Slightly low BP and headaches at 16 weeks

[Gretaa]

Hi, girls! I'm nearly 16 weeks and in the past few weeks, maybe a tad less, I've been suffering from headaches. Paracetamol seems to help a bit but it always comes back. It's worst in the mornings now Blood pressure is slightly on a lower side too - 108/65 (my BP is usually 130/85) so it is quite low for me.
I drink plenty of water, take plenty of rest. What else could I do to ease it off? I'm seeing midwife next week so will mention this to her but in a meantime do you think I should get worried and call my GP? Google says it's quite normal due to hormones, extra blood flow etc but I'd like to hear first-hand opinions as well.

Thanks!

 

[MindUtopia]

That isn't necessarily an abnormally low BP. Mine is usually around there and has consistently been about 110/60 this pregnancy. It's usually a little bit higher though. I've not had any headaches I couldn't attribute to other things, but I definitely have had headaches (not loads, a usual amount like I would have not pregnant) due to muscle tension just because I'm sitting and carrying myself differently, which is not unusual in pregnancy. It could be completely unrelated (usually high BP of course is more of a concern, the midwives think mine is fantastic), but worth mentioning to them when you see them. A massage might help as well if you do think it could be related to muscle tension in your back and neck.

 

[Talia12]

Basically everything pp said! Mine tends towards very slightly low with the occasional big dip (I fainted a few times while pregnant with my son and once so far this pregnancy) but yours sounds ok and the midwives like it because it's so much better than high! Also agree with the massage thing. I HAVE had extra headaches this pregnancy although they've eased off a bit now but were pretty bad for a while. It helped having my husband pummel my neck and shoulders with his thumbs a bit. You're fine to keep taking paracetamol too, same as with you though it helps me a little bit but not that much or for that long. Hope you get some relief soon, there are lots of reasons you might get headaches in pregnancy and as long as your bp isn't high, they're very unlikely to mean anything bad. They're just hard to live with!

 

[Zephram]

This is not really low blood pressure at all. I would probably say the headaches are more likely to be caused by hormones or blood sugar, than blood pressure. Make sure you're eating small amounts regularly and try to rest when you can.

 

[nordicpixie83]

Hi, girls! I'm nearly 16 weeks and in the past few weeks, maybe a tad less, I've been suffering from headaches. Paracetamol seems to help a bit but it always comes back. It's worst in the mornings now Blood pressure is slightly on a lower side too - 108/65 (my BP is usually 130/85) so it is quite low for me.
I drink plenty of water, take plenty of rest. What else could I do to ease it off? I'm seeing midwife next week so will mention this to her but in a meantime do you think I should get worried and call my GP? Google says it's quite normal due to hormones, extra blood flow etc but I'd like to hear first-hand opinions as well.

Thanks!

I suffer from hemoplegic migraines and low bp. On a high day it's 112/75 the headaches are absolutely killer right now . I usually take sumatriptan which is obviously a big no no whilst pregnant . I've found timing it right with paracetamol and a cup of sweet coffee (I'm otherwise off coffee!) Plus drinking lots and lots of water . The loo breaks are an absolute pain but it's better than the migraines . My midwife said yesterday just to keep an eye on them and note if anything is slightly different in case of it being a pre-e headache . Otherwise try and note any trigger foods , stay hydrated and take paracetamol as soon as I feel it creeping on.

 

[Gretaa]

Thanks for all your replies girls The BP is quite low for me as I mentioned before and I've never had it so low (monitored it quite often before falling PG due to it being too high at the GP office at the visits). I've managed to control a headache with some caffeine, just like nordicpixie mentioned in her comment I know it's not the best solution but I had a cup of white coffee yesterday when a headache was beginning to come back after paracetamol and low and behold it subsided. Caffeine brings the blood pressure up slightly, that I know of. Today, I had some coffee in the morning and *knock on wood* didn't have a single headache!I really hope it's a temporary thing so I can come back to my usual decaf but until then I'm ok with a single cup of coffee a day to survive these horrible headaches :}

 

[Talia12]

Glad you've found something that works for you!