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What Causes Severe Heart Palpitations While On Pur Bloka?

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Posted on Tue, 19 Jul 2016
Question: A neurologist prescribed pur bloka for my migraine type headaches. My blood pressure is normal. I have no anxiety. My thyroid medicine gave me heart palpitations but once I cut down on the dosage, the heart palpitations stopped. I have none of the symptoms that justify me using pur bloka. Nothing wrong with my heart as well. I don't want to start using it. It doesn't sound like the right medicine for me..
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dariush Saghafi (30 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Beta blockers commonly used for migraine PREVENTION

Detailed Answer:
Good morning and thank you for posing your question. I am a headache specialist and neurologist and will tell you that Pur Bloka (referred to as PROPRANOLOL in the U.S.) is an FDA approved treatment for the prevention of chronic migraine headaches.

Yes, beta blockers such as propranolol were ORIGINALLY designed and manufactured and are still used extensively in the control of blood pressure and hemodynamic regulatory considerations but they've been found to be quite useful in the prevention or prophylaxis of migraine headaches.

I utilize that treatment option quite extensively in appropriate cases and find that it works quite well in at least 60-70% of the patients who are correctly chosen. Those who should be taking propranolol are patients who suffer from TRUE MIGRAINE SYMPTOMS (severe one sided headaches of a throbbing/explosive nature, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and/or sound, duration at least 4hrs.) at least 1-2x/week. In those patients the use of a prophylactic agent is justified.

If you are having less than 1-2 episodes per week OR your symptoms do not truly measure up to those of a migraine headache then, I would agree that this medication may not be the best simply because it will not likely work very well.

If I've satisfactorily addressed your question could you do me the kindest of favors by CLOSING THIS QUERY and be sure to include some fine words of feedback on your opinion as to our transaction? Again, many thanks for posing your question to our attention on this network and do not forget to recontact me in the future at: www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi for additional questions, comments, or concerns having to do with this topic or others.

This query has utilized a total of 15 minutes of professional time in research, review, and synthesis for the purpose of formulating a return statement. I would absolutely love hearing from you once things have been properly worked up and diagnosed to know how your case turned out.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dariush Saghafi (6 hours later)
My headaches are one sided. At least twice a week. sometimes left side and sometimes on the right. I have a history of migraine and this does not have migraine symptoms. It feels like a vice like grip on the affected side. Do you have any suggestions of what to take? Or what kind of doctor to see?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dariush Saghafi (10 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Headaches still could be migraines

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for your follow up question.

In terms of the type of doctor who would be most expert for your problem of headaches the most specific and experienced professional would be somebody as myself, a headache specialist. Typically these are neurologists with a headache specific background.

In general when headaches are one sided then, they are usually considered to be some kind of migraine, hemicrania continua, paroxysmal hemicrania, or LEAST commonly, tension type headaches. If other symptoms are not easily within the classification of migraine then, one of the other headaches can be considered. One way in zooming in on the diagnosis is by asking patients to fill out what is referred to as a HEADACHE DIARY or HEADACHE LOG. This type of document is something that headache specialists are very comfortable with handing out and interpreting from their patients. General neurologists are also familiar with this type of document but likely utilize it with less frequency than headache specialists. However, a log is the most precise and consistent tool that can give a diagnosis to type of headache a person is experiencing with very high degree of sensitivity and accuracy or precision.

If I've satisfactorily addressed your question could you do me the kindest of favors by CLOSING THIS QUERY and be sure to include some fine words of feedback on your opinion as to our transaction? Again, many thanks for posing your question to our attention on this network and do not forget to recontact me in the future at: www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi for additional questions, comments, or concerns having to do with this topic or others.

This query has utilized a total of 28 minutes of professional time in research, review, and synthesis for the purpose of formulating a return statement. I would absolutely love hearing from you once things have been properly worked up and diagnosed to know how your case turned out.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dariush Saghafi (1 hour later)
I am also experiencing orgasmic headaches, or what they call "sex headaches". These feel as if somebody is crushing my head with something. It involves my whole head, not just one side and feels as if my head is going to explode. I can assure you that this is not caused by tension or anxiety. Any advice on that?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dariush Saghafi (15 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Multiple headache types deserves a headache diary analysis

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for additional information which was not provided in the beginning. If in fact, you are having orgasmic, coital, or "sex" headaches then, this clearly a different headache type from what you initially described.

