What can a nursing mother drink for a headache?

Every young mother, while carrying a child, knows very well that there is no need to resort to self-medication or take pills on an ongoing basis, because all this can negatively affect the baby’s body in her womb.

Plus, during pregnancy there is a list of medications that you can take, but during lactation you do not need to do this.

What to do in a situation where a migraine appears while feeding a child? A woman is faced with a choice. She must help herself and not harm the child.

A lot of instructions for medications state that taking the medication is possible. By following certain doctor's prescriptions and dosage, it is possible to alleviate your condition, but not harm the baby.

Why did migraine occur?

Women are prone to migraines, and even those who are breastfeeding. There really are quite a lot of reasons. Take, for example, the fact that there is a constant lack of sleep and malnutrition.

We will not deny the fact that motherhood forces a woman to constantly worry about her baby. In particular, this applies to those mothers who are faced with the birth of their first child.

It is possible that migraines during breastfeeding were the result of more serious causes. We'll talk about them below.

Migraine after pregnancy

What is migraine

Migraine is a disease characterized by periodically recurring attacks of headache, often localized in one half of the head.
Migraine is a neurological disease and is manifested by headache attacks of varying frequency - from 1-2 times a week to 1-2 times a year. Typically, a migraine affects one half of the head. Attacks of the disease in one person proceed in the same way and most often recur over many years.

At the beginning of the attack, a throbbing headache appears in the frontal, temporal region or in the eyeball, then the pain can become very strong, bursting, spread to the entire half of the head (less often, the entire head), accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fear of light and sound.

The following forms of migraine are distinguished:

• migraine without aura (simple migraine);
• migraine with aura (classical or associated migraine).

An aura is a complex of symptoms that includes visual, sensory, motor and other disturbances that occur before a headache attack.

A simple migraine attack is characterized by three phases: a prodromal phase, a headache onset phase, and a pain relief phase. The prodromal phase is manifested by changes in mood, the appearance of irritability, tearfulness, decreased performance, yawning, drowsiness, decreased appetite, thirst, and facial swelling. Some migraine sufferers can use these symptoms to tell when an attack is coming. The prodromal phase usually occurs several hours or even days before the onset of a headache attack. Sometimes it may be missing.

Migraine with aura differs from simple migraine in that the first phase in the development of an attack is the aura, which precedes the phase of pain. An aura usually occurs immediately before the development of a headache; more often it is short-lived (lasts no more than an hour, usually from a few seconds to 20 minutes). The most common variant of the aura manifests itself as visual disturbances in the form of sparkling zigzags, broken lines, lightning, flickering dots, balls, fiery figures, and flashes. Less commonly, visual illusions occur when all objects seem to be of an unnatural shape, enlarged or reduced, or change color. Sometimes after this, part or half of the field of vision disappears for some time (up to 2–3 hours). A sensitive aura is manifested by speech impairment, a crawling sensation, a tingling sensation that slowly spreads to one side of the face or other parts of the body, which may be replaced by a feeling of numbness. Sometimes the only sign of a sensitive aura is numbness in the face or half of the head. Rarely, a motor aura is observed, which is characterized by muscle weakness occurring on one side of the body. There may also be an olfactory aura, in which a strong, irritating odor is felt.

A painful attack after prodromal phenomena or an aura can begin at any time of the day, more often in the daytime and evening, less often at night. The intensity of the pain increases over 2–5 hours, while the pain is intensified by bright light, loud sound, and strong smell. Any touch to the body feels like pain. During an attack, a person tries to tightly close the curtains and doors, lie down in bed and wrap himself in a blanket. Typically the duration of the second phase is from 5 to 20 hours.

The pain reduction phase is characterized by a gradual weakening of the headache, general weakness, drowsiness and lasts from several hours to a day. The total duration of a migraine attack can be from 4 hours to 3 days.

Causes of migraine

Factors that trigger migraine attacks are most often stress and mental overstrain. Migraine attacks can also be triggered by:

• overwork, lack of night sleep or its excess, chronic lack of sleep, sleep rhythm disturbance;
• hormonal disorders and fluctuations in hormonal levels according to the phases of the menstrual cycle (a migraine attack can occur during ovulation - the release of an egg from the ovary, during menstruation or at the end of the cycle);
• weather changes - heat or cold;
• fluctuations in atmospheric pressure;
• magnetic storms;
• colds.

There are frequent cases of migraine attacks after consuming foods containing nitrites (meat, sausages) and tyramine (cheeses, chocolate, bananas, dried fruits, pickled vegetables, citrus fruits, beer, alcoholic drinks, in particular red wine), and drinks containing caffeine.

