Headache When Standing

[stacdliw]

I've had a bad couple of days where I get extremely out of breath with minor walking. I can tell my HR is becoming tachy, but something that I haven't noticed before is that my head feels like it's going to explode. The most pressure is at the base of my skull and at my temples. If I rest and my HR goes down, the head gets better.

Does anyone else experience this symptom?

[lieze]

YEah I have-could be your bp is up too.

It's amazing how incredibly horrible we can feel at times and then have it clear up.

I just ate a salad a little bit ago and I had so much in it it's hard to tell what set me off but something was making me feel like I was all topsy tervy, I don't know if that was a headache or what, but my head was spinning is the best way to describe it.

[janiedelite]

I've had this when my BP was high, low, and normal while standing. When my BP was high, my face would also be flushed and hot. The only thing that helped was lying down for an hour or more in a quiet room to slow the adrenaline. When my BP was low, lying down produced an immediate lessening of the headache. Pushing fluids also helped. When my BP was normal, I'd just keep the blinds pulled, rest when I was able, try all the POTS helps that I could.

Do you know if boosting your blood volume with fluids, salt or compression has helped this headache? I'm sure that summer heat is not helping you right now, as it causes further blood vessel dilation. I know it's hard to tolerate compression hose in the heat, but I have to wear them or I notice a slow but steady decrease in orthostatic tolerance. I keep spray bottles in each room and in the car to spray my hose, cool my legs, and the coolness on my skin helps with my BP and tachycardia too.

[TXPOTS]

I have headaches every time I try to be upright for a significant time. So much so that the physicians thought I had a cerebrospinal leak. After exhaustive investigation, this was ruled out, and I was diagnosed with POTS. Headaches in POTS can be from cerebral hypoperfusion or cerebral vasospam when upright. I second keeping very well hydrated, especially in the heat. Unfortunately, compression did not work for me, but it is worth a shot. I would try the compression hose, along with an abdominal binder. If anyone finds relief from these headaches, let me know. I assume they get better as the POTS gets better.

[nmorgen]

I get this same thing when my bp is high. Have you checked your bp while standing with these episodes? I usually sit down and take more medicine and try to hydrate myself.

It's funny TXPOTS, but they also thought I had a csf leak.

[handmadebyemy]

I do. I realized that subconsciously I started tilting my head down whenever I stood up - because I get that dizzy/tachycardia/headache feeling in my head immediately. Its crazy how our bodies automatically compensate for stuff like that.

[stacdliw]

Thanks for all of the replies. I just was diagnosed with POTS two weeks ago, so all of this is new to me. I'm scheduled for QSART testing next week. Prior to be prescribed salt pills 3x daily by the neurologist, I had never experienced those type of headaches.

I do own a blood pressure monitor, so I will take my BP the next time I have one of those episodes.