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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> BP & Clusters
        
(Message started by: Sylvan on Nov 21^st, 2004, 12:09pm)

Title: BP & Clusters
Post by Sylvan on Nov 21^st, 2004, 12:09pm

Question - does CH cause elevated BP or does elevated BP contirbute to CH? OR BOth?

My BP has been running a little high lately - when i'm not suffereing from an active CH its been between 140/90 and 130/90. At the DR's monday (day after a pretty sever one) it was 160/90)

Last night my S/O took my BP twice during an attack. About 5 minutes in it was 190/140. 15 minutes later - when the pain was lessening a little ( i could actually open my eye by then) It was 180/120. Pulse was 120. This morning it was 160/110.

(Oh the thrill of living with a man who has EMT training)

Title: Re: BP & Clusters
Post by Redd715 on Nov 21^st, 2004, 12:15pm

I've never had my BP taken during a hit, but normally it runs fairly low. I'm on verapamil and have had it as low as 80's/40's somewhere and was on 300mg a day, so it was lowered to 200mg. Now I average 90's/60's somewhere. Still low but the verap seems to keep the K10's away.

I can only take an educated guess that the pain level during a hit is going to increase your BP simply due to the situation. I know of a few other CH'ers who's BP naturaly runs low.

Title: Re: BP & Clusters
Post by unsolved1 on Nov 21^st, 2004, 12:17pm

Pain can elevate BP and an elevated BP could contribute to CH.

Best advice is to notify your doc of the BP readings and possibly get on a BP med to control it.

I'm personally on 2 meds for BP right now. (Verapamil ER 180 X 2/day & Catapress TSS-2 patch)

Unsolved

Title: Re: BP & Clusters
Post by Testy1 on Nov 21^st, 2004, 1:58pm

My blood pressure seems to be 120/80 every time I go to the docs but I have one of those small Braun machines that wraps around my wrist and during a CH my BP seems to go up by 20-30%. Damn scary.

Jack

Title: Re: BP & Clusters
Post by nani on Nov 21^st, 2004, 2:06pm

I agree with unsolved...both.
During my last ER visit they monitored my BP. I'm normally a little high. It would go as high as 175/100 during a hit. Averaged about 130/85 between.

Title: Re: BP & Clusters
Post by Testy1 on Nov 21^st, 2004, 2:54pm

Nani
Ouch! I have often wondered whther some of the symptoms had little to do with the CH itself but were instead simply a side-effect of that much pain.
My running nose is probably due to my left eye watering so badly.
The left eye is probably watering so much because that is close to where the PAIN is.
The heavy sweating might also be the result of pain.
And, like you and unsolved say, the BP & heartrate may also be because of the pain.

Jack

Title: Re: BP & Clusters
Post by Sylvan on Nov 22^nd, 2004, 12:06am

Thanks for the input. I am of course concerned about these elevated BP readings - and their possible contribution to the headaches. It is very possible that the headaches and associated stress are increasing the BP. But i do need to get it down.

My *new* doctor is apparantly as much of an idiot as the first one. I reported the 190/140 BP and it was 152/108 at the dr's office. I described the headaches again - and told him that the midrin that the first Dr RX'd was useless as the pain subsided before the midrin could possibly kick in.

I asked about cafergot and verapamil - and he told me that i can't use them with elevated BP. (??) I thought Verapamil lowered BP??

He decided to RX something called Ultracet for the headaches and *we'll see if that lowers the BP*.

I looked it up and as near as i can tell this drug is not only ikely to be useless for CH & BP - it's likely to make both worse! It's contra-indicated in patients with increased vascular cranial pressure and one of the side effects is hypertension and possible heart failure. Not to mention the indicated time from ingestion to effective is over an hour. It's an opiate that is used for acute pain management in sprains, breaks, post operative pain and muscle pains. Why in the world would a doctor RX this for severe headaches and elevated BP?

Sorry - but i am NOT taking even one dose of this stuff!

Sylvan

(add aggravation to my trigger list - i can almost feel myself getting worked up into another headache over my annoyance with this Dr)

Title: Re: BP & Clusters
Post by Karla on Nov 22^nd, 2004, 10:05am

My dr told me pain can elevate blood pressure. When I am getting hit my bp is sky high. Otherwise it is 120/70. Nice. So yes there is a relation.

Title: Re: BP & Clusters
Post by don on Nov 22^nd, 2004, 10:57am

BP is really the only way to messure someone's pain. Lot of pain = high reading.

Title: Re: BP & Clusters
Post by Sylvan on Nov 22^nd, 2004, 2:02pm

Ok - we've made a little bit of progress. The new quack finally called me back. He was still really wishy washy about the RX he gave me - and said that if i got one of those headaches i should probably try it anyway. I asked again about verapamil - which is indicated for treatment of high BP AND cluster headaches. He said that he could RX that - but i'd need an EKG first. So i made an appt for an EKG on monday.

In the meantime - i'm going to get my blood work done in a few minutes and i think add magnesium supplement to my diet.

Potassium supplementation (bananas) seem to help too. I have noted that every time i had a banana sometime during the day - i did not have a headache that night.

Potassium and magnesium deficiency are very likely candidates for both nocturnal headaches and hypertension. I figure it certainly can't hurt!

Sylvan

Title: Re: BP & Clusters
Post by sandie99 on Nov 25^th, 2004, 9:45am

My BP has always been low, but some of my Ch meds put it up for a while. My neuro said that BP can rise during attacks...