The development of a migraine attack is explained by the fact that when exposed to provoking factors, a large amount of biologically active substances and hormones are released into the bloodstream, and the blood vessels of the lining of the brain cannot quickly adapt to these changes, the regulation of the tone of the vascular wall is disrupted, their spasm occurs, and then dilation. This is how paroxysmal, throbbing pain appears.

The aura that occurs immediately before the onset of a headache attack is a consequence of local vasospasm and decreased blood flow in the brain. Then, in this area of ​​the brain, the concentration of biologically active substances increases, which leads to swelling and a decrease in the tone of the vascular wall, and a headache occurs. In this regard, it should be noted that for migraine headaches, there is no need to take antispasmodics - drugs that dilate blood vessels (for example, NO-SHPU, SPAZMALGON, etc.), since they will not reduce the headache, but will only worsen the symptoms.

The reasons for the development of this disease are not fully understood. It has been proven that hereditary factors play a significant role in the occurrence of migraine: migraine is inherited, often through the maternal line, and the disease is much more common in relatives of migraine patients. There is a theory about the inheritance not of the disease itself, but of a predisposition to the reaction of brain vessels to various stimuli.

Migraine after childbirth

Typically, migraine attacks after childbirth develop in women who suffered from them before pregnancy. However, sometimes migraine attacks appear for the first time after childbirth.

The onset of the disease after childbirth is observed more often in women who are not breastfeeding and is associated with fluctuations in the levels of estrogen and progesterone. Taking combined oral contraceptives (a combination of estrogens and gestagens) after childbirth also often leads to an increase in the frequency of attacks, especially when using drugs with a high estrogen content by non-breastfeeding mothers.

In addition, during the postpartum period, a woman faces various problems: lack of sleep at night, physical and psychological fatigue, increased anxiety, often reaching the level of depression. These stress factors trigger migraine attacks, and, with prolonged exposure, migraine attacks may become more frequent than before pregnancy.

Diagnosis of the disease

The diagnosis of migraine should be made by a neurologist after a detailed examination of the woman and exclusion of other causes of headache. It is necessary to conduct x-rays of the skull and cervical spine, echoencephalography (ultrasound of the brain), electroencephalography (registration of the bioelectrical activity of individual areas of the brain), and, if necessary, computer or magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. Using these studies, it is possible to exclude osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, pathology of cerebral vessels (for example, aneurysm - expansion of the vessel wall), epilepsy (a disease characterized by the occurrence of various repeated seizures), and brain tumors.

The following criteria are used to diagnose migraine:

• At least five previous headache attacks.
• The duration of attacks is from 4 to 72 hours.

Headache has at least two of the following symptoms:

• unilateral localization of headache (one half of the head hurts);
• pulsating nature of the pain;
• moderate or significant intensity of headache, limiting the patient’s activity during an attack;
• increased headache during monotonous work or walking.

The presence of at least one of the following accompanying signs of headache: nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound.

For migraine with aura, in addition to the above symptoms, the following criteria are mandatory:

• no aura symptom should last more than 60 minutes (if the duration is longer, then most likely it is not a migraine, and you need to look for another cause of the headache);
• complete reversibility of aura symptoms (all of them disappear without a trace within an hour);
• The duration of the interval between the aura and the onset of the headache should not exceed 60 minutes.

Migraine treatment

To effectively treat migraines, you first need to eliminate the factors that provoke the development of attacks. Therefore, it is necessary, if possible, to avoid stress and anxiety, to allocate sufficient time for sleep and rest (the duration of night sleep should be at least 6 hours, and sleep with breaks for feeding does not provoke attacks). Daytime naps with your child are helpful. Walking in the fresh air and daily moderate physical activity also help reduce the frequency of attacks. It is imperative to follow a diet with the exclusion of foods that provoke the development of attacks (coffee, alcohol, highly allergenic foods - nuts, citrus fruits, chocolate, honey, sweets, etc.). This diet fully corresponds to the recommended diet of a nursing woman.

Non-drug treatment. It is important in the treatment of migraine to use non-drug methods that can prevent or significantly alleviate the course of an attack (acupressure of the head, acupuncture, yoga, auto-training, aromatherapy, water procedures) and are safe during lactation. All these methods can be used both outside of an attack to prevent it, and when the first warning signs of an approaching attack appear (prodromal period or aura).

Yoga and auto-training help calm the nervous system and relieve fatigue, which is why they are useful for women after childbirth. When treating migraines with aromatherapy (aromatic oils), you need to take into account the fact that strong odors can provoke attacks, so the concentration of oils should not be high. You can use chamomile, peppermint, lavender oils: they have a calming effect. When it comes to water procedures, some people benefit from a cool shower or rinsing their hair with cool water, while others benefit from a warm bath.

