17/08/2022
Headache tablets in pregnancy
Headaches affect almost everyone from time to time, but they are usually temporary and nothing to worry about. During pregnancy, it is generally safe to use headache tablets to treat headaches. There are different types of headache, including tension headaches, migraines and cluster headaches. Headaches can develop gradually or suddenly, and they vary from dull and mild to pounding and very intense. Patients need to be careful when using headache tablets to treat headaches while pregnant because not all headache tablets are safe to take in pregnancy.
Causes of headaches
The various types of headache may have different causes. It is not entirely clear what causes tension headaches, but triggers may include stress combined with increased tension in the neck muscles. The exact causes of migraines are also unknown. It is believed that inflamed blood vessels in the brain may have a part to play. Another potential underlying factor is the way in which the brain processes pain signals. In people who are prone to migraines, triggers may include an irregular sleeping pattern, an irregular daily routine, hormonal changes, stress, certain foods and changes in the weather.
Headache tablets during pregnancy
During pregnancy, it is generally safe to use headache tablets to treat the typical symptoms of headaches. Headaches can be treated using a range of different headache tablets or active ingredients. You may have questions about how safe these medicines are during pregnancy:
- Ibuprofen (Aktren, Dolormin, etc.), acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin, Dolomo, Neuralgin, Godamed, Melabon, Excedrin Kopfschmerz und Migräne Headache and Migraine), ketoprofen (Gabrilen), naproxen (Dolormin, Naproxen InfectoPharm), diclofenac (Voltaren)
- Paracetamol (Ben-u-ron, Migränerton)
- Metamizole (Analgin)
- Etoricoxib (Arcoxia), celecoxib (Celebrex)
- Almotriptan (Almogran, Dolortriptan for migraines), eletriptan (Relpax), naratriptan (Naramig, Naratriptan-Ratiopharm), sumatriptan (Imigran, Sumatriptan-Ratiopharm), rizatriptan (Maxalt), zolmitriptan (AscoTop)
- Ergotamine (Erfgo-Kranit)
- Clostridium botulinum toxin (Botox)
- Erenumab (Aimovig), galcanezumab (Emgality)
- Flunarizine (Flunarizin acis)
- Metoprolol (Beloc-Zok), amitriptyline (Saroten), topiramate (Topamax)
- Homeopathic medicines, e.g. Antimigren, Dolfin, Migräne-Echtroplex, Migräne Gastreu
Risks of headache tablets during pregnancy
Taking headache tablets during pregnancy may cause various side effects, such as an upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and dizziness. It is extremely important to choose the right headache tablets during pregnancy since some headache tablets such as ibuprofen are discouraged (contraindicated) from the 28th week of pregnancy because they may lead to serious complications for the unborn child (closure of the ductus arteriosus blood vessel, kidney damage). There are, however, some headache tablets that can be taken during pregnancy, making them the preferred treatment option.
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