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What Causes Headache With Nausea After Doing Exercises?
Question: I am a professional amateur bodybuilder. Since last year I suddenly started having exercise related headaches. It happens only while lifting heavy and not while doing cardio and light weights. I consulted a neurologist and she prescribed me Amitriptyline and Betcap tr 40. It worked for a year but then suddenly, I am having the pain again and more severe than before. Headache with nasuea feeling. The prescribed meds only helps in numbing the pain not removing it so, I can't exercise. Moreover I started developing asthma type of symptoms, which gets relieve only after taking montelukast & levocetrizine tablets.
I really need to get over this headaches so that I can continue lifting heavy weights. Advice on both preventive and immediate relieve medicines would be highly appreciated
XXXXXXX
I really need to get over this headaches so that I can continue lifting heavy weights. Advice on both preventive and immediate relieve medicines would be highly appreciated
XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
What is the dose of amitriptyline you are taking?
Detailed Answer:
Hi xxxxxxxxxxx,
Thanks for being on healthcaremagic.com.
I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist,here to answer your query.
I would surely like to address your concerns at my best,but I need to have a little firsthand information,to answer it well.
What was the dose of amitriptyline you were taking?10 mg or 25 mg?
Also,did you increase the dose of Betacap TR from 40 mg?or are you still persisting with the same dose?
Exercise appears to be a trigger for your headache and with your medication history,I assume that your working diagnosis is 'Exercise induced Migraine' with 'Exercise induced asthma'.
So,best management of course,is to avoid the trigger and that is to avoid the exercise.However,as you said that you are a bodybuilder and you can't quit heavy exercises-in that case,you will have to be on preventive medicines.
As if now,we can increase the dose of amitriptyline(in case you are taking 10 mg) and betacap(40 mg is the starting dose).Also,other preventive medicines like flunarizine and topiramate can be considered.
For acute management,Sumatriptan 85 mg,can be considered as Rizatriptan has not worked in your case.Vasograin is another alternative but then,it has its own side effects.Apart from that Opioids(like Tramadol) can be tried,keeping in mind that NSAIDS do not bring much effect(as you have mentioned).
I shall be glad to have you in follow-up with further queries.
Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
What is the dose of amitriptyline you are taking?
Detailed Answer:
Hi xxxxxxxxxxx,
Thanks for being on healthcaremagic.com.
I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist,here to answer your query.
I would surely like to address your concerns at my best,but I need to have a little firsthand information,to answer it well.
What was the dose of amitriptyline you were taking?10 mg or 25 mg?
Also,did you increase the dose of Betacap TR from 40 mg?or are you still persisting with the same dose?
Exercise appears to be a trigger for your headache and with your medication history,I assume that your working diagnosis is 'Exercise induced Migraine' with 'Exercise induced asthma'.
So,best management of course,is to avoid the trigger and that is to avoid the exercise.However,as you said that you are a bodybuilder and you can't quit heavy exercises-in that case,you will have to be on preventive medicines.
As if now,we can increase the dose of amitriptyline(in case you are taking 10 mg) and betacap(40 mg is the starting dose).Also,other preventive medicines like flunarizine and topiramate can be considered.
For acute management,Sumatriptan 85 mg,can be considered as Rizatriptan has not worked in your case.Vasograin is another alternative but then,it has its own side effects.Apart from that Opioids(like Tramadol) can be tried,keeping in mind that NSAIDS do not bring much effect(as you have mentioned).
I shall be glad to have you in follow-up with further queries.
Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi Dr. XXXXXXX Panwar,
Thank you for the quick response.
The dosages are 10mg and 40mg respectively. However, it gives me heavy drowsiness the entire day as Amitriptyline is prescribed for night time and betcap tr 40 early in the morning. Moreover, I get the feeling that this meds are adding fat to my body.
Yes, NSAIDS doesn't seem to work nor Rizatriptan. I tried Vasograin too but this too is not very effective. It does work but not good enough to continue lifting weights.
I can deal with drowsiness and other side effects provided I would be able to manage the pain while lifting weights.
Regards,
Thank you for the quick response.
The dosages are 10mg and 40mg respectively. However, it gives me heavy drowsiness the entire day as Amitriptyline is prescribed for night time and betcap tr 40 early in the morning. Moreover, I get the feeling that this meds are adding fat to my body.
Yes, NSAIDS doesn't seem to work nor Rizatriptan. I tried Vasograin too but this too is not very effective. It does work but not good enough to continue lifting weights.
I can deal with drowsiness and other side effects provided I would be able to manage the pain while lifting weights.
Regards,
Brief Answer:
Dose of Betacap TR can be increased/Topiramate can be considered.
Detailed Answer:
Hi xxxxxxx,
Thanks for being in follow-up.
Amitriptyline may cause weight gain in some individuals.So,it may be the cause.
Though,increasing the dose of amitriptyline may be potentially helpful for headache but I am not suggesting you to do the same at present because of your drowsiness and weight gain complaints.
Instead,I suggest that you should make Betacap TR 40 twice a day instead of one time.
Even if then,the symptoms persist, Topiramate 50 mg per day can be started for prophylaxis as it will also promote weight loss,besides being an excellent prophylactic drug for migraine.
You can try Sumatriptan 85 mg for acute event.You should take it at the moment,you realise that you are about to have a severe headache.It does not bring much effect once the peak of the headache has arrived.
PLEASE TAKE ALL MEDICINES UNDER A PHYSICIAN'S GUIDANCE.
If you have further questions,I shall be glad to have you in follow-up.
Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Dose of Betacap TR can be increased/Topiramate can be considered.
Detailed Answer:
Hi xxxxxxx,
Thanks for being in follow-up.
Amitriptyline may cause weight gain in some individuals.So,it may be the cause.
Though,increasing the dose of amitriptyline may be potentially helpful for headache but I am not suggesting you to do the same at present because of your drowsiness and weight gain complaints.
Instead,I suggest that you should make Betacap TR 40 twice a day instead of one time.
Even if then,the symptoms persist, Topiramate 50 mg per day can be started for prophylaxis as it will also promote weight loss,besides being an excellent prophylactic drug for migraine.
You can try Sumatriptan 85 mg for acute event.You should take it at the moment,you realise that you are about to have a severe headache.It does not bring much effect once the peak of the headache has arrived.
PLEASE TAKE ALL MEDICINES UNDER A PHYSICIAN'S GUIDANCE.
If you have further questions,I shall be glad to have you in follow-up.
Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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