way they can monitor the baby while giving me drugs. Tylenol with Codien may help you as well, its not as addictive as the other two either. I hope it gets better for you. My headaches are worse with this pregnancy than my 1st. And I only have 3 months left!! They should subside once you give birth though. Good luck to you!

If you are uncomfortable with the Rx (and I would be too, based on what you've shared), you shouldn't take it. Is the doctor who prescribed it your OB? If not, consult with him/her. If so, you should either contact your doc again, raise your concerns and ask for an alternative, or get a second opinion from another doc. If your doctor is not receptive to providing you with an alternative (I take migraine meds and know that not all have the side effects you've indicated are in Fiorcet), then you should definitely find another doc. It is your doctor's responsibility to provide medical treatment that is right for you and that you are comfortable with. All the best!

I would not take it. I suffer from severe migraines and have my whole life. With the information you just provided-- it's not worth it. I know how debilitating a migraine can be--- but it would be better for you to sleep in a dark room or just ride it out until it's gone. My usually only last about 4 hours-- not sure what kind of migraines you have-- my neurologist tried to get me to take meds when I was pregnant and I refused-- the migraine is short-term but the effects on the baby are life long-- I would rather take time off from work and lay like a sloth until the migraine subsides than to risk harming a fetus. Just my strong opinion--sorry.

I had migraines during my pregnancy last year and took fiorcet and never had any problems with it. I was having terrible headaches that would make me throw up and when I got admitted in to the hospital, that is what they gave me every time and they said it was completely safe for baby

S.
I've had migraines all my life. It is hard to treat, especially during pregnancy. I have taken Fiorcet and had no issues at all, but I have not taken during any of my pregnancies. I can recommend taking Tylenol sinus and Vitamin C. Together these for some reason tend to ease up if not completely remove migraine pain. You can also try a cold compress against your forehead. There was a product out there that was a gel on a strip (kind of like icy hot or therma care.) I cannot remember who made them, but they were called Migraine Ice. They come in forehead and temple sized. They are wonderful at giving a bit of relief. I hope these help, I'll try to remember some other methods.

S. J
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