migraines from high BP and pulse?

[Italybound62]

Hi

I suddenly started getting daily migraines in the last month. I am just putting 2 and 2 together. I noticed new condition where my heart is racing so I checked my BP and pulse and they both get very high at night which is when my migraines start (I am taking steroids for an autoimmune condition and suspect it may be causing this problem)

**Does anyone know if Migraines can be triggered by high BP/pulse?**

I’d love to have hope that the migraines can go away if I get the BP under control. I’m getting EKG today.

[Cb1963]

👋 hi, interesting point, I reckon migraines can be due to having high blood pressure, when I first started with my headaches and don't underestimate the word headaches, as my type of condition were called cluster headaches, and these are the worst ones to have, they are sometimes called " suicide " headaches, they are brutal 😢 and take you to dark places My headaches were always in the early hours and I could feel my heart thumping away, I think you might be in a different country and I was first prescribed propananol, it's a beta blocker, however I needed to see a neurologist to get a totally different medication, and that what I suggest you do, doctors aren't qualified enough to diagnosis a migraine properly and will start you on general medication to see if your condition improves, but there's numerous types of headaches and that's why I suggest a specific consultant to help you with your migraines, best of luck!!!

[Italybound62 in reply to Cb1963]

I often wondered if my migraines were considered cluster because I get them daily at the same time of day . And they are horrible. But never got that diagnosis so I guess not. I think maybe with cluster the pain never goes away for days?

Yes thank you. I am seeing Neurologist today I am leaving for Europe vacation in 1 week and I dread being on airplane with these migraines and ruining things for my family on the trip 🙏

[Cb1963 in reply to Italybound62]

The pain with cluster headaches comes on fairly rapidly, symptoms start feeling hot, and then the pain is normally on one side of your head, often a blocked nose and intense pain behind the eyeball, and the headaches are daily, my were always in the early hours of the morning, and caused me to rock and cry with this pain, hopefully you'll get a diagnosis and some medication best of luck!

[Italybound62 in reply to Cb1963]

Yes that sounds like what I used to get almost exactly

This time the pain is on top of my head so I think different. I get some relief with one of those head ice caps.

[Cavapoochonowner]

Hello there I have had migraines since I was around 14 years old. I have taken different treatments over the years. I am now 59.The causes of my migraines have been mainly due to hormones eg periods,pregnancy, menopause, and also due to stress.

In 2018 I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition graves disease which affects your thyroid making it go over active.This results in basically your body speeding up.Fast heart rate,losing weight amongst other things. At this time my migraines returned with a vengeance. I went to A and E with a heart rate of nearly 100 from just sitting and with a bad migraine. I was put on a beta blocker(proprananol) every day to slow my heart rate and my migraines are now virtually non existant(touch wood).

I am on a migraine preventative amitriptyline (been on that since before my thyroid problem) and the beta blocker still(now changed to atenonol).It is a small daily dose,but beta blockers are used as a migraine preventative.

Hope this helps you and good luck.

[Italybound62 in reply to Cavapoochonowner]

Thank you. I feel like what you describe is very similar to me. I have had migraines since my teens also and assumed for the same reasons you stated. It’s just that mine went away for the last 3 years with the onset of an autoimmune disease where I started taking steroids.(Steroids do mess up your blood pressure and heart rate so I was put on blood pressure meds 3 years ago). . And so the migraines just now came back. 7 years ago I was put on beta blocker and Nortriptyline for migraines. I’m still taking the beta blocker. My heart rate also goes up to over 100 at night also which is when the pain starts.

I went to General Doctor yesterday for EKG she said which was “normal” and she was not concerned with my daily increased heart rate pattern. I am frustrated with this. Likely need to pursue this elsewhere

I am seeing my old neurologist today (it’s been 3 years) and will see what she says. Back then not a lot worked for me and we were just about to try Botox which I really didn’t want to do. I instead just took Maxalt when the migraines started and they worked reasonably well enough to get me by until they finally stopped in 2021. .

I wonder if my Neurologist will change the propranolol dosage, put me back on Nortriptyline and hopefully add a another one of those new migraine preventers that has come out in the last few years. The number of meds I am on between this condition, my autoimmune, my osteoporosis (also caused by steroids) is staggering and before this happened again I was really trying to wean myself off some of them. I guess no such luck right now. When I get back from vacation in September I will work again on trying to wean off these darn steroids. They will add another med for that 😩

[Cavapoochonowner]

Hello again You sound as if you're having a right time of it.I know what you mean about tablets for this ,tablets for that,another tablet to counter act the side effects of the tablets.I hope your neurologist had some solutions for you.It could be the steroids increasing your heart rate but it doesn't help you now if you need them.I only had to take steroids once,for 6 weeks after my thyroidectomy, gradually weaning off them.I must admit I felt like a new woman while taking them but understand they can cause problems if you take them long term.Wishing you the best of luck.