2x MRI's ECG's and others later

[HarryM1BYT]

They been trying hard to get my BP down, since September. I have suffered visual disturbance (only) migraines since the mid-1980's, which now seem to be no more.

I had a slight darkening of my vision crossing the road so they quickly referred me, for ECG's and a skull MRI. The consultant saw 'something', so asked for a more detailed MRI, a 72 hour ECG and an overnight BP monitor.

The something (this morning's consultation) turned out to be a partial obstruction of my left, external carotoid artery, 30% blockage, which he is to take further advice on. That is the blood supply feeding the jaw, face etc. on the left. Having checked the implications out, yes my left cheek is slightly cooler than my right.

Between us we came up with the idea that the dimming vision might have been just down to my BP being little low, after being so high for such a long time - my body not used to more normal BP. My heart, they say is ticking like a goodun, but there was evidence that I had suffered a slight stroke in the past[1].

The good news - they confirm I have a brain in my skull, I rather expected a picture of a gerbil running round a wheel

Last Saturday I took my first newly prescribed 4mg Doxazosin pill, added to the mix of the 4 pills I was already on for BP. This caused a really bad reaction, nauseous, legs wouldn't work, ended up near collapse in a Wilkos store, in their wheelchair, nearly a 999. Still not 100% by the Monday, I rang the docs after reading the instructions, which said the initial dose ought to be 1mg - the (different) doctor agreed an error had been made and prescribed 1mg per day.

Bitten rather seriously by the 4mg Doxazosin as an initial dose, I began late Friday by cutting one of the 1mg in half, to see if I have a reaction to that amount. [EDIT Saturday morn] All was fine overnight, I will try a 1mg before bed tonight.

My next question for my next appointment will be - why do I need the 5x different pills for BP?

[1] In the 1980's when I first began to suffer the visual disturbance migraines, what I thought was the very first one, maybe wasn't. I woke one sunny morning in bed, to bright flashing psychedelic colours, which never occurred again in the same form. There after it became a waving zig-zag line and a loss/dimming of vision dead centre. I'm now wondering if the psychedelic colours, might have been me waking up from that slight stroke? Had I gone to the docs back then, they would have dismissed it, there were no MRI or etc. to even look inside.

[Groundsman Willie]

Hope they get this sorted for you, just had a quick google of Doxazosin, side effect of over dosing, is "extreme dizziness", which I guess is what you had. It also lowers blood pressure, so maybe in combination with the bp lowering sweeties you already take, maybe dropping it too low?

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by Groundsman Willie

Hope they get this sorted for you, just had a quick google of Doxazosin, side effect of over dosing, is "extreme dizziness", which I guess is what you had. It also lowers blood pressure, so maybe in combination with the bp lowering sweeties you already take, maybe dropping it too low?

You are probably right. It clearly states it should be started on a minimum dose then gradually increased up to the required dose.

My BP, after plateauing for a while, seems to taken a drop again, since taking the 0.5mg last thing..

[STUBIE]

The waving zig-zag lines I get occasionally and have been informed by the medical profession that they are called scintillating scitoma or silent migraines. I get them them more often when I'm viewing small text on computer screens. last for 30 minutes and disappear. No pain just visual disturbances.

Stubs

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by STUBIE

The waving zig-zag lines I get occasionally and have been informed by the medical profession that they are called scintillating scitoma or silent migraines. I get them them more often when I'm viewing small text on computer screens. last for 30 minutes and disappear. No pain just visual disturbances.

Stubs

Spot on, that is what the consultant called it and exactly my experience of it for many years. It occurred quite often, maybe every few months, but then involved in a job which caused me extreme frustration, it became a daily experience. I would get a 20 to 30 minute warning of one coming on, a sort of odd distant feeling, so if I was driving plenty of time to get off a motorway. With it came a loss of vision spot dead ahead, so I could only read by looking to one side.

They went back to every few months, when I finally retired and got away from the frustration, but not had one at all since my BP has been brought down to more sensible levels.