Posted by Linda S on January 31, 1999 at 23:20:02:
In Reply to: HEADAACHE/BRAIN SPECIALISTS posted by Flo on January 30, 1999 at 09:10:20:
Flo,
My prayers are with you and Rich...
I'm a CH patient who has also been affected by spontaneous vessel bursting. I've been a chronic cluster headache sufferer since Mar 24, 1998. I started getting vessel bursts in June and it has continued until my most recent episode (11 in all) in Dec. As it turns out I wasn't able to get a doctor to be very concerned. One doctor told me I must have fallen to have a bruise like that. Of course, my husband and I knew better because when I have these headaches you can actually see the small vessels near my temples throbbing. We even watched in the mirror as one burst. It's a very scary feeling especially if the doctors don't seem to be concerned with it. I was told that this type of vessels bursting has nothing to do with the vessels in your brain (aneurysm). I still don't really believe that by the way. I’ve had vessel bursts in all parts of my body not just near my head and neck.
Finally, Dec 30, I had my last vessel burst after my daily CH episode, when I went to the local doctor and just asked them to take all my vital signs just for “kicks”. My blood pressure was 172 over 94. It was then determined that even though my blood pressure always read normal any other time I had been to the doctor, I must be having extremely intense situations that are causing my vessels to burst. It appears that the constant change in meds and the meds themselves were not acting as they should and causing my vessel walls to be weakened. I was told to come off all meds. Not a hard decision for me to make since they hadn’t found anything to help prevent these wretched headaches anyway. I have an episode of CH everyday/night the kicker is that I get migraines as well if I don’t get enough sleep. Those of you with CH know you hardly ever get enough sleep. Anyway…
Was Rich on any other type of medicine besides the Imitrex? I believe my problem stemmed from having been on so many different types of meds. I believe you are on the right path. Stay with the doctor that is giving credence to the fact that the two can be or are related. I’d be interested to know what the doctors determine to be the cause of Rich’s bleeder.
Good Luck,
Linda