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Sudden headache when standing up

Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
In the past week, I am experiencing a sudden sharp headache when I first stand up. It eases up with time but, I it is quite disturbing.

Does anyone have an idea why this is happening?
 

Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
@Nielk

Can you take your BP when you first stand up? Have the machine on something like a counter and rest your arm on it while taking it? It would be good to at least eliminate one possibility!

Sushi

I just took it while standing and it was normal. Thanks.
 

Butydoc

Senior Member
Messages
790
In the past week, I am experiencing a sudden sharp headache when I first stand up. It eases up with time but, I it is quite disturbing.

Does anyone have an idea why this is happening?
Hi Nielk,

I agree with the above posters, it is probably transient postural hypotension. This happens when then venous systems doesn't contract enough to support blood pressure when one first stands up. If this is the problem, sit for 3-4 minutes from a supine position before standing up. In many people this seems to help.

Best
Gary
 

Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
Hi Nielk,

I agree with the above posters, it is probably transient postural hypotension. This happens when then venous systems doesn't contract enough to support blood pressure when one first stands up. If this is the problem, sit for 3-4 minutes from a supine position before standing up. In many people this seems to help.

Best
Gary

Yes. I tried it again. I got up - headache started - I took my blood pressure again and it was considerably lower than when I was sitting.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I personally think you need to do the poor mans test on yourself to try to see if you are developing issues. Make sure you get a