Headaches

I find that drinking lots of water and getting enough sleep are the easiest ways to cope with this. I can't take ibuprofen, but acetaminophen doesn't really help with this.

I was told the magnesium supplementes help with headaches and migranes. Start with one 250 mg tablet. If you do more than that, I would consult with a doctor first.

I use ibuprofen. I take 3 pills & it is safe for breastfeeding. Tylenol is also safe, but I find it is not as effective as ibuprofen is.

If you can predict when your period is coming and take 2 aleve twice daily for the 5-6 days prior to it's onset it can help. It sounds as if you are having menstrual migraines... and if you can stop the prostaglandin synthesis that is associated with migraines (which aleve can do) you may be able to prevent the onset of the migraine. Aleve is considered safe in breast feeding. Also, in terms of caffiene... caffiene withdrawal can be the cause of a headache, and caffiene use can sometimes be a trigger for a headache, but once a headache is present, caffiene DOES help a headache. It is the secret ingredient in Excederin. Excederin is actually one part aspirin, one part tylenol, and one part caffiene and can really help a migraine. I don't know if aspirin is okay with breastfeeding - ask your pharmacist... if not, try the Excederin tension headache version... it is only tylenol and caffiene.

K., I am a chiropractor close by in Villa Park. I specialize in children and women. Chiropractic adjustments with soft tissue/massage work on your neck and back would eliminate the headaches as well as any low back or abdominal pain as well associated with your period. I see this alot in women and I help a ton of women with both headaches and cramps associated to their period. All you need is 1-2 treatments just before your period is due and it's amazing how well it works. Personally, when I was in high school and college, my head and cramps hurt so bad I couldn't go to school. Once I started getting adjusted in chiro school I haven't had a single headache or cramp associated to my period since. I would seriously try it. Its safe, healthy for your body and most importantly drug free and thus safe for your baby too. Give me a call at ###-###-#### or check out my website at www.breitensteinfamilychiroprctic.com

one more thing... after reading the others responses, I wanted you to know that if it is only around your period they are not migraines. They are purely due to changes in your hormones and caffeine WILL make them worse. Caffeine causes inflammation which increases pain.

Hi K., You have migraines ask your Doctor for safe meds. Yake care A.

Yeowch! Do you see "auras" or halos around lights, or is it worse on one side of your head or the other? Sounds like you might have menstrual migraines. I don't know what you can take that won't contraindicate BF - check with your doctor on that one.

Meanwhile, what usually helps me is to do one really strong shot of black coffee, take Tylenol, and rest in a dark room with an ice pack on the painful side of my head.

I'm feelin' ya, honey. Def' talk with your dr. or ob/gyn and good luck!

Dear K.,

I have had this problem for years and my doctor put my on birth control. I still had headaches but not as bad. So my doctor checked my hormon level and it was out of whack. So she switched me to Yaz and I have been on that for about 4 months and have only had two headaches that are gone with two tylonal. I would check with your doctor and see what they recommend you to go on. I would also deffinetly try the shaklee vitamins. You can check them out on www.myshaklee.com if I had more money I would do that route instead of birth control.
B.

I have the exact same headaches. I can even pinpoint the spot that they occur in my head. It is extremely common to have migraine headaches around period. The increase in hormones is part of the cause. I take 4 ibuprofen 800 mg. and that works for me. Occasionally, I will have to redose or take a rest in a dark room with a cold washcloth. Caffeine also helps me--a diet coke or starbucks latte.
I am 12 weeks pregnant with my second and have noticed an increase in frequency with headaches. For a while I was having one everyday! I think it's related to the timing of pregnancy and hormones again. Caffeine has helped since tylenol only seems to merely dent the headache.

I do not know if you can take it while breastfeeding, but it sounds like you get migraines that are triggered by hormonal changes, I also get these. I use Excedrine Migraine...it works great!

Hi K.,
I suffer from the same thing. My doctor, years ago, told me that they were migraines due to changes in my hormone levels. I read an article about increasing your B1 (Riboflaven) to reduce or cure these. However, I would double check with your doctor about taking these since you are still nursing. But, you can also take Ibuphrofen while nursing. Good luck, I know how you feel.

