I responded to a thread on the Ob/gyn specialty site, but would like to ask my question in a wider forum for maximum input. I am having a major issue with migraines.
No, don't want medical advice. I've got my MD's. I just want to know if anyone has seen this before, or experienced it.
When I get a migraine (and they've been coming about every 6 days) I get outrageous autonomic system swings. There's the usual stuff (throwing up, etc.) but I have some extreme CV symptoms.
During the onset and when it's peaking my BP goes off the chart (205/110, 190/130... not making this up!) and I'm somewhat tachycardic and having arrhythmias, no angina, just a heavy feeling in my chest. (Duh!) When it keeps going up, I have to take labetolol.
THEN, I get a massive sympathetic withdrawal, within 8-12 hours... BP tanks. 60/palp, can't stand up. I try to avoid the beta blockers for this reason, but... don't want to have a blow-out with that kind of hypertension. My internist and cardiologist know about this. They just have never seen it. We are not changing my ARB because it's the right dose for me except for these episodes.
Surely I am not the only person that does this. There are almost 30 million migraine sufferers in America. And nurses see a lot of them. I'd appreciate your observations.
They tried me on so many different types of migraine meds that i can't remember them all. I started with migraines in puberty and am now 52 and still get them. I no longer take anything except the Excedrin, I was told to take it from a 87yr old patient who suggested I take them. They work so Dr took me off everything else. Haven't taken any scripts in close to 10 years and migraines are controlled as long as I catch them early enough.
Migraine is so different with different people. It makes it hard to study. I don't get a warning... wish I did, then could maybe take something. But I can go from zero to really sick in 10 minutes or less.
I mentioned I'm a hard science type person...but I've been to chiropractors (got 8 months of pretty much relief) and massage therapy (not much for the migraines but they feel good.) I would be willing to give anything a go I think.
Migraine is so different with different people. It makes it hard to study. I don't get a warning... wish I did, then could maybe take something. But I can go from zero to really sick in 10 minutes or less.
I mentioned I'm a hard science type person...but I've been to chiropractors (got 8 months of pretty much relief) and massage therapy (not much for the migraines but they feel good.) I would be willing to give anything a go I think.
I used to think I didn't get a warning either but when I finally (after a lot of years) sat down and thought about it properly I realised that I actually did. I get a vague feeling of uneasiness, I can't describe it any better than that. It's not really pain and its such a vague sensation that while I 'sort of' notice it, it's also very easy to ignore. If I can take my 2 paracetamol and 2 ibuprofen right then I'll most likely be able to ward off the migraine. Waiting even 10 or 15 minutes is too long for me.
It's a fascinating subject for sure. As I said in the other thread, I had a course of acupuncture several years ago and it really helped, it was only 3 visits. I'm a hard science type too and I didn't believe it would work but it improved my life a lot and I think it's definitely worth a try. There's nothing to lose if it doesn't work.
One of the studies I read suggested this as a conclusion
" Moreover, ANS dysfunction and migraine may share a common neural substrate." Another study said that migraines with ANS involvement some responded well to acupuncture.
Seems to be well documented in the literature - here is a NIH study -
I don't know if anyone mentioned this yet but I should think your migraines would be CAUSED by that high of a BP! Or do the migraines come first? Do you take the BP at the onset of symptoms and it's normal but then starts to elevate as the migraine worsens? And then you take the labetelol.
Maybe your body is responding severely to the pain causing the severe rise in BP, then when the pain diminishes and [in combination with] taking the labetelol, your BP is tanking.
Hmm, interesting. I've never tried taking my vitals when experiencing a migraine so I'm not sure what I'm like (but I also live alone and I don't have an electronic BP monitor, just a manual one, and doing a manual BP on myself is hard! lol). The closest I've gotten is when I was experiencing a particularly stubborn migraine that wouldn't go away, so I visited a doctor's clinic. The MD took my BP and it was normal (like 110/70-ish). Granted, my migraine at that time wasn't too bad.
With my migraines, I get the usual severe pain in my head, sensitivity to light, and (usually) nausea to varying degrees. Most of the time, too, I think I get some sort of orthostatic hypotension because if I change position, it's like a weight shifts in my head and I feel dizzy and and off balance for a little bit until I settle down again.
The doctor put me on amitriptyline 10mg qhs due to my migraines showing signs of being chronic, and it seems to work in helping to prevent them. I still get headaches every now and then, but they're never severe. If I stop taking it, the migraines come back within a couple of days.
Specializes in Current: Nursing Informatics Past:ICU.
Take a look at dysautonomia. The syptoms you describe sounds a lot like POTS. Its a real problem that a lot of medical professionals ignore or just think the patient is making it all up because the symptoms vary greatly from person to person.
Not sure if this is what your looking for but, when my migraines hit I have all the symptoms of having a heart attack. Tightness in chest wrapping around complete chest, pains shooting down my arms, and up my jaw. But, this all starts from the right side not the left. My orders from my Dr. are to get to the nearest ER and have an EKG done each time it happens. Usually after the EKG they hit me with morphine which makes me sick to my stomach but knocks me out so when I wake the migraine is gone. These migraines are kinda rare for me, usually once a year, but I have figured out what my warning symptoms are and if I take Excedrin Migraine within the first 1/2 hour of symptom start I can stop the migraine. Why Excedrin Migraine works for me when all the prescription meds they gave me didn't is a mystery. As for my BP, it's usually low but when the pain is that bad it is high but not as high as your is.
Wish it was. My migraines are hormonally related, my Mother and Grandmother had them from puberty to menopause too. Funny tho, none of my sisters get them, just me.
After years of dealing with them I noticed that before the migraine starts I get a pain in my left eye. If I take my meds within 1/2 hour of that pain starting I can stop the migraine, if I don't take the meds in time I'm in for 2 to 3 days of heck as nothing short of morphine will stop them.
CompleteUnknown
352 Posts
I've never even thought to check my BP during a migraine, don't think I'd want to know really.
I do feel weak and shaky before it starts to ease off though. I've always just assumed that everyone feels that way.