Top 75 Migraine and Headache Questions, #31

Full Question:
I've had migraines for five years or so. I started getting them when I was 11 and they lasted only a couple of years and then came back when I was 17 and I've had them ever since. I now get them at least once every other week. They are always accompanied by spots, sometimes by numbness in my hands and/or tongue, and usually nausea sometimes with vomiting. I have an 11-month-old and am currently nursing, so I have only been taking Tylenol or ibuprofen whenever I get a headache, but they definitely do not cut it and only help marginally when I take three or four in the first dose. Is there any medication I can take that is safe to use while nursing? I had been considering nursing beyond a year, but I'm to the point where I'll stop if a medication requires it. Any help or advice would be greatly welcomed.

Answer:

Dear Nursing Mom;

We really can't recommend any particular medications online. That needs to be done by a doctor who knows your medical history and can examine you, plus knows about your baby's health and can keep any problems he or she has in mind. Your OB/GYN may be the best person to ask this question. There may be more options than you think. Some nursing mothers use triptans such as Imitrex by timing when they take the medication and when they nurse so the medication is out of their systems by the time they nurse again.

Good luck,
John Claude Krusz and Teri Robert

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