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New Message Board Archives >> Jul-Sep 2003 >> Wondering about Barometric Pressure
(Message started by: stuey on Jul 2nd, 2003, 9:33am)

Title: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by stuey on Jul 2nd, 2003, 9:33am
Hi.  My Neuro said Barometric Pressure had something to do with CHs. I can tell you that here in NYC it has rained here HARD since May like a rainforest.  My cycle started late April and the attacks while once swinging are starting to finally ease and happen less frequently.  I can tell you all that my episodes are on the left side and I have noticed in the last 2 to 3 weeks the feeling in my left ear canal something like little tiny knives or pins stabbing me in the ear canal.  Also, I have noticed what I can only describe as a feeling in my left ear the last few days something akin to how you feel when you start to come down in an airplane as if my ear canal wanted to unclog but couldn't.  I kept trying to unclog my ear but it wouldn't as if I was descending from high up somewhere.  So I don't know if air pressure affects CH attacks but I tend to think it does.  Whether it's high pressure or low pressure that plays a part I can't say not being a meteorologist but I just noticed this stuff and decided to pass it on.  I am just glad I don't live in a rain forest cause I think I'd be in bad shape.  My boss ran into a meteoroligist on the train the other day who said the moon was closer than it's been to the earth in a long long time.  This may also have something to do with the attacks.  Just thought I'd feed you all and wondered if anyone had similar experiences.  Peace.  Stuey ???

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by NotH20 on Jul 2nd, 2003, 9:43am
Stuey - if I'm in cycle when it rains or threatens rain, my ch's are definitely worse   >:(  My mother also experiences that too - not with CH, but w/ vascular headaches as well....you may be on to something - but not sure how to fix it - unfortunately.

Mia

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by stuey on Jul 2nd, 2003, 10:03am
Mia my doc put me on elavil to supplement the verapamil I take to control my blood pressure.  Maybe the elavil is helping but hopefully i'm just near the end of this cycle.  It's been since late April.  I usually take 240 of verapamil but took it upon myself to go up to 720.  Since that wasn't helping I started tapering the verapamil.  Maybe that was why I was experiencing the cloggy ear and stabbing pain in the ear cause I was lowering the verapamil dosage.  My sister gets migraines and she seems affected by weather as well as from her period.  I don't get a period though.  If air pressure has something to do with it I hope doctors find out how to counter it.  Glad I don't live in a rainforest.  Peace.  Stu

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by Ueli on Jul 2nd, 2003, 10:18am

on 03/12/03 at 19:26:49, Ueli wrote:
Barometric pressure
Can please somebody tell me how and where in our body barometric pressure is sensed? We all know the pressure in the ears by fast changes in elevation, like driving over a mountain road. But reports that this starts a CH attack are few and far between. And yet, the difference in air pressure going up 1000 or 2000 feet is the same as between a meteorological high and low. So how can the pressure change from a weather front trigger a CH when it takes many hours to pass?


I'm still wondering,
Ueli

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by Brian_Y on Jul 2nd, 2003, 10:28am
I think it does.  My CHs mainly occur in the Fall, so it clearly has SOMETHING to do with "weather" or seasonal changes.

Plus, being in an airplane or up in the mountains can trigger an episode....

Thoughts?

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by stuey on Jul 2nd, 2003, 10:36am
I got this off the web:SUNDAY, April 20 (HealthScoutNews) -- Decreases in barometric pressure typically signal an approaching storm, but for many such changes can also be a forecast for physical pain.

From headaches to bone pain, various discomforts have long been associated with the types of weather changes that can be particularly drastic during spring and fall. Yet, just as many people fail to fully comprehend how barometric pressure works, doctors are still largely in the dark as to how it causes some to suffer pain.

One of the most common types of problems linked to barometric pressure is arthritic pain. While there's no solid evidence showing precisely how arthritic pain is aggravated by weather changes, people have complained for centuries that their pain worsens with barometric pressure changes, as well as with increases in humidity.

Experts have theorized that external pressure changes could somehow impact the pressure against joints inside the body, but the relationship remains a mystery.

Migraine headaches are another malady associated with pressure changes. According to the National Headache Foundation, barometric changes can cause the blood vessels in the head to swell to compensate for changes in oxygen levels, hence leading to the headache.

Stuey


Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by Brian_Y on Jul 2nd, 2003, 11:02am
I think all of this is connected with circadian changes as well.

It may well be something propogated by the Bush family too.  But more likely it is clearly a weather/pressure/body's reaction to time and space issue


B

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by vig on Jul 2nd, 2003, 11:09am
My worst 'periods' are at season change too.

but my hunch is that weather has little to do with it.

I was more into thinking that it had more to with Length of Day (resetting internal clock).

The other trail I was trying to follow is metabolism changes.  I live in Chicago and I have a cold weather, low metabolism for 6 months and then it gets hot and I have a hot weather, high metabolism for the next 6, back and forth, year after year.  Two distinct run-states.   The Clusters come at metabolism shift time.

