OUCH(UK) Organisation for the Understanding of Cluster Headache

Donate

Advice Line

0800 6696 824

ECH Heart rate and Blood Pressure.

6 posts / 0 new
Last post
#1 Thu, 09/10/2014 - 19:32
RichardW
Offline
Last seen: 7 years 2 months ago
Joined: 26/02/2014 - 14:35

ECH Heart rate and Blood Pressure.

Have now just started my usual Autumn ECH bout. Are there any heart rate or blood pressure issues when in an attack.

Also I picked up the idea from the forum to raise heart rate when taking Zomig pills to speed up absorption to the head. This seems to work for me and I can abort in 15-20mins. Is this valid or an urban myth?

Fri, 10/10/2014 - 09:24
Val
Offline
Last seen: 16 hours 35 min ago
Joined: 21/03/2012 - 15:16

Hi Richard

I'm amazed that the Zomig pills even work, anything you take by mouth has to be absorbed by the gut before it starts to work and that's a process that goes at its own speed, but can take at least an hour - way too long for a CHer, and that's if it does work.  Generally speaking triptans in tablet form just aren't strong enough for CH, you need either the nasal sprays, or best of all the sumatriptan injections.  Should take about 15 mins or so with the nasal sprays and 8 to 10 minutes with the injections.  Talk to your neuro.Or call the helpline to discuss further.

Val.

Fri, 10/10/2014 - 10:45
PeterM
PeterM's picture
Offline
Last seen: 5 years 11 months ago
Joined: 21/03/2012 - 15:17

Hi Richard – sorry to hear you are back in bout.  In short, and perhaps unsurprisingly, both heart rate and blood pressure tends to increase during an attack.

The official line is as follows:

"Increase in heart rate at the onset of an attack, decrease in heart rate after attacks, and rhythm disturbances.  These consist of frequent premature ventricular beats, transient episodes of atrial fibrillation, and first-degree atrioventricular block or sinoatrial block.  Both diastolic and systolic blood pressures may also be increased."

ATB
Peter

Fri, 10/10/2014 - 12:56
Phil
Offline
Last seen: 2 months 2 weeks ago
Joined: 26/02/2014 - 17:02

Also, when you're in distress, all your systems are affected.
Stomach absorption slows, I assume relatively to the amount of pain.

Sun, 12/10/2014 - 17:53
RichardW
Offline
Last seen: 7 years 2 months ago
Joined: 26/02/2014 - 14:35

Many thanks for responses. I don't get beyond KIP8/9 and seem to cope with pain for 15 mins or so and sometimes with a Polar Pack on my head. Am OK with Zomig pills as long as they are the branded ones not generics and with exercise when I have taken one.

At present I sleep sitting up and get attacks at Kip 5/6 which I can cope with.

Heart rate stuff really interesting as I have been tested for Atrial Fibrillation but then got cleared of it. I go rowing twice a week and have not collapsed yet.

Sat, 14/04/2018 - 16:16
PeterH 2
Offline
Last seen: 5 years 11 months ago
Joined: 26/02/2014 - 15:05

Hi

I’m an ECH sufferer and have just picked up that I’ve had a pretty significant increase in blood pressure in the last week or so.

Since I’m overdue a cluster I wondered if this is a “tell” and if anyone else experienced this before a cluster

 

Cheers

 

Peter H

 

Login to add comments

Share This

© OUCH(uk) 2024 | email: info@ouchuk.org
Registered Charity No. 1091919 | Registered in England Company No. 04339368