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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Verapamil and exercise?
        
(Message started by: birdman on Jan 8^th, 2007, 1:07pm)

Title: Verapamil and exercise?
Post by birdman on Jan 8^th, 2007, 1:07pm

Finally got my fat !@# in the gym about five months ago and was feeling the best I ever had. Ch's appeared and haven't been back in four weeks. Currently on 720 mgs on verapamil, 3-6mgs melatonin. Have o2 and trex for attacks but have been pf for 16 days. Wondering if it is safe to go back to the gym. Concerned about the BP and heart rate associated with Verap as well as increased BP and heart rate being triggers. Any suggestions, I gained all my weight loss back and am real pissed! Thanks

Title: Re: Verapamil and exercise?
Post by Ozark_E on Jan 8^th, 2007, 3:29pm

16 Days PF sounds good. Maybe go for a light jog and see how things go.

Title: Re: Verapamil and exercise?
Post by E-Double on Jan 8^th, 2007, 3:45pm

???
Does exercise set off an attack or are you worried about BP??

Why wouldn't it be safe?

I don't go b/c I'm complacent ;;D

Title: Re: Verapamil and exercise?
Post by swimchica623 on Jan 8^th, 2007, 4:27pm

Did the verapamil make your BP too low? Normally my BP is 120/60 and with the verapamil its down a little bit to about 100-110/40-50 but I haven't felt dizzy or anything. I'm a competitive swimmer and I've just gotten back into serious training this week after a very hard December...before this week a few weeks of regular exercise too. But even with the hard core training, pushing my body and heart rate to its absolute limits for a two hour workout everyday (moving to twice daily workouts this week) I've been fine.
As far as workouts being triggers, I was worried about that too and that seems to be different for everyone. Seasonalboomer (bloomer?) runs marathons and he'll probably respond to your post too. He has been really helpful with me with swimming.
Make sure you get plenty of water during your workouts, get a good warmup and warmdown, and build up slooowly, don't be so eager to lose weight that you overdo at the beginning and hurt yourself. And if you feel dizzy, stop, this is important for anyone starting, but especially important since you are on verapamil.
If you can afford it it would be useful to get some time with a trainer, they are good at working with special cases sometimes. I'd bring a printout about what cluster headaches are too.
Hope this helps some....
Lisa

Title: Re: Verapamil and exercise?
Post by birdman on Jan 9^th, 2007, 8:22am

Thanks all. Yes E-double, when I get my heartrate or BP up while in cycle, I think it can trigger an attack. Not sure if it was just coincidental(spell?), hence my concern. My current dosage of verap (720mg) has my heartrate at about 60 and my BP at about 110/60. Wasn't sure if elevating either HR or BP would be dangerous or a trigger or both. Glad to see that soem of you have been successful exercising with Ch and CH meds. Will try a light bike ride today.

Title: Re: Verapamil and exercise?
Post by Salvelinus on Jan 9^th, 2007, 6:33pm

Exercise while taking verapamil is not dangerous, if that is part of what you're asking. You might get a bit dizzy by doing squat-thrusts (up and down), but probably not. Just work into your exercise regimen slowly and gradually. Remember that rest periods between workouts are an important part of your program.

For me, exercise is definitely a trigger, so I have to be very, very careful. Usually, though, I'm so drained from the headaches and lack of sleep that I can't bring myself to work out. Good luck to you!

Title: Re: Verapamil and exercise?
Post by Jonny on Jan 9^th, 2007, 6:45pm

Thats a question for your doctor!, call and ask. ;)

Title: Re: Verapamil and exercise?
Post by BlueMeanie on Jan 9^th, 2007, 7:53pm

16 days PF. What about tapering off the Verap as you may have went out of cycle. Just a thought.

Title: Re: Verapamil and exercise?
Post by birdman on Jan 10^th, 2007, 11:07am

Have tried reducing my verap by a half a pill (120mg) and started getting shadows in the AM. Not confident that I have finished cycle. Been very lucky though as no full blown CH's just shadows. For now. When I taper I do so very slowly. Have felt in the past that tapering any med to quickly can cause cycle to start/restart. Just a personal opinion. Thanks for the comments and here's to more PF days.

Title: Re: Verapamil and exercise?
Post by birdman on Jan 11^th, 2007, 2:56pm

Had my first minor breakthrough today. Was more then just shadows, used the o2 and gone. Not sure if its the reduction in verap or the exercise. Going back to 720mg's. Just updating

Title: Re: Verapamil and exercise?
Post by BlueMeanie on Jan 12^th, 2007, 6:03pm

Sounds like you got it under control the way it is. Looks like you'll have to wait just a little longer. Hang in there Birdman, things will get better sooner or later.

PF vibes to ya.

Title: Re: Verapamil and exercise?
Post by birdman on Jan 16^th, 2007, 9:59am

Thanks for the positive vibe. Back at 720mg and doing light workout without any hits. Gonna try again this week to cut down the verap a bit. Baby steps!

Title: Re: Verapamil and exercise?
Post by seasonalboomer on Jan 16^th, 2007, 10:17am

Hey birdman,

I can't really speak to the Verap issue with exercise but can pass along my feelings regarding exercise and exercise triggered CH. One of my main triggers is exercise but one of my main sources of sanity is exercise also.

It sounds as though O2 is effective for you (it is incredibly successful for me). I'm a runner and I will, when in cycle, inevitably get hit after I run for more than 30-40 minutes. My answer is that it is not worth not exercising. I choose to take the risk of the hit, but the insurance is that I make sure that my O2 is handy for my post exercise cool down. So, if I'm coming up my final hill and feel it coming on, I walk in, grab an ice cold red bull, lay the towel on the floor and crank it up to 15 lpm, sit back and suck on the 02. 3-5 minutes (usually) the hit has lifted and I can go about my day. Not everyone can be as lucky as I am with this regime but it works for me. I can handle a few minutes of CH if I know it is going to leave very soon.

If it doesn't lift and I gotta go somewhere I'll stick an Imitrex in the leg and then get on with things.

I'm kind of compulsive on the whole exercise thing so this is my way of flipping the beast off and telling him, I won't let him stop me from doing those things that are part of my living my life.

Scott

Title: Re: Verapamil and exercise?
Post by birdman on Jan 24^th, 2007, 8:23am

Scott,
I think your attitude is the right one. The exercise os too important to give up. Currently down to 600mg verap and still pf.