Table of contents:
- Headache medicine that is safe for pregnant women
- 1. Paracetamol
- 2. Sumatriptan
- Headache medicine that should not be used for pregnant women
- 1. Aspirin
- 2. Ibuprofen
- Another way to deal with headaches in pregnant women
- 1. Exercise
- 2. Avoid factors that cause headaches
- 3. Get used to a healthy lifestyle
Pregnant women should be more careful to choose safe headache drugs. The reason is, the side effects of certain drugs can put you and the baby in the womb at risk. Then, what headache drugs can be consumed and avoided?
Headache medicine that is safe for pregnant women
Quoted from American Pregnancy, during the first trimester your body experiences hormonal surges and an increase in blood volume. In fact, these two changes are the main reasons why pregnant women often have headaches.
However, do not arbitrarily choose headache relievers. The good thing is that pregnant women should always consult their doctor first if they want to take medicines to relieve headaches. But in general, here are the drug options that doctors allow:
1. Paracetamol
Paracetamol is a pain reliever drug that belongs to the analgesic class. The way this drug works is by inhibiting the production of the hormone prostaglandin which triggers pain while changing the way the body receives pain.
Paracetamol is believed to be more effective than ibuprofen for dealing with headaches, especially tension headaches.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in America or the equivalent of the Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) in Indonesia, paracetamol is included in category B in the risk of pregnancy. This means that this drug was found to be not at risk and is classified as safe to use for pregnant women.
The dose of this headache medicine is about 325 milligrams (mg) and is used for every 6 hours. We recommend that the use of this drug does not exceed 24 hours 10 tablets in a 24 hour period. The maximum dose that can be used in a day is not more than 4000 mg.
Paracematol can be purchased over the counter at a pharmacy. However, you are still advised to consult a doctor before consuming it to minimize the risk of acetaminophen side effects. The reason is, not all pregnant women have exactly the same conditions.
Your doctor can help you determine whether the use of this drug is safe for your health condition and the baby in the womb.
In addition, this drug also has the potential to provide certain side effects such as skin rashes, itching, swelling in body areas, hoarseness, to difficulty breathing and swallowing. So, this drug is not recommended for long-term use.
2. Sumatriptan
Sumatriptan is a drug used to treat migraines and cluster headaches.
This headache medicine works to affect certain natural substances such as serotonin, which causes narrowing of blood vessels in the brain. This medication may also reduce pain by affecting certain nerves in the brain.
Animal studies have shown that sumatriptan consumption in pestilent mothers can have a negative effect on the baby. However, in studies conducted on humans, no negative effects appeared in infants when the mother took sumatriptan.
The recommended dose for adults is one tablet (25 mg, 50 mg, or 100 mg) and is taken when symptoms develop. There is no specific recommendation for consumption by pregnant women. We recommend that you consult your doctor first.
Headache medicine that should not be used for pregnant women
1. Aspirin
Aspirin is not recommended as a headache medicine for pregnant women. The risk of side effects can be devastating every trimester of pregnancy.
Taking aspirin in the first trimester of pregnancy, for example, can cause miscarriage and heart problems. Meanwhile, the use of aspirin in the third trimester can increase the risk of blockage of the arteries in the heart of the unborn baby. Aspirin can also increase the risk of bleeding in the brains of babies born prematurely.
This drug also falls into the FDA's FDA's risk of pregnancy category D. This means that there is positive evidence of risk for pregnant women. Therefore, pregnant women are not advised to use aspirin to relieve pain in order to avoid the negative effects that may occur.
2. Ibuprofen
Actually, it is still uncertain whether ibuprofen is safe or not for use as a headache medicine in pregnant women. However, pregnant women should first avoid using this drug to relieve headaches.
In accordance with the pregnancy risk list determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the equivalent of the Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) in Indonesia, ibuprofen is included in category C.
These categories indicate that ibuprofen may be a risk to pregnant women and the fetus and should be avoided. Especially if you use this drug before 30 weeks of gestation. This medicine has the potential to increase the risk of pregnancy complications, including miscarriage.
This drug is also better avoided by pregnant women when their pregnancy has reached more than 30 weeks, unless prescribed by a doctor. Usually, doctors have weighed the potential risks and benefits of using drugs before prescribing medication.
Another way to deal with headaches in pregnant women
Basically, natural methods such as relaxation, yoga, and reducing stress tend to be safer than using drugs. Therefore, in addition to using drugs, pregnant women can also apply home methods such as the following.
1. Exercise
Apart from taking headache medications, exercise can also be done by pregnant women to relieve headaches. No need to do strenuous sports activities, pregnant women can do sports that are still strong. For example, walking, taking special sports classes for pregnant women, or swimming.
If you choose to swim, make sure you are not doing any movements that require you to move your neck all the time. The reason is, moving your neck too often while swimming can actually increase the potential for headaches that you experience.
Not only that, as a pregnant woman, you can also do relaxation activities such as yoga and meditation to relieve headaches.
2. Avoid factors that cause headaches
Not all pregnant women have the same causes of headaches. Therefore, you must first find out the cause of the pain you are experiencing before taking headache medication. It will also make it easier for you to deal with the headaches you feel.
For example, if you feel that your headaches are caused by certain foods, you can avoid those foods. However, if your headaches are triggered by stress, you can try to organize your heart and mind so you don't get stressed easily.
3. Get used to a healthy lifestyle
In order not to depend on the use of headache medication, you can avoid it by adopting a healthy lifestyle. For example, make it a habit to eat a healthy diet so that your nutritional intake is balanced. In addition, eat regularly so that blood sugar levels are maintained.
Also, make sure you sleep on time every day. If necessary, set an alarm as a reminder for bedtime so you don't go to bed late. Because, lack of sleep can also be a source of headaches during pregnancy.
Not only that, always practice good posture. For example, if you work in an office and have to sit for hours in front of a computer screen. Adjust the distance between the chair and the computer screen so that you can sit and work comfortably.
Likewise, when you want to sleep, you also have to pay attention to your posture. As much as possible the indari uses stacked pillows while sleeping. The reason is, the use of pillows that are piled up can cause aches and pains in the neck. If left for too long, this can also lead to headaches.