Drug treatment. Medicines against migraines after childbirth must be taken as prescribed by a neurologist, taking into account breastfeeding, since most drugs are contraindicated during lactation, as they pass into breast milk and can have a negative effect on the baby’s body.

Combined treatment using drug and non-drug methods is the most effective and can reduce the frequency, duration and intensity of pain.

Medicines used for migraines should only be prescribed by a doctor, depending on the intensity of the headache. The arsenal of these drugs is very large. But lactation imposes certain restrictions on taking medications.

To relieve migraine attacks, the drug must be taken as quickly as possible - if you take it during an aura, in about half of the cases the attack does not develop.

Several groups of drugs are used:

• Analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (have an analgesic effect): ANALGIN, PARACETAMOL, ASPIRIN, IBUPROFEN, KETOPROFEN, KETOROLAC, NAPROXEN, INDOMETHACIN, DICLOFENAC, etc. These drugs are effective in relieving migraine attacks of weak and moderate intensity. During lactation, the safest drug for pain relief is PARACETAMOL. The effect of IBUPROFEN, KETOPROFEN and NAPROXEN on the health of a child during lactation has not been fully studied, therefore they should be used with caution during breastfeeding, after consultation with the attending neurologist, if PARACETAMOL is ineffective. Other analgesics are contraindicated during lactation and should be prescribed only after breastfeeding has stopped.
• Combined preparations containing several components (one or two analgesics and/or caffeine and/or codeine derivative): BENALGIN, TEMPALGIN, KAFFETIN, CITRAMON, SARIDON, SOLPADEINE, PENTALGIN, PANADOL EXTRA, etc. The combination of an analgesic with caffeine accelerates the effect of the drug, caffeine helps to normalize cerebral vascular tone, codeine has an additional analgesic effect.

During lactation, this group of drugs is contraindicated and can only be used after childbirth.

• Special drugs for the treatment of migraine (triptans and ERGOTAMINE derivatives): AMIGRENIN, SUMAMIGREN, IMIGRAN, ZOMIG, etc. These drugs narrow the brain vessels dilated during an attack, reduce the excitability of nerve cells, and are used for moderate and severe migraine attacks. Controlled studies of the safety of these drugs for pregnant and lactating women have not been conducted, therefore, during lactation, the use of these drugs is possible only as prescribed by a doctor, if the expected effect of treatment exceeds the potential risk to the child, and if PARACETAMOL is ineffective.
• Preparations containing an opioid analgesic, for example ZALDIAR (it contains TRAMADOL and PARACETAMOL). The use of ZALDIAR is indicated for headaches of severe intensity, when triptans are ineffective, however, the drug is contraindicated during lactation, and its use is possible only after breastfeeding has ended.
• Antiemetics: METOCLOPRAMIDE, VOGALEN, DIMENHYDRINATE, etc. They are used for nausea and vomiting during an attack along with analgesics. During lactation, the drugs METOCLOPLRAMIDE and DIMENHYDRINATE are contraindicated because they pass into breast milk. Treatment with them is possible only after stopping breastfeeding.

Migraine: disease prevention

In order for migraine attacks to occur as rarely as possible, it is necessary to identify the factors that provoke headaches and try to eliminate them or, at least, minimize their impact. If attacks are frequent, occurring more than 3 times a month, to identify provoking factors, it is best to keep a diary of attacks, which will help identify the most likely causes of the disease.

For women who experienced migraine attacks before pregnancy in connection with their menstrual cycle, the best way to prevent recurrence of attacks is to continue breastfeeding for a long period of time. For hormonal contraception during the postpartum period, such women are recommended to use new low-dose contraceptives containing only gestagens, since they do not contain the estrogenic component that affects the development of migraine attacks.

Drug prevention of attacks is prescribed only by a neurologist and is necessary in cases of frequent (more than 2 times a month) and severe migraine attacks that are difficult to treat (when you need to take at least three tablets of the drug to relieve the headache).

To prevent seizures, several groups of drugs are used: beta-blockers (ANAPRILIN), calcium channel blockers (VERAPAMIL), antidepressants (AMITRIPTILINE, MELIPRAMINE), anticonvulsants (FINLEPSIN, PHENOBARBITAL), nootropics (PIRACETAM, AMINALONE) and antioxidants (vitamins A, C, E, selenium). All medications, except vitamins, are not used during lactation. Preventive treatment is carried out for several months.