I would even more so recommend a headache diary be filled out and analyzed by either your neurologist or a headache specialist since these headaches are treated differently from either migraines or tension type headaches.

Also, orgasmic headaches in some cases need to be further evaluated to be sure that there are no vascular anomalies such as carotid fistulae, cerebrovascular AVM's or aneurysms, or other pathologies which can be exacerbated by acute increased intracranial pressure which occurs as a result of sexual activity. Alternatively, if the headaches are not associated with any such pathology then, they may be classified as a primary subtype of we we categorize as TRIGEMINAL CEPAHLGIC HEADACHES (TAC's) and these are separately treatable using indomethacin for the most part as well as other medications which typically don't work very well for either migraines or tension type headaches.

And your last statement about the coital headaches NOT caused by tension or anxiety is true. It almost sounds as if you were thinking that I would ascribe these conditions to TAC's and that is not true. But also, know a couple of other pearls that are often times glossed over by patients and at times physicians. Tension type headaches are not named for their common connotation suggestive of pIf I've satisfactorily addressed your question could you do me the kindest of favors by CLOSING THIS QUERY and be sure to include some fine words of feedback on your opinion as to our transaction? Again, many thanks for posing your question to our attention on this network and do not forget to recontact me in the future at: www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi for additional questions, comments, or concerns having to do with this topic or others.

This query has utilized a total of 53 minutes of professional time in research, review, and synthesis for the purpose of formulating a return statement. I would absolutely love hearing from you once things have been properly worked up and diagnosed to know how your case turned out.sychological tension, anxiety, depression, etc. Having said that it is also clearly recognized that psychological tension, anxiety, and depression are the #1 TRIGGERS for ALL TYPES of headaches present in patients...and that's believed to be a true worldwide demographic. I understand that you don't feel that anxiety is an issue. I'm just mentioning this as an interesting statistic about tension headaches and what they are NOT believed to be due to insofar as the mechanism of pathology as well as how they are triggered more often times than not.


Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Dariush Saghafi

Neurologist

Practicing since :1988

Answered : 2473 Questions

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What Causes Severe Heart Palpitations While On Pur Bloka?

Brief Answer: Beta blockers commonly used for migraine PREVENTION Detailed Answer: Good morning and thank you for posing your question. I am a headache specialist and neurologist and will tell you that Pur Bloka (referred to as PROPRANOLOL in the U.S.) is an FDA approved treatment for the prevention of chronic migraine headaches. Yes, beta blockers such as propranolol were ORIGINALLY designed and manufactured and are still used extensively in the control of blood pressure and hemodynamic regulatory considerations but they've been found to be quite useful in the prevention or prophylaxis of migraine headaches. I utilize that treatment option quite extensively in appropriate cases and find that it works quite well in at least 60-70% of the patients who are correctly chosen. Those who should be taking propranolol are patients who suffer from TRUE MIGRAINE SYMPTOMS (severe one sided headaches of a throbbing/explosive nature, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and/or sound, duration at least 4hrs.) at least 1-2x/week. In those patients the use of a prophylactic agent is justified. If you are having less than 1-2 episodes per week OR your symptoms do not truly measure up to those of a migraine headache then, I would agree that this medication may not be the best simply because it will not likely work very well. If I've satisfactorily addressed your question could you do me the kindest of favors by CLOSING THIS QUERY and be sure to include some fine words of feedback on your opinion as to our transaction? Again, many thanks for posing your question to our attention on this network and do not forget to recontact me in the future at: www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi for additional questions, comments, or concerns having to do with this topic or others. This query has utilized a total of 15 minutes of professional time in research, review, and synthesis for the purpose of formulating a return statement. I would absolutely love hearing from you once things have been properly worked up and diagnosed to know how your case turned out.