Try red raspberry tea. Steep it strong and sip it. Add honey if you like. Also, ginger is a good thing. For the headache you could try tea tree oil on your temples or tiger balm. Just make sure not to get it in your eyes.

I was getting migraines every month when I got my period after my son was born. He just turned 11 months and this month I didn't get a migraine. I did not/could not breast feed. From what I was told, my body needed to regulate itself again and hormones needed to even out. I hope and pray that they do not come back. As you well know it is very hard dealing with a newborn, but even more so when you can barely pick your head off a pillow. I wish you luck and hope this helps a bit.
Kath

I get something similar--a bad tension headache before my period. What you described sounds like a migraine. I used to get these when I was pregnant and nursing. It's from the change in hormone levels. I would talk to your gyne and see if there is anything they can give you. I'm sure you can take Motrin (along with some antacids) while you're nursing, but I would check with a doctor to see if there's anything better. Another thing you can do for migraine relieve besides medication, is to put an ice pack on the back of your head (on the nape of your neck). Our company nurse told me about this and it really helps. If you're like me, the migraine headaches might go away altogether once you stop nursing. Good luck!

This is going to sound wierd but try not using tampons anymore and switching to cloth pads. Here is some info. http://homemademama.com/MamaPads.html Scroll down to the bottom for the information. Can't hurt! Blessings to you. Katie

What one woman said....

What differences have you noticed since you made the switch to cloth pads?

~No more yeast infections. ~No more problems with sticky (from glue) pads bunching up in my undergarments and pulling my hair! ~Much less blood loss. ~Less cramping! I went from having severe cramps for 2-3 days to about 12-18 hours of bearable cramps. No longer do I feel like I want to live in my bed for 2 days each month! ~More money in my wallet!

Oh my gosh! I have been battleing this for years. The OBGYN told me I could take migraine medicine, which can be habit forming, or hormones, which I opt not to do. I take up to 4 ibuprofin at a time. I feel nauseous and cranky, nasty all day. It is like a bullet between the eyes sometimes. Just last week it was so bad and lasted for 4 days, that I talked to my Shaklee distributor who I use for a daily multi-vitamin and they have a product that is called GLA Complex. It is all natural and is supposed to help women regulate many bodily functions throughout our monthly cycles. It says that it "promotes well-being during menstrual cycles and supports immune system." Look on their web-site if you are interested. I am going to try it. I am crossing my fingers that this works for next month. It is only $28.00 for a two month supply! I have tried Excederine Migraine and it makes me shaky and more nauseous.

I had the same problem when I had my baby and was breastfeeding. I took tylenol and tried to lay still in the dark when I felt the worst. Have you gone to your doctor about this?? Migraines are really common w/women just before they get their periods and maybe your doctor could help you w/a solution so that you don't have to suffer anymore.

I'm on the pill and had the same thing and my dr recommended just not to take the placebo pills and go right from the active pills to the next pack. You don't get your period, which might be a good or bad thing depending on your view. I have noticed a difference in doing this. Good luck!

Yep, these are mild migraines due to hormone changes. All the women in my family, and some of the men, have them. Here's what I recommend: not migraine medicine; too drastic and you just might not need it. Anything with aspirin in it works - these are vascular headaches and acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Advil are just not as effective. We all use Vanquish because it's buffered and thus extremely gentle on your stomach. You can even take it while nauseous - it will not make you sick. Some migraine formulas have the same ingredients but without the buffer; trust me - it does make a difference. Caffeine also helps. Don't drink so much coffee or soda that you are jittery, just one or two in the morning. These headaches are usually worst in the morning and get better once you are up and around. It also helps NOT to go to bed but to keep going, because circulation is an issue, so bed rest is counterproductive. You might also try mild, over-the-counter antihistamines, since the mechanism for an allergy-induced sinus headache is similar. We find the PE-free formulas to be much less effective. It's worth it to stand in line and sign for the PE. I think the brand name is Sinutab Allergy - it contains pseudoephedrine and chlorpheniramine maleate - a single one-tablet dose, along with a pain reliever containing aspirin, may be all you need to knock out one of these. The strategy I use, if I wake up with a killer headache, is to take this combination and go back to bed just for a bit, like half an hour, long enough for the aspirin to work and the antihistamine to start working (bear in mind that antihistamines take 60-90 minutes to fully kick in, so those results will not be instant). Then I get up and feel enough better to get moving into my day. Oh, yeah, p.s. - this stuff is all safe to take while breastfeeding. I breastfed five kids and used these formulas every time.