Still fishing, grasping at straws, etc.....

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by stuey on Jul 2nd, 2003, 11:14am
I found this and will include it for those who are interested:

"For many years, we have known that weather changes can act as triggers for migraine attacks," says Dr. Seymour Diamond, director and founder of the National Headache Foundation. However, he adds, "previous studies have shown that barometric pressure changes, rather than the combination of low humidity and cold weather are responsible."

"Many factors have to be considered in the genesis of migraine headache," adds Dr. Jerome Goldstein, director of the San Francisco Clinical Research Center and Headache Clinic. "Because migraine headache is a multifactorial process with a genetic propensity, conditions such as weather, allergies, stress, menstrual flow, food and alcohol [to name a few] can either trigger or make migraine headaches worse."

As a follow-up, Goldstein suggests a study to compare the weather findings "to folks who have migraine headache primarily when in an airplane or those who ascend the Western Mountain regions in a few hours. These would certainly add validity to this report." These conditions would mean a rapid change to low barometric pressure, possible low temperatures and low humidity.

Rapoport adds that, although many other things can trigger migraines, he's confident the wealth of data available and the length of the study is enough to cancel out other variables.

"We don't know what [it] is in the weather yet," says Rapoport. "We think it is related to brain function, perhaps changes in the receptors that monitor brain function or temperature of the blood, but it's pure speculation."

"We're only beginning to know the weather pattern," he adds. This data "will help us analyze what factors make patients sensitive and what forms of treatment are best for the weather patterns."


Of course CHs were excluded, it would seem we unfortunates are affected as well.  You be your own judge.  Peace.  Stuey :-/ :-/


Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by Mark C on Jul 2nd, 2003, 12:43pm
An interesting train of thought....my personal experience is I get hammered no matter what the weather. I have been looking outward for something environmental to change to gain SOME control over the beast for years. I have had little success.

I appreciate the efforts of many well educated people to continue the search for some outward relief, however, I still believe looking INWARD, to the root of the cause is where our relief lies....there is something is wrong with our brains...mechanical, chemical or whatever combination you may choose. I base this statement of the fact that Imitrex is the only thing to ever give me true relief...it does something to my brain. Cause and effect.  

I predict one day we will take one pill a day, or shot a month or whatever and our suffering will be over...just like so many horrible diseases have been eliminated as a threat. I hope to live long enough to see it. Given the fact so few of us exist, at least on paper, the cure is not searched for with the resources that AIDS or some other hugely more dangerous disease. That makes sense to me, untill I get hammered.

Still searching Mark

PS-I have a weather station just above my PC, 56% humidity, 80o, 29.35" of mercury.  
;D

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by sueellen83 on Jul 2nd, 2003, 12:44pm
Hey Stuey,

  I have wondered about the Barometric Pressure question myself.  It does seem like it affects my CH's when I'm in cycle.  

   I wonder some times if Le Ninio (sic) has any thing to do with it too. LOL.  Seems I go into cycle when El Ninio
comes around.

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by stuey on Jul 2nd, 2003, 1:35pm
I just thought of something profound ---- whether barometric pressure does or doesn't have something to do with our attacks it still sucks big time!!!!!

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by catlind on Jul 2nd, 2003, 1:53pm
I have no idea if barometric pressure has any true effect, but I know that the heat and humidity in the summer are a killer for my CH.

I have my very own meteorologist in the house in the form of my hubby, and it hasn't helped me one bit with CH ;)

Cat

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by Live4Fun on Jul 2nd, 2003, 2:04pm
First hot and humid week of the year is usually the trigger for my cycle to begin. Rainy days are always worse for me too.

Damn weather! Damn it all to hell!!!  :-/ ;D

Bryan

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by stuey on Jul 2nd, 2003, 2:13pm
Yes it sucks.  I understand why they are called suicide headaches now cause i have thought some silly stuff these last months.  but when i really considered stupid things i decided i better live cause i haven't been to niagara falls yet or new orleans, i couldn't eat ice cream cones, pizza no more or hot dogs or Thai food, or hear good music or watch reruns of buffy the vampire slayer so i have hung on.  just didn't give a damn cause of the CH.  i am praying cause today i didn't pop one pill yet and have felt nothing!!!!!  thanks all for your input.   when i say i pray for folks i really do cause i believe prayer works.  peace.  stuey

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by Live4Fun on Jul 2nd, 2003, 2:19pm
Stuey,

and I am praying that your day continues to be PF :)

PF prayers, vibes, and thoughts for you and for all my clusterbuds :)

Bryan

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by Karla on Jul 2nd, 2003, 3:19pm
Everytime right before it rains I can feel it in my knees (no cartlege) and in my head.  I get strong shadows for a day or so before it rains or snows.  Once the pressure moves through I am ok and back to normal but there is definatly intensity in my head related to barometric changes.

