Fatigue?
#1
Thu, 12/01/2023 - 12:34
Fatigue?
Morning All,
I'm an CH sufferer but haven't had a bout now for 6 years or so, not since I was put on 720mg of Verapamil per day. Since then I've suffered badly with fatigue and feeling drained all the time. I sleep for 9 or 10 hours a night no problem. I've long suspected the medication is at least partly to blame, now I want to establish if it is and see if there is anything that can be done.
Has anyone suffered fatigue like symptoms when taking Verapamil?
There is no way I'm going to stop taking it, even as an experiment to see if it is the Verapmil, I don't want those little nasties coming back!
Pete
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Hi Pete,
Have a chat to your Pharmacist as they know well the different side effects to meds! Also I think on the leaflet it does state that there can be some fatigue with verapamil. Sadly the meds we take do have side effects, you could also ask the Pharmacist if there is anything that can be done to reduce the fatigue or help, not sure there is but it might be worth asking!
Thanks Elizabeth,
thats not a bad idea! I've read the leaflet and had a look online, tiredness, fatigue and lethargy are all listed as possible side effects but not common, they also seem rather played down like it shouldn't be much of a problem, but i guess thats more for people on a regular dose for their hearts. The level at which i'm suffering it is impacting on my quality of life, not as much as the headaches did though! I'll see what the pharmacist says, i doubt theres much that can be done, but if someone said 'oo yes, your bound to be tired and lethergic on that level of meds' i'd feel a loy happier, at the moment i don't really know whats causing it and its bothering me, i'm not just getting old am i?!
cheers
pete
Hi Pete,
I realise this is a few month later now and not sure how you're doing on verapamil but I take it currently at 600mg and I get pretty bad fatigue. My legs swell up and I have to sit down even when I'm not that tired sometimes but just been on my feet for too long and have to raise them. I'm still going through an episode at the moment that might actually be the start of it becoming chronic as I'm 4 months in now and I've tried bringing the dose down every 2 weeks but every time I do I get a couple of firecracker in my eyeball the next day. I was told after 2weeks of no pain I can think about reducing the dose because I might have come out of the episode at that time. I know it will be a difficult decision and you may have already been given this advice but if you haven't, maybe it's worth giving it a go and seeing if the pain has in fact stopped now as it's been a long while since your last attack, and maybe you'll be able to actually run for 10 metres without needing a breather. --
Ben
Hiya Pete,
I came off Verapamil last winter when I suddenly found that my feet were covered (literally) in chilblains!! with no other explanation - until then for the previous 18mths I'd been walking round in a dream and my heart didn't know what to do (having 2 young collies - they needed exercise and walks) but I'd lean against a tree and fall asleep!! However since I've come off it, I have had constant headaches with barely 24hrs clear - but I'm alive again and surviving with nasel sprays and oxygen. Oh and the dogs are getting sensible walks again!
Thanks Elizabeth and Ben,
Thats really interesting, so it might have some fatiguing effects! I kept putting it down to age and a certain lifelong disinclination to get busy! I was also thinking it could be some sort of PTSD following a horrendous bout of headaches and suffering a blinding eye injury all at the same tme. Once i get going i'm often ok, i can push through the tiredness, but i can't walk anywhere near as far as i used to, hillwalking with my dog is out these days!
I don't seem to get any physical side effects, the muscles in my feet and ankles have tightened up which can be painful and restrictive at times but i haven't thought its a side effect, and occasionally in the evening my heart feels like its doing an Irish jig which i'm sure IS an effect. Overall i seem to tollerate the high dose quite well, i should be on 960mg per day but my heart really did protest so found 720mg the best compromise. I haven't contemplated reducing it, its not part of my treatment plan and I'd be very scared to, I still get what i call 'warnings', some sensations which used to precede a headache but which don't now develop. I would far rather keep the fatigue if it keeps the headaches away!
Out of interest i have the sumatriptan epi pens, when i was getting the headaches they were like magic, jag one in and in 5 minutes the headache was gone. Far better than oxygen (which i have as well), the oxygen would slowly reduce the pain but 20 mins after stopping the oxygen the pain would return, with the epi pens the pain didn't come back till the next night.
cheers
pete