I Just Made A Vicodin Observation

[IDreamInColor]

I take a half of a vicodin once a month for the hormonal migraines. I took it this evening, and then an hour later I did my blood pressure and pulse while lying down, sitting up, and standing up (i've been keeping track of this to show the doctor)...anyway...normally my pulse jumps 20 to 30 points from lying down to standing up. But this time it only jumped 14 points an hour after the 1/2 vicodin, so now I'm wondering if vicodin has an effect on pulse? Would anyone happen to know?

[issie]

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[blueskies]

Hi IDream,

Yes, I take low dose opiates daily (for chronic daily migraine associated with pots or with a kneck injury depending on which of my specialists you speak to) and I know that very often they lower my bp and I suspect that they lower my pulse rate too. I don't get the 30 plus increase in pulse rate when I stand up unless it's first thing in the morning. I do get a heightened pulse rate still, but it seems that the numbers aren't as high as they used to be, much more often than not. But then again I've been experiencing a lot of rapid pulse rate with excessive sweating this past year, too, when lying down as well. I think it was a bp medication causing it. I stopped the medication and those symptoms seemed to have resolved. Knock on wood, I seem to be back in the mostly slower pulse rate now.

I had a surgical proceedure done two days ago which involved twilight sedation (can't remember a thing). When I woke up they were taking my bp and pulse. I asked 'low?' and they said 'yes, both low.' I would have been given some sort of opiates, I'm sure. I believe this response is normal for a non dys person so I think we do get some of that effect.

blue

[blueskies]

Hi issie,

Tramadol is supposed to be an amazing drug for those for whom it works. Some people get great pain relief(eg. my brother in law raves about it). Others like my sister and myself -- well it has no stronger pain killing properties for us than water. Glad it's working for you. I hope you are getting the sort of pain relief my brother in law talks about.

blue

[issie]

.It seemed that my grandmother had POTS, but it was never DX'd.

Issie

[blueskies]

How sad for your grandmother, Issie.

I was 50 when POTS was diagnosed and I'd had signs of it ever since puberty at least. I experienced better and worse times but never great health despite being very fit for most of my life -- I exercised a great deal but with these 'strange' periods of now I what realize were othostatic tachycardia problems which would knock me sideways and lay me flat for at least a week sometimes, sometimes up to a month. That was until pots hit hard. I was diagnosed with pots about 4 years after it all became too obvious for doctors to ignore and tell me it was in my head. The symptoms were 'real' and measurable by then. The doctor who diagnosed me is brilliant. He's considered 'the man.' according to an anaethetist I was talking to only 2 days ago. Being in Australia we've lagged behind the U.S. a bit in regards to dysautonomia. I think i would be crazy by now if I hadn't gotten a correct diagnosis finally. I had begun to believe i was crazy. It had been implied by doctors enough and indeed I was treated for Panic Disorder. That treatment, needless to say, did not work.

blue

[issie]

Yes, it is sad.

I too have had this since being a very young child and I'm in my early 50's. It's hard to deal with, and for me things have gotten worse with age - not better. I think allot of the issues are gentic related - since there are family members with issues of autonomic dysfunction. There is gentic, autoimmune, MCAD, EDS. That about sums it up for me.

[sandymbme]

Just throwing my two cents out. One is that most narcotic pain killers including vicodin are known for having a sedative effect, which typically lowers blood pressure. I would imagine the same is true for heart rate as well. My pain management doc has to keep a really close eye on my BP, as I am very hypotensive it doesn't take much to push me to far down. But if my pain level gets too high, BP is the least of my concerns! I used to do really well with tramadol, I found it very effective. As my body has continued to degenerate, it doesn't do the trick anymore. Which is a bummer, because the tramadol is a LOT less likely to cause rebound headaches.

I find it interesting that you guys are taking narcotics for migraines, because my headache specialist at the Cleveland Clinic would have me taking ZERO if I could manage my EDS without them. He said that opioid narcotics like vicodin and percocet cause rebound headaches, and are best avoided by migraine sufferers. During the time I could still manage without them, I definitely had less migraines overall. These days, though, it seems I have to pick my poison!

Sandy