So for the past 2 weeks I’ve had these terrible headaches that will not go away. I take my acetaminophen, it does nothing. I try showers, baths, sleep, compresses, everything, nothing makes it go away. It’s there when I wake up and it’s there when I go to sleep, and last night I couldn’t get back to sleep because it hurt so bad. I’ve had this constant headache for 2 weeks! It hurts low on my eyebrows and sharpest in my temples, down through my ears and down the sides of my neck into my shoulders. I’m dizzy and sick from it sometimes. It’s terrible.
When I went to my first prenatal appointment on [name]Tuesday[/name], they said “Oh that could be bad. That could be something serious.” Then completely ignored the subject no matter how hard I tried to talk about it. I’m into my second trimester now, and even though the Doctors said “Oh that could be bad” She refused to talk about it. I’ve made an appointment for [name]Wednesday[/name] of next week with the [name]Doctor[/name] I wanted as my primary doctor, and hopefully he helps me, but in the meantime, can anyone on here.
Has anyone else had headaches like this and if so, how did you make them stop and what did it mean if anything?
I have never been pregnant, but I have done a lot of research since it’s something I’m still indecisive about. Not sure if what you have is really serious or not, but here’s a video on a massage technique for pregnant women.
It might help, but again, depends on how serious it is.
Very important to check your blood pressure!!! That’s the #1 thing they’re worrying about. [name]Do[/name] you have any way to measure it at home? there are other, rarer problems too, but that’s definitely #1. Elevated BP is a very ominous sign in the first trimester.
They did my blood pressure at my appointment on [name]Tuesday[/name] (the stupid nurse had to do it 3 times because she put the cuff on so tight my fingers went numb the first 2 and busted blood vessels in my arm) and said it’s normal, so I’m not sure about this “This could be serious” stuff. I felt like “If you’re not going to tell me, why even bring it up? Or why not do some sort of test if you can?”
sorry-- I meant were you symptomatic with the headache at the time of BP measurement.
[name]Just[/name] for starters-- the differential diagnosis is huge–
Are these headaches debilitating? [name]Do[/name] you need to stop your normal daily activities to deal with them? Can you identify any triggers or exacerbating factors?
Any history of headache, migraine or otherwise, before pregnancy? Did you normally drink caffeine or use tobacco in some form before pregnancy?
Any high blood pressure before pregnancy? Anyone in your immediate female-line family (mother, sister, maternal aunt, maternal grandmother) have pregnancy-induced HTN, AKA pre-eclampsia, or any other adverse outcome? [name]Do[/name] you have thyroid disease?
[name]Blade[/name], I love how extensive you are. I really appreciate you taking time ti try to help.
Sometimes they’re debilitating, but only rarely. I can’t identify triggers as the headache hasn’t stopped at all. It only gets softer, but hasn’t actually stopped. (This only ever happened once before when I had a migraine last for almost 5 days and I couldn’t work or anything). I had migraines sometimes before pregnancy, but when they happened, they included black spots, dizziness, vomiting, etc. I drank some coke and tea, but cut back drastically when we first started TTC and stopped when I found out I was pregnant. Never done drugs, smoked, or drank. I don’t have a history of high blood pressure, no thyroid disease, and no one in my family has ever had HTN.
I’m hopeful it’s just the normal headaches that some women get during pregnancy, but the doctor scared me! I’d love to find a way to make it stop.
Did your doctor call you yet with the results of your first urinalysis? Any protein in the urine? And again, what was your blood pressure and were you experiencing the headache at the time of measurement?
The symptoms sound, at first glance, like tension headaches, which are benign. But 2+ weeks of chronic, progressive headache which awakens you from sleep and/or has a morning onset is NOT normal, is not a typical pregnancy symptom, and should be evaluated. If you were a fake patient on my boards test the correct answer would be “ophthalmologic examination, complete serum chemistry and blood count, and non-contrast imaging of the head.”
The doctor (again, this hospital was terrible), said they wouldn’t contact me again or see me again until I was 20 weeks (I was 12 weeks, 4 days on [name]Tuesday[/name]) and that I shouldn’t expect to hear anything from them, and she didn’t tell me what the BP was, she just said “Well that looks good” and ushered me into the other room. I was experiencing the headache at the time, but when I mentioned it she just said “Well that might be serious” and then refused to answer any question and left the room. I don’t know what’s normal for the first visit, but the only thing she did was the urinalysis, blood pressure, and the pelvic examine then said “We’ll do an ultrasound to make sure you’re pregnant and see how far along you are” then told me to leave and that I wouldn’t hear from them again till I was 20 weeks.
I’m going to my “real” doctor on [name]Wednesday[/name], so hopefully I can get some real answers.