It is also advisable to carry out non-drug preventive treatment: massage sessions of the cervical-collar area, acupuncture, acupuncture. It is recommended to undergo the procedures 3-4 times a year for 10-15 sessions.

Causes

Migraine in a nursing woman can be associated not only with stress and lack of sleep; it can also be affected by a problem with blood vessels.

This should include vegetative-vascular dystonia, high blood pressure, or, on the contrary, low blood pressure.

Also at risk are those people who have increased sensitivity to weather changes.

A diagnosis such as osteochondrosis of the cervical spine or postpartum depression, to which many women are prone, can also cause a migraine in a nursing mother.

Even being in a poorly ventilated room can also provoke pathology. The causes of migraines during breastfeeding include bacterial or viral diseases, as well as changes in hormonal levels.

You need to watch your diet and eating habits. If the gap between meals is long, there is a decrease in blood sugar levels, and this condition can cause migraines in a nursing mother.

Even when a woman refuses coffee or other products, or, on the contrary, begins to consume them, a serious headache may occur.

It is worth listening to all the signals from your body. This will improve your well-being and avoid unpleasant headaches.

A nursing mother may have a migraine due to intoxication with household chemicals, alcohol or carbon monoxide.

The list of reasons is long, and this is not all the factors that can cause pathology. But it can be comforting to know that today there are a number of harmless remedies that will help eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of migraine in a nursing mother.

Causes of headaches during breastfeeding and more

Sometimes the triggers are relatively trivial factors:

• overvoltage;
• dehydration;
• alcohol abuse;
• rigidity of the cervical spine.

Most prone to headaches:

• women after menopause;
• people suffering from depression;
• restless, lonely faces;
• workaholics who overexert themselves at work.

The problem is typical for people with many responsibilities trying to manage many things. These include not only managers, but also for women housewives.

The disease is mainly associated with constant psychological stress transmitted to the muscles of the neck and body. These muscles are “stressful”; internal discomfort is reflected by their increased tension and poor blood circulation, which is the main cause of discomfort.

Symptoms

Migraine pain during lactation can have a completely different character. Everything will depend on what reasons caused it, and in what condition the body of the accomplished mother is.

It can be a throbbing, aching, paroxysmal pain. It tends to disappear from time to time and return again, seriously exhausting a person. The intensity also varies, sometimes increasing and sometimes disappearing.

During lactation, a woman’s body faces a difficult period. He is weakened, because he is experiencing serious hormonal changes and even a small disruption, stress or food consumption can provoke an intensification of the attack.

Based on the patient’s complaints, the doctor will make a diagnosis and determine what type of migraine has struck the nursing mother.

In fact, the situation is complicated by the fact that the disease is not limited to headaches. Attacks of nausea, fatigue, and loss of the former sharpness of eye function and hearing are not excluded.

Safe Methods to Prevent or Treat Headaches

Preventing a headache is easier than treating it; for this, nursing mothers need to follow the following rules:

• Maintain a sleep-wake schedule. It is recommended to relax with your child.
• Take daily walks. Spending a long time in a stuffy room also provokes pain.
• Eat well. The diet of a lactating woman should contain proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Think about a diet after the end of breastfeeding.
• Keep calm. Nursing mothers should avoid stress at all costs.
• Avoid chocolate and tonic drinks. Eliminate caffeine products from your diet, which cause headaches. However, this must be done gradually.
• Eliminate bad habits. Even before pregnancy, you should give up cigarettes and alcoholic drinks. Read about how you can quit smoking for a nursing mother in the article at the link https://vskormi.ru/mama/kurenie-pri-grudnom-vskarmlivanii/.

If you experience mild pain, massage your head. If the pain does not decrease, then take a safe drug recommended by your doctor. Before taking, read the instructions, and especially the contraindications. You may have to skip a few feedings after taking the pill, then express your milk in advance.

Thus, different types of headaches and migraines during lactation require preliminary diagnosis. Only after finding out the reasons, the doctor will select the most appropriate medicine, taking into account the possible benefits for the mother and the potential danger to the baby. A woman must follow the doctor’s recommendations regarding taking the medicine.

Doctors' recommendations

There is no need to start a course of self-medication. Only an experienced doctor can make an accurate diagnosis and explain how to treat the disease.

Even turning to the pharmacists at the pharmacy, who can prescribe a drug to eliminate migraines, is not the right solution. You need to see a doctor at the hospital where you live.

The choice of medicine to treat a nursing mother will be based on taking into account an important principle - what danger the medicine may pose to the child.

When reading the description of the drug, a woman should not worry about taking it. If such a feeling occurs, you need to consult a doctor.

