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Great caution must be exercised when treating migraine headaches during pregnancy in order to prevent any harm to the fetus or to the mother. Some drugs can cause birth defects (teratogenic) and others have not been proven to be safe during pregnancy and are not recommended for use except under certain circumstances. Self-care strategies at the onset of headache such as lying down in a dark, quiet room, or placing cold compresses to the head, should certainly be tried and cause no harm to mother or fetus.

As with treatment of nonpregnant migraineurs, there are two types of medications used to treat migraine headaches, including: nonspecific medications, and migraine-specific medications.

• Nonspecific Medications

  • NSAIDs
  • Opioids/barbiturates
  • Antinausea medications (antiemetics)
  • Caffeine

• Migraine-Specific Medications

  • Triptans - sumatriptan is the most widely studied medication and may be used cautiously under circumstances deemed necessary by the physician
  • Ergot alkaloids (ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, Methysergide) - this class of medication is association with severe adverse effects on the fetus, including abortion, fetal distress, and birth defects. Ergot alkaloids should be avoided during pregnancy