Can you tell me what that stuff you just mentioned was at then end there? I have no idea what any of that is but “blood count”
either abdominal or transvaginal u/s confirming viable interuteine pregnancy
urine sample to test for infection, protein and glucose
pap smear with cultures to rule out STDs (which can be lifethreatening to [name]Baby[/name]); offer HIV testing
blood sample for: blood count (r/o infection, anemia); Rh antibody screen; blood type; immunization status to hepatitis, rubella; early glucose testing in at-risk patients
Normal between 12-15wks:
triple marker or quad screen to rule out fetal anomalies; offer amniocentesis if indicated and genetic counseling as necessary
blood pressure and urine samples at each visit (these should be occuring monthly in normal pregnancies)
Normal at 18-20 weeks:
screening ultrasound AKA “anatomy scan”
Normal at 26-28 weeks:
Rho-GAM shot as needed
formal glucose tolerance test to r/o gestational diabetes
repeat blood count to rule out anemia
start fetal kick counting
baby’s heartbeat measured at each visit
Normal at 36 weeks:
Group B Strep rectovaginal swab
weekly appointments
close attention to signs/symptoms of preterm labor
repeat STD screen in at-risk women
assess fetal position and size
As far as evaluation of your headaches-- it could so many things. In medicine you start with the most likely, while simultaneously ruling out the most dangerous or lifethreatening. In pregnancy a new headache is gestational hypertension until proven otherwise. The most dangerous thing could be the development of full-blown eclampsia from pre-eclampsia, which results in seizures, and maternal and fetal death. This is not the most LIKELY thing but it’s certainly not uncommon and MUST be excluded. Pre-eclampsia is hypertension with protein wasting from the kidney; on an eye exam with an ophthalmoscope I would see characteristic swelling (called ‘papilledema’) from high blood pressure banging into your optic disk; I might see a lot of protein spilled into your urine, and anemia/low protein in your blood. Conversely, pregnant woman can certainly develop problems that have absolutely nothing to do with being pregnant. This could include scary intracranial problems like bleeding or tumors. A sign of bleeding or tumor is a progressive headache, present without cessation, for 2+ weeks which is debilitating, is present in the AM upon awakening, and occasionally awakens the patient even from sleep. This would mandate a head CT (or in the pregnancy, a MRI due to the radiation risk).
I am NOT trying to suggest you have a brain tumor and I am NOT trying to diagnose you over the internet. I wanted only to illustrate the thought processes and pathways that any competent doctor should be going down for a young pregnant woman with this story. If I were a betting woman, I would suspect you have tension headaches which might be amenable to NSAIDS, but I would never feel comfortable with your story until I had excluded intracranial pathology and gestational hypertension.
Mkay. I’ll certainly ask some questions of my new doctors. You’re certainly not scaring me or making me feel like I have a tumor, only answering the questions I had in the first place that the doctor wouldn’t answer.
And yea, it was awful. The blood pressure test, she made the cuff so tight my fingers went numb and I had slight bruising and busted blood vessels (which has never happened before as I don’t bruise easily). They barely asked any questions. and this:
"HIV testing
blood sample for: blood count (r/o infection, anemia); Rh antibody screen; blood type; immunization status to hepatitis, rubella; early glucose testing in at-risk patients"
They said they wouldn’t even take blood or do any of that until 20 weeks…which I thought seemed way too late to do anything about.
This new doctor, he was my moms OB when she was pregnant with my sister 10 years ago and had a wonderful experience with him, and 2 of my friends have used him in the past year and loved it, so I’m very hopeful he’ll do everything he can for me.
Dantea I do hope you feel better soon. I know how excited you are about this baby! Hopefully, your new doctor can get this all straightened out for you.
[name]Blade[/name]- you are without a doubt the most thorough responder on NB. [name]Truly[/name] awesome.
I have a general medical licensing exam tomorrow and actually responding to these questions is very helpful for me, too! I’m not training in obstetrics or general practice, so don’t think much about things like headaches and routine prenatal care.
Dantea, again, your prenatal care is very odd. The only thing I can possibly think of is that you were a victim of our dreadful two-tiered payor system, where the insured get the care they deserve, and the uninsured/government insurance do not.
Wow, so sorry about your headaches. I hope your new doctor is wonderful and everything an attentive OB should be. Sounds like these other jokers should be shut down. That’s some deeply disturbing behavior.
I agree. I have government insurance and they made me wait 4 hours at a Women’s Clinic for that BS prenatal visit. Luckily Dr. [name]Cole[/name] can get me in so soon that hopefully I won’t be too out of step with what needs to be going on.
And I’m glad I could be of service I hope you do well on your exam!
And I have to second a pp, you are one of my favorite responders on here, always very helpful and concise.
Yup. I’m firmly in the health care is a human right, not a commodity, camp.
Thank you for your kind words and I hope you have a productive relationship going forward. Incidentally, many places (like Walgreens and such) offer free blood pressure screening. If your headaches are persisting and it’s still a week till you see your new doctor, you might drop in for a check. If it’s elevated (more than 130 for the top number), you need to call Dr [name]Cole[/name] immediately.
[name]Just[/name] caught this thread. [name]Blade[/name] is so fantastic and has given you great advice. After all, who better to give you advice than someone studying medicine. [name]Just[/name] wanted to say good luck today and let us know what this doctor has to tell you!