Do not hesitate to ask what effect the medicine can have on the child’s body. If you have concerns about the harmful effects, you should ask your doctor to choose a different drug.

When starting a course, it is necessary to monitor whether the side effects of medications are manifested on the child.

It is necessary to give preference to those methods of treatment that can strengthen the mother’s immune system and also have a gentle effect on the body.

If your doctor advises you to start a course of anti-migraine medications, you should follow this recommendation immediately after breastfeeding. This must be done until the drug reaches maximum concentration levels in the body.

When consuming remedies for headaches that are not allowed for a nursing mother to take, you should stop feeding the baby for the duration of treatment.

In order to continue the lactation period in the future, you need to express the milk and dispose of it. It is also worth consulting a doctor on these issues.

There are special devices for this. When the treatment is completed, breastfeeding the baby can be continued.

Approved medications

To eliminate migraine symptoms, it is recommended to use potent medications. They will contain ergotamine.

During pregnancy, as well as during lactation, they should not be used. If this condition is violated, the child may experience vomiting, nausea and convulsions.

Of course, you should not endure a migraine headache. This will cause serious complications in the future.

You need to know how to save the mother and not harm the baby. Subsequently, attacks may become more frequent and last longer.

The situation is already difficult, but it will become even more serious. In any case, it will not be possible to do without medications. It's only a matter of time.

Today there are a number of painkillers that can be used when breastfeeding newborns.

Doctors prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which differ in that they can leave the body within 24 hours.

The most effective drugs are those from the triptan category. Sumatriptan can be taken during lactation.

The drug differs in that it is not able to accumulate in breast milk. It leaves the mother's body within 12 hours.

Other medications - triptans - should not be used during breastfeeding. The medicine must be completely out of the body, and therefore it is worth expressing the milk and feeding it to the baby.

During the treatment period, you can completely switch to special formulas for feeding the child, but subsequently return to natural nutrition.

When a migraine occurs, your blood pressure may increase. Treatment in this case will be complicated. During this time you will need to stop breastfeeding.

In fact, it is worth noting that those mothers who suffer from hypertension are forced to take medications on a regular basis, and therefore they are advised to completely transfer the child to an artificial diet.

If your blood pressure is elevated, a mother who is breastfeeding should take Captopril. This drug can be concentrated in breast milk in minimal quantities, and therefore does not harm the baby. Dibazol is also allowed.

If antihypertensive drugs are indicated for use, you need to express milk and feed the baby formula during treatment, otherwise there is a chance of harming the baby.

Drug treatment during lactationb

Among analgesics that relieve migraine attacks, preference should be given to those that are as safe as possible during lactation. There are no 100% safe medications. However, you can find the most gentle drug. It must have a number of criteria:

• Preference should be given to monocomponent products. If suddenly a child develops intolerance, it will be immediately clear which component is contraindicated.
• The optimal drugs are those with a short time of disintegration and removal of metabolites from the body. This will allow you to continue breastfeeding for as long as possible.
• The drug must correspond to groups A and B according to the classification of teratogenicity of drugs.

Interesting: Is it possible to do yoga and sports if you have a migraine?

Other treatments

You can relieve migraine pain if you use useful advice from experts:

1. It is recommended to brew black tea, preferably stronger. You need to add sugar to it. This will not harm the baby, and will not cause allergies. The drink is taken once, and therefore does not harm the child’s body.
2. You can make a head mass by pressing your palms on your forehead. It is important to make 40 circles with your hands clockwise and the same amount in the opposite direction.
3. A needle applicator will help relieve pain. It needs to be placed on the back of the head so that the pressure spreads throughout the head. You should remain in a lying position for an hour with the applicator.
4. You can take a warm shower. The water is known for its beneficial healing properties.
5. With regular sexual activity, endorphins are released, which can relieve headaches.
6. You need to reconsider your daily routine. Sleep should be complete. It is better to implement co-sleeping tactics in your family. Doctors are sure that migraine is a sign of exhaustion of the female body.
7. After the child is weaned from breastfeeding, the course of treatment for migraine can be adjusted, but always with the participation of the attending physician.

There is no need to resort to self-medication; only a doctor can choose an effective drug for a headache.

Safe drugs

Relatively safe medications will help you get rid of headaches and tension. They are recommended to be taken once in the minimum dosage, which will be effective for the mother and safe for the baby.

According to doctors, the following drugs are allowed to eliminate headaches:

• Paracetamol is a medication with an analgesic (pain reliever) and antipyretic (reduces fever) effect. Due to its pronounced antipyretic effect, it is taken for fever accompanied by headache. This is the best option for colds. In addition, Paracetamol has a mild anti-inflammatory effect.