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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Strokes
        
(Message started by: ed on Jun 12^th, 2004, 3:19pm)

Title: Strokes
Post by ed on Jun 12^th, 2004, 3:19pm

My husband has been suffering with cluster headaches for over 30 years. They have gone from episodic to chronic over the last couple of years. Last week the doctor told him, he had suffered a minor stroke. The doctor seemed to believe the cluster headaches & stroke are all interconnected. Has anyone ever heard of clusters & strokes being related in any way?

Title: Re: Strokes
Post by pubgirl on Jun 12^th, 2004, 4:11pm

ed

The only proven link I know of between the common headache types and stroke is a very specific kind of migraine called BAM, basilar arterial migraine where a blood vessel in the base of the skull supplying the the brain constricts and restricts the flow of blood to the brain. This can cause ischaematic attacks or strokes, risk worsened by the use of triptans

There is no link shown as yet that I have seen between CH and stroke so I suspect this link you have been told about is supposition on the doctor's part rather than being based on any evidence.

In other words, Did Ch cause the stroke? Not as far as anyone knows. Ch sufferers have no known increased risk of stroke.

Wendy

Title: Re: Strokes
Post by ed on Jun 12^th, 2004, 5:17pm

Thank you. Do you think that the use of nasal Stadol could cause a stroke?

Title: Re: Strokes
Post by forgetfulnot on Jun 12^th, 2004, 10:06pm

on 06/12/04 at 17:17:00, ed wrote:

Thank you. Do you think that the use of nasal Stadol could cause a stroke?

No, but I don't think anybody really knows what causes strokes other than high blood pressure, It could have been caused by a cup of coffee who knows.

Sorry your having to deal with this and your husband recovers.

Lee

Title: Re: Strokes
Post by Prense on Jun 13^th, 2004, 2:13am

Thought I read somewhere that migraines and CH could play a factor in strokes...

I'll have to take a peek.

Title: Re: Strokes
Post by pubgirl on Jun 13^th, 2004, 3:45am

Prense

I think you'll find that there is a suggested link between migraine and stroke in young women, but since quite high up on the list of stroke factors (below hypertension of course, this is the big risk one) is hormone imbalances, and since many young women's migraines are caused by hormone imbalances, this might another "chicken and egg" situation.

I did quite a lot of digging around on this subject when a close friend of mine had a serious stroke and was told by her doctor that her migraine caused it. It turned out to be what I believe was an unforgiveable smokescreen as three weeks before the stroke the same doctor had taken her off her BP tablets and HRT on the same day without tapering and then didn't monitor her.

If people fear they may be at risk for stroke the main advice is to change lifestyle habits e.g. exercise, diet and smoking.

Wendy

Title: Re: Strokes
Post by Prense on Jun 13^th, 2004, 10:51am

You are correct Wendy...I was mistaken.

Chris