Vaso spsams - what meds work?

[Thelma-Louise]

Interesting b/c when I have suggested that we try one one of those the drs we have consulted with said the channel blockers work best for vaso spasms. Is there any one in particluar you would recommend? And why? Thanks.

[Lenin]

Thelma-Louise,
A channel blocker would be my second choice.
Proably trial and error will find a drug in one of those two classes that block the spasm with the least amount of annoying side effects.

If I were to take a channel blocker to decrease vaso-spasm, I'd probably start with verapamil and see how that went.

It's going to be a lot of trial and error...and the BIG problem is all drugs in both these classes lower blood pressure.

Nitro may well be the answer but in an extended formulation like a patch. Perhaps the lower dose over a longer time will prevent the spasm without causing the migraine.
I have taken the sublingual nitrate and gotten many a headache so I know what you are talking about.

BTW, one of the channel blockers, nifedipine, has been used to TREAT migraine...so maybe a low dose that won't cause too much BP lowering is worth a try. I like drugs that accomplish 2 or 3 goals...instead of one or NONE :!
<Just trying to think outside the box>

For anxiety, I recommend diazepam (Valium) hands down...5 mg./day!

[Thelma-Louise]

Thanks for the suggestions. The real problem comes from drs that give up too easily after 2 or 3 drugs don't work or cause even more symptoms than the problem they are treating. She's all of 5 ft and 120 lbs - these drugs knock her for a loop and they can't understand why? The nitro patch sounds good since it is extended wear - my mom used them. Although they gave that to my sister in the hospital they applied the cream to the patch and she got sick afterwards. But there are lower doses available that are prepasted right?

[Granny Fran]

Thelma-Louise,

They do make pre-pasted nitro patches, but I got a pretty good headache from that too. It was also after they gave me the sublingual, so that may have caused it. I'm ususally okay with headaches with 1 sub-lingual in a day, but on ocassion I've had to take 2-3, and wound up getting diagnosed with cluster headaches that lasted 2 weeks. I'm pretty sure it was from the nitro. I think some people are more sensitive to the headaches. It's weird for me, because I can't remember ever having a bad headache in my life before that.

I hope you get things sorted out with your sister soon.