I'm 16 weeks pregnant and am having a horrible headache, help?

Question

I've been having worse and worse headaches lately. I've taken two Tylenol today (my doctor ok'd that) but it is still throbbing. Is there anything else I can do to help my headache? I'm working on my Master's and need to get some homework done but I can't seem to think straight let alone sit down and write two papers.

Answer 1

get your husband, mom, dad, friend to massage the two points on your head behind your ears on your neck where your head starts, and then use your own thumb to press where hippies say your third eye is (in between your eyes and up just a bit , its the softer part) just apply pressure with your thumb. close your eyes. keep pressing, while the other person is massaging your neck on the two sides where your head starts.
oh gee I have trouble explaining this,
finish that off with someone giving you a medium pressure massage on your temples (in circular movements) and relax for a moment, drink a big glass of water with ice cubes.
keep the heat turned down in the house. and don't burn any scented oils, they can bring on headaches when you are pregnant.

Answer 2

I had head aches every day until I was around 5 months pregnant. I know what you are going thru. I took Tylenol all the time too. It did nothing. I was even in the hospital a few times because I just couldn't take it anymore. First off, you need to drink more water. I'm sure that you feel like you are drinking alot now (and peeing because of it) but a pregnant woman needs AT LEAST 12 glasses a day. I made myself drink 2 liter bottles of water everyday plus what ever else I was drinking. Gatoraide will help a little with the headache too. Drink a glass or 2 with the Tylenol. Second, talk to your doctor about it. Mine gave me an allergy med to take to help with my sinuses. It helped a little too. Something that might help you feel better too is getting a rice bag and heating it in the microwave and putting it on your head. This helped me alot. Plus it will give you an excuse to lay down for a while. If it helps, my doctor told me that most of these headaches would stop around 5 months pregnant because by then, your hormones start to level out. Mine stopped around 22 weeks. I had an occasional headache after that, but nothing like what I had before. If they get too bad, just go to the hospital and get IV meds. There is no reason that you should suffer anymore than you have to just being pregnant. Good luck!!!

Answer 3

That is a rough spot to be in.

If you can get someone to massage your neck and temples for you the some times help. You can try that, too. There are pressure points on the body that can help with headache. I will check to see if there is any websites that can help you with that.

This won't help now, but since this is an ongoing problem, you, may want to consider acupuncture, some insurance even covers it. I use it for my FMS and for headaches. It has been very helpful for me.

P.S. Sorry, I really could not find any good site for pressure points, but my acupuncturist showed me a couple of places that help if you massage. One is right on the top of your head, the other is the fleshy area on your hand between your thumb and pointer finger.

I hope I have been of some help. If you have any other questions you can contact me through my profile. I will help if I can.

Just to add, those that suggest drinking more water are correct. Dehydration can cause headaches.

Answer 4

Check your bloodpressure asap, if it's low, try a little bit of dark chocolate of just a little bit of regular coffee. I've had a headache for a month and I went off of cafeine about a year ago, i started drinking a cup of regular coffee in the morning and it's gone. Check with the doctor to see what else can be done as this is a short term solution.

I hope you feel better soon, its horrible being stuck with a headache and no solutions.

Answer 5

At 16 weeks the first thing u need to do is call your Doctor!!!!!!! Then have your blood pressure checked, and a stress test done. You may have a little more on your plate than you can handle right now. Sometime you have to just take time out and just relax and clear your thoughts so that the baby can feel less stressed and you can concentrate on what u have to do. You must remember that your baby feel everything that you do and when you are stressing so does the child. So put your feet up and hold your head back and enjoy just a few moments with your child. SOFT music, or a good book will help.

Answer 6

Serena, you're pregnant now and hormones have a way of sending you nature's messages better than at any other time in your life. It's really important that you listen to your body, and it may be telling you that you're too stressed out at the moment. Nothing will relieve a stress headache other than reducing the stress. Rest. Give yourself some TLC. Taking time out today may help you recover much better in time for tomorrow. Growing a human and taking on a Master's? You have your work cut out for you and I wish you the best of luck with both.

Answer 7

I'm right with you there. Drink lots of H2O and keep up the tylenol. If they're unbearable your doc can prescribe you vicodan or somethingike that...but good luck getting your work done on narcotics!

I had this problem for about three weeks and was SO STRESSED about it. My first doc said take excedrin migraine (which worked), and then the second one said don't. I found that a cup of coffee with the tylenol was an okay compromise, but nothing was really that helpful.

Thankfully, they only lasted about three weeks, and yours should, too, so try to keep perspective, and good luck.

Squeezing the fatty part of your hand between your index and thumb does offer some relief as well - it's a pressure point.

Answer 8

Tylenol is really the only thing you can take for the headache. Try doing something completely relaxing like soaking in a warm bath with a good book or even with the lights off and some candles... See if you can get your partner to give ya a massage. Try an ice pack on your eyes or a heat pack on your neck...

Answer 9

Do you suffer from migraines? I do and regular Tylenol rarely ever helps when I have a headache.

I contacted my OB when I started getting severe headaches and regular Tylenol wasn't helping. She prescribed Tylenol 3 (which contains Codeine) and is safe to take during pregnancy.

Contact your doctor and ask if there is something he or she is willing to prescribe to you for this. Make sure to tell them that regular Tylenol isn't helping.

Answer 10

medicine wise all you can do is tylenol. ask your doctor to prescrible you something for the headaches. after 12 weeks of pregnancy there are some things that are ok to take. you should get some rest and relax for a bit. try putting a cool rag over your eyes and lay down. if you try to do all that work now, it will probaly just make your headache worse.