Hi Coffeedrinker!
The good news is you can still enjoy a good cup of coffee. If I were you, I would not be changing my name to "teadrinker" just yet!
I was hospitalized with malignant, drug resistant hypertension. Just before the discharge two weeks later I asked my hypertension doctor about drinking coffee. I fully expected to hear there would be no more coffee for me. You can imagine my surprise on learning that I could continue drinking coffee within reason. Any blood pressure elevations after a caffeine infusion are usually short-lived and not significant. I drink a lot less coffee and more green or black tea these days.
Blood pressure headaches are supposed to be uncommon. I read that they occur mostly in severe hypertension, and even then, only to a small percentage of people. I believe they can be seen in people with all stages of hypertension, but often go unrecognized as such. Like you, I know exactly when my blood pressure becomes elevated and do not need a blood pressure monitor to confirm it. When my blood pressure is high, my vision goes blurry. The base of my skull starts to hurt, as do my both of my carotid arteries and temples. The pain in the carotids and back of the head is excruciating. I usually start getting this headache when my blood pressure exceeds 150's/90's. It is mild at first, and increases in intensity with the blood pressure. I haven't had one in months, because my blood pressure has been stable and well controlled on the current drug regimen.
I often wonder if our doctors realize that the drugs they sometimes prescribe for us should not be co-administered. Beta blockers and CCBs do not make an ideal drug combination. There are some advantages to be gained by this drug combo in certain circumstances, though it is avoided by most doctors. You should ask your doctor if this particular drug combination is indicated. Perhaps his plan is to wean you off of the beta blocker. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that your Norvasc is going to increase the frequency of your headaches, as Fam pointed out. They are one if its main side effects and are dose-dependent. If your doctor's plan is to increase your Norvasc dose, based on your blood pressure response, and to eliminate the beta blocker, you might need a high dose of Norvasc to achieve a good blood pressure control. You probably know from your previous experience what that means. In my experience, all CCBs -the dihydropyridines- have similar side effects. Lopressor is used off-label to prevent migraine headaches, while Norvasc causes them in some people. Since you could not make these drugs work well for you in the past, why not try something different? See how it goes this time around. If things don't work out (again), talk to your doctor about trying a different class of antihypertensives. Good luck!
flowergirl
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