Try drinking soy milk. I like unsweetened. The b vitamins will help calm your nerves and it will also help with your hormones which should in turn help curb the premenstrual headaches.

A lot of women get this. It's called a hormone induced migrane. Your OB/GYN can prescribe birth control pills to help regulate your hormones so that the number & frequency of the attacks will decrease.
Another option (if you don't want to, or cannot go on the pill) is to watch what foods you eat. Caffine can be a trigger, however, it is also an ingredient in several pain killers. (Go figure.)
If you normally drink/eat things with caffine, next month, lower your intake a few days before it normally starts. If you normally stay away for caffine, for a few days before it usually starts, eat/drink something with some caffine. (Coffee, soda, some teas, chocolate.)

One thing to keep in mind, it's always better to stay ahead of the pain. In other words, as soon as you feel it starting, take something! You can start with Tylenol, which is safe to take while nursing. If that's not enough, you may need a prescription like Imetrex, or one of many others. However, I don't belive you should nurse while taking them, so you may have to "pump & dump" a few hours after taking it.
If you let the pain get worse & worse, it's harder to "get on top of it."
Hopefully, they'll start to go away on their own as time goes on, but for now, go talk to your Dr!

I get migraine headaches as well...a friend told me that I can use Imitrex nasal spray when breastfeeding. The nasal spray makes the medication work faster. Maybe ask your doctor if you can try this.

K.,

It sounds like a hormonal balance problem. Hormones are built from vitamins, minerals and protein, and most of us have to struggle to get them all in. Shaklee has products that would be safe to use and would help you get back in balance. I would be happy to send you a copy of the Healthy Women's Booklet which has lots of stories and tips for regaining hormonal balance if you have an interest.

Sounds kind of like menstrual migraines. I have had those in the past. When not breastfeeding I was able to take Excedrin migraine with the best success, but you can't take that while nursing due to the aspirin it contains. You can have a cup of coffee (or other caffenated drink) with some Tylenol (1-2 reg strength) which are the other two ingredients in it. Non-drug therapies I found less effective as I think these headaches are caused by hormones, but are ice to the head, meditation for stress relief, working out a bit 3-5 times per week. Good luck. You might also check with your OB if they get worse. Perhaps they have a good and "safe" drug now. Mine never got bad enough for me to go that route.

I get headaches like that, not as bad as before. Now I usually get a really bad one about the day before my period starts. I take Midol Menstral once or twice and it usually helps. I sometimes also have to lay down with an ice pack on my head. See if you can find the book on amazon.com Healing Your Headaches. That book has helped me tremendously. I was suffering migraines daily. I found that some of the medicines I was taking were causing rebound headaches. ( Excedrine Migrain, Vanquish, Allegre....) I stopped taking those, which was a rough month or two of headaches while they were getting out of the system, changed my diet a bit by avoiding foods/drinks that are known to cause headaches. I recommend the book. Chiropractor helps too. Good luck.

A good thing to have checked is your progesterone. Many times after women have a baby their progesterone levels get messed up. It could be as easy as using a cream if it is proven low.

Date: Wed. Jun. 11, 2008

HI K.,

I can relate to your email. I am a 60 yr. old grandmother who has had a lot of similar issues in my life, including horrendous migraines!

Three things have helped me immensely with the headaches. All are natural - one is a matter of time. As I grew older, (out of the child-rearing years), the migraines became less often and far less painful. I know that is not real comforting, at your age. However there are things that can help NOW. I suggest you check into Chiropractic care. That helped considerably.

MOST important! Are you aware of the dangers of the many common TOXIC chemicals in the home? I have found that information totally devastatingly shocking! Please allow me a chance to tell you about the wonderful SAFE TOXIC-FREE solutions that I have found!! It has made an amazing difference for me!

Getting TOXINS out of my home has made a tremendous difference for me! My 35-year-old daughter has made the same change in her home and has found considerable relief, from her migraines, as well.

