![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by europerep on December 10, 2010, at 13:58:26
hello there...
I was wondering whether some of you guys who have been (or who are) on an MAOI, and who have themselves experienced a hypertensive crisis, could share a short summary of how such a hypertensive crisis feels like, what the first notable symptoms were, etc. I just started tranylcypromine (parnate), and I feel a little confused about how to detect a hypertensive crisis in case it arises. since starting it, I regular have slight headaches, but my BP doesn't move at all, so headaches don't really work as a "warning signal". I have a blood pressure measuring thing of course, and I currently carry it with me everywhere I go, but I would like to know a little more about what a hypertensive crisis is like, notably:
- first symptoms
- *how* bad is it really?
- did you have a more rapid heartbeat? some of the symptom lists online mention rapid *or* slowed heartbeat which sort of confuses me...also, I was wondering, is a hypertensive crisis dose-dependent, in the sense that there is basically a proportional relation between tyramine intake and blood pressure elevation, or does it suddenly "kick in" at a certain amount of ingested tyramine? because, if it is the former, I could actually "experiment" a little, for example by eating a slice of pizza, to see whether my blood pressure goes up a little or not at all. if it goes up a little, I could be sure that eating a whole pizza is not good. that would not work if eating half a pizza would leave my BP stable, but eating two thirds would trigger a significant BP elevation... does that make sense?
thanks a lot!
ER
Posted by tepi on December 10, 2010, at 19:07:31
In reply to how to recognize a hypertensive crisis?, posted by europerep on December 10, 2010, at 13:58:26
> hello there...
>
> I was wondering whether some of you guys who have been (or who are) on an MAOI, and who have themselves experienced a hypertensive crisis, could share a short summary of how such a hypertensive crisis feels like, what the first notable symptoms were, etc. I just started tranylcypromine (parnate), and I feel a little confused about how to detect a hypertensive crisis in case it arises. since starting it, I regular have slight headaches, but my BP doesn't move at all, so headaches don't really work as a "warning signal"
----I had one during my fist month I tried Nardil some years ago. I ate a big piece of chicken that was too much time on the fridge. It felt good to me, it was not spoiled for me, but then after one hour I started to feel an ache on my neck... I thought it was gonna pass but it didnt.
I got worse , and then I started to feel dizzy
and I felt my heart was starting to beat faster and faster... Then the headache was so horrible.. I dint have any item to check my blood presure .. but at that point I knew what it was.
I told my brother to take to ER ... they check my Bpresuree and I was at 210-170 (more or less)
The doctor didnt know what a MAOI was , so I told him the med I needed to get better and he provided it me. I stayed 2 hrsin the hospital until my pressure was ok.
After that day , I bougth my item to measure my blood pressure , and If I felt I was feeling a little dizzy or with headche after eating something "wrong", like pizza(comercial pizzas , alcohol, and all that) I was monitoring my pressure everyminute I felt just a little headache
I never had another HP crysis after 5 years , and I ate alot of the things they suggest not to eat and everything was okAs a suggestion, you should also carry your med to control your blood presure
Hope this helps
Tepi
Posted by Phillipa on December 10, 2010, at 20:14:14
In reply to Re: how to recognize a hypertensive crisis? » europerep, posted by tepi on December 10, 2010, at 19:07:31
Tepi didn't know so glad you were okay. Phillipa
Posted by atypical on December 10, 2010, at 22:29:36
In reply to how to recognize a hypertensive crisis?, posted by europerep on December 10, 2010, at 13:58:26
For me, the telltale signs of an impending hypertensive crisis is a fast heartbeat. While it does not always escalate to a crisis, it can. And when it does I get a severe headache starting from the back of my neck. This is when I know I need bite into and take in some of the nifedipine that I have handy with me.
This has happened only once after consuming monterey jack cheese. I went to the hospital because I was freaked out. I ended up OK though. My BP was really high. I have had slight episodes from certain draft beers and cheeses, but they resolve themselves. So long as you realize what it's doing to you and then stop eating it.
Atypical
Posted by Keith Talent on December 11, 2010, at 10:55:25
In reply to how to recognize a hypertensive crisis?, posted by europerep on December 10, 2010, at 13:58:26
What I noticed (with tranylcypromine) was a slow, extremely strong heartbeat along with a frontal headache.
Posted by pedr on December 15, 2010, at 10:16:27
In reply to how to recognize a hypertensive crisis?, posted by europerep on December 10, 2010, at 13:58:26
Hi ER,
I was much like you (and most users I suspect) - very curious about what it felt like. My HC left no ambiguity whatsoever. I had possibly had literally one or two lima beans (or whatever variety of beans is problematic) for dinner earlier by mistake. Then I drank 1 pint of Kronenbourg lager in a pub in London. Towards the end of the pint I started getting a persistent ache across the back of my neck. It moved up the back of my head, like a tight metal brace, intensifying in pain.An old friend turned up and by this point I was beginning to suspect I was suffering an HC since I couldn't stand up and could barely open my eyes. The pain basically slowly moved up over the crown of my head and eventually settled in my forehead, mostly over my right eye. I can't remember such excruciating pain, I was doubled-over on the street clasping my head, swearing loudly. It was unbelievable pain that you just want to escape from.
