Management of migraine during pregnancy

How are migraines managed during pregnancy?

Many women find that their headaches stabilize or even resolve during pregnancy. This may be related to more consistent hormone levels that occur during pregnancy. To decrease the risk ofbirth defects, certain medications used to prevent migraines may need to be discontinued prior to a pregnancy.

There are limited studies of medications which are used to treat migraine headaches during pregnancy. Acetaminophen is relatively safe when used in recommended doses. If a patient is experiencing frequent headaches, there are some treatment alternatives that may be provided by the patient's health-care professional. 

Many migraine medications, including the triptans, are not well studied in pregnancy; the potential benefits to the patient need to be weighed against the risks to the fetus before these medications are prescribed.