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by stuey on Jul 2nd, 2003, 3:28pm
We just went outside to smoke a cigarette and the wind is just blowing hard and one guy says a hurricane is on the way down in Baltimore now.  I was like oh great.  On the way down i felt the feeling coming on that an attack is on the way.  I popped a Relpax when I got back upstairs but the pain isn't that bad, maybe it's a shadow or whatever like everybody keeps talkin about.  i still am not sure exactly what shadows really feel like.  all the #$$*t hurts to me.

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by echo on Jul 2nd, 2003, 3:50pm
Extreme rapid pressure changes are always an invitation for the beast to dance with me.  Another is air travel above 28 - 30 K feet.

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by stuey on Jul 2nd, 2003, 3:54pm
While we're at it i wish someone would tell me how everybody get's all the cool photos and stuff on their e=mails.  i get tired of just these faces from this smiley list.

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by Charlie on Jul 2nd, 2003, 3:57pm
Dunno about pressure but there has to be something going on at the change of seasons. So many of us experience this horror in fall and spring but isn't the change in pressure pretty gradual? I'm missing something I guess.

Ten years before what I know was my first attack, I felt my head was being torn off when my flight made a quick descent at Newark. It happened only once but it was the exact same area where my CH hit. That was pressure and I suspect unrelated but for the area.

Charlie

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by eyes_afire on Jul 2nd, 2003, 6:24pm
I'm not so sure, Charlie.
Still, when I look at the cluster survey I can't see that there is any significant evidence to suggest anything special about fall and spring:

Cycles start:
spring:  13%
summer:  9%
fall:  15%
winter:  7%
random:  34%

That means that only 28% of episodic clusterheads can anticipate their cycle starting in fall or spring.  That's certainly not a majority... hell, that's not even a plurality.

I used to be a fall clusterhead,
then I changed to a winter clusterhead,
and then a spring clusterhead,
and now I'm also a summer clusterhead.
???

--- Steve, one of many...

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by jonny on Jul 2nd, 2003, 7:05pm

on 07/02/03 at 10:18:57, Ueli wrote:
I'm still wondering,
Ueli


LMAO, U-MAN!

I was going to say..."Keep wondering" ;D

..........................jonny

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by kim on Jul 2nd, 2003, 7:16pm
Yep.  Keep wunderin......I DO.  Why is it that a rainy season rivaling Africa's which suddenly overnight switches to tropical island .............BAM.  I gotta keep wunderin.....maybe there IS somethin amiss in the brain that fine tunes like a raido station that only tunes in to certain stations.

Or - I could just be crackers ;D ???

diggin in the dirt

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by Marc on Jul 2nd, 2003, 7:22pm
I'm chronic and I fly pretty much every week. For years I was convinced that altitude was a trigger - almost every time I flew I'd get nailed. But then I noticed that I didn't often get hit when backpacking in the high country - even at 10-11,000 feet. That seemed weird because commercial aircraft are pressurized to an equivalent of about 8,000 feet.

Eventually, I figured out that my CH's were coming on because I kicked back and relaxed during the flight.

As someone I know says: "Stay stressed. Never relax. Never sleep. Ever."

Marc

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by BarbaraD on Jul 2nd, 2003, 7:48pm
I've been saying for years that the barometer had something to do with mine. But I can predict rain also with my bad knee. Old football injury (from chasing an old football player). Seriously folks... seasonal changes have always brought on worse attacks for me.

I've traveled pretty much around the world and it does't matter what part - the barometer changes - the headaches hit.  ??? There's some stuff in the archives on this. I think we discussed this about three years ago in depth.

Hugs BD

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by kim on Jul 2nd, 2003, 8:01pm
What the hell ya chasin an OLD football player for? ;D  

tight end fan meself. :D

Bad hip chick 8)

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by jonny on Jul 2nd, 2003, 8:10pm
Ive flown over 20,000 miles in the last 3 years and have never been hit and im chronic....are you saying that flying is a trigger?.....anyone.

.............................jonny

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by Marc on Jul 2nd, 2003, 8:34pm
Jonny,

Three years ago I would have adamantly argued "yes" based on my experiences flying well over 100,000 miles per year.

I'm not about to try to convince someone else that their experiences are wrong......because I was positive that flying was trigger.

Marc

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by kim on Jul 2nd, 2003, 8:36pm
Why is barometric pressure instantly interpretated for FLYING? ???  Barometric pressure exists in varying degrees ....dunt gotta be in aplane......... ???

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by Mark C on Jul 3rd, 2003, 4:46pm
Understanding air pressure (http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wbarocx.htm)


"Units of pressure
In the U.S., air pressure at the surface is reported in inches of mercury while air pressure aloft is reported in millibars, also known as hectopascals (hPa). Scientists, however, generally use pressures in hectopascals."

Title: Re: Wondering about Barometric Pressure
Post by stevegeebe on Jul 3rd, 2003, 9:33pm
Flew in from Houston today in a storm.  I was waiting for a visit because it has happened before under similar circumstances but none came... thank God.

Go figure.

Steve G



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