So I called an ambulance and they did nothing except keep an eye on my blood pressure which by now was starting to fall and just watched me writhe in pain basically! Three hours of excruciating pain later, after a check-up for the effects of stroke (e.g. follow my finger, touch your nose etc.) I was allowed to go home from the hospital.
I am never, ever, ever, ever etc. trying draft beer again. Not even a sip. I recommend other MAOI users do the same! :)
Pete
Posted by Maxime on December 19, 2010, at 22:43:39
In reply to how to recognize a hypertensive crisis?, posted by europerep on December 10, 2010, at 13:58:26
You mentionned that you already get headaches. Where do you get them?
When I have had a hypertensive crisis I get a headache at the base of my neck and my heart starts to beat very quickly. I feel nauseous as well and sometimes I feel like I am going to faint.
Posted by europerep on December 20, 2010, at 14:23:37
In reply to Re: how to recognize a hypertensive crisis? » europerep, posted by Maxime on December 19, 2010, at 22:43:39
> You mentionned that you already get headaches. Where do you get them?
>
> When I have had a hypertensive crisis I get a headache at the base of my neck and my heart starts to beat very quickly. I feel nauseous as well and sometimes I feel like I am going to faint.
>
In the first two weeks on it, I used to get headaches more or less randomly, sometimes without having eaten anything that's not completely unrestricted, sometimes after eating something that's allowed in small amounts. But whenever I measured my BP it was never above 120/70, and it averages at 110/60, so I really think those were not tyramine-related headaches.It sounds like one knows intuitively when one has a hypertensive crisis though, right? It scares me that so many people actually have a story of hypertensive crisis to tell, I thought that those crises were the rare exception..
Posted by emmanuel98 on December 20, 2010, at 19:27:37
In reply to Re: how to recognize a hypertensive crisis? » Maxime, posted by europerep on December 20, 2010, at 14:23:37
I thought I had a hypertensive crisis last week after eating some parmesan cheese. I got a severe headache that went from my neck to my forehead. I went to the ER and asked them to take my BP. It was normal. So I guess I just got a bad headache. Since then I've gotten myself a BP cuff, so I can check my own BP.
Posted by roscopeeco on December 23, 2010, at 0:47:05
In reply to Re: how to recognize a hypertensive crisis?, posted by emmanuel98 on December 20, 2010, at 19:27:37
Funny you should ask this. I had a HC last this morning around five a.m. I am currently on my thirteenth day on parnate and decided to up my dosage from forty spread throughout the day to 50 mg all at once. It started out with a strong heart beat followed by sweating. I began to become nauseated as well. the final tell tell sign is severe headache.
To make a long story short it was the worst pain I have experienced in my life and went to the ER. I couldn't even drive. I was rolling around the back seat wanting to jump out of the car. They got me there and I told them my drug and said this was a HC in response to the drug. Four mg of morphine, Four mg of zofran, and inch of nitro paste. I was released five hours later but passed out every time I would stand up. My HR was around 48 while lying but would jump to 113 when standing. It was weird. Be careful going up on doses and combining them into one oral take.
take care JF
Can any of you currently taking parnate tell me what I should expect next. I am raising to fifty mg going on second day. Does this medication "kick in" all of the sudden or is it a gradual increase in moods.
Posted by europerep on December 23, 2010, at 9:36:03
In reply to Re: how to recognize a hypertensive crisis?, posted by roscopeeco on December 23, 2010, at 0:47:05
hey there..
I got your PM, I'll just reply here because others might be interested too..
I don't want to come across as a high and mighty jerk, but taking 50mg of parnate after less than two weeks, and on top of that all at once, was a quite reckless thing to do.. does your pdoc know about this? increasing it by 10mg/d per week is actually the maximum, in an outpatient setting at least.. it sounds like you got one of those spontaneous hypertensive crises, and follwing that, you should really be careful about your blood pressure. also - if your pdoc is ok with you taking 50mg - you should at least stay at that dose for some time and let it work. mood-brightening effects are said to kick in around weeks 3-5, so going to a high dose earlier on might actually not produce more rapid improvement.
personally, I am at 30mg now (started on december 2nd), and so far, I don't notice anything yet.. what I can say is that I do notice the weak amphetamine-like effect when taking it, it's mildly stimulating, but it doesn't actually make me feel better.. it feels a little exciting, which is cool, but I see what people mean when they say a stimulant is not an antidepressant..
good luck to you, and be careful!
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.