In addition, I have asthma and gasp for air every time I am in the store NEAR the TOXINS aisle! I thank God that I have found this wonderful, HEALTHY solution for myself, my family, and my home!

Please reply to my email or give me a call at ###-###-#### and allow me to tell you about it. Also, check out this site: http://www.livetotalwellness.com/bevk for more info.
Please do YOURSELF a favor and let me help you! I CAN HELP!

B.

it is the drop in estrogen too fast causing this does your gyne or primary care dr know this pelase see the dr
J.

Sounds like you have migraines. See your doctor. You can take preventive medications or other medications that help when you first start feeling the headache. I have migraines and I tried many of the preventive meds but the side effects were bad for me. So now I just take medication when the headaches happen. There are a lot of different medications out there. I'm sure you'll find one or two that will work for you. Sometimes it just takes a few cycles of headaches to figure out which one is best.

Good luck.
K.

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Acupuncture would really help and is very natural. I saw that someone mentioned Red Raspberry Tea. There is one called Female Toner and they sell it in vitamin stores.

These sound like migraines associated with your hormone changes. I started getting these after my third child. I find Excederin works for me, but you can't have that while breastfeeding because it has aspirin. You might need to check with your doctor about what else might work and be safe while breastfeeding.

I have always been very prone to headaches especially before my period! I have found personally that going to a chiropractor once a month really helps as I also have TMJ and carry stress in my neck. Just a thought. Good luck!

I find in general if I increase my intake of water and dairy products in the week before my period the usual bad symptoms that accompany it are greatly reduced. I'm not sure if it would work for headaches (though I've found some of my general headaches have been caused by dehydration) but drinking a bit more water and ingesting more dairy shouldn't interfere with breastfeeding so it might be worth a try.

Sounds like you may have migraines. I used to get them a few times a week, then after I had my son they are more hormonal, a few days up to a week before my period.

I would try napping while your son naps. A cool, dark room with a cold compress to my face and neck sometimes help.

I did not nurse, but when I was pregnant I took Excedrin Tension headache and that seemed to help, of course I have no idea about taking this product and nursing.

You can try peppermint tea or hard candy if your nauseous.

I have also been told that smelling an fresh cut apple is supposed to help. I have never tried it, its an old wives tale so I don't know if it will work, but couldn't hurt to try.

Good luck to you!

I read somewhere that quanine - found in tonic water - helps. It might be worth a try.

I used to get these headaches around my period. I've since increased my calcium intake (I drink CalMag--it's a calcium, magnesium supplement to help the body relax naturally), iron intake (to gear up for the loss of blood) and I make sure that I drink extra water.

Since I've been doing that, no more headaches. Oh, and remove all artificial sweetners from your diet. And Caffeine does not help headaches, only makes them worse.

For my migraines my sister (and ER nurse) reccommended taking Ibuprophin (SP?) which my OB said was ok to take, Emitrol ( an anti-nausa syurp that is just sugar, no meds so completely safe) and Benedryl. Benedryl does go into breastmilk, but might be ok if you are only taking a small dose once a month. Definately see a doctor to get diagnosed. The following is what I found about Benedryl and breastfeeding. Good luck:
"Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), which is frequently prescribed for children, is also excreted in breast milk in small quantities. Either of these medications can cause lethargy or irritability in infants. To reduce the risk to the infant, the mother can take these medications immediately after breast-feeding."

If they are migraines-- then caffeine will help. Stay hydrated as well. Oxygen therapy also helps!

Talk to your dr. as well. There are some meds out there that can be compatible with breastfeeding....

K., I'm so sorry. It sounds like you might have migraines (which I also get so I completely understand). They are often associated with hormonal changes like your mestral cycle but may also have other triggers. Have you ever been diagnosed? If not you should go to your Dr. (they will likely want to rule out other things like brain tumors before diagnosing migraines).

You can safely take butalbatol (I think that's what they gave me), imatrex, tylenol, or ibu. for the headaches. (The last two don't really help all that much.) Also I have found that taking birth control pills has helped significantly since it helps moderate the hormones that trigger the migraines (although big shifts in the barometric pressure also seem to trigger them for me).

Hope this helps and again I'm so sorry for your headaches. They're miserable when you can just go lie down and much harder when you're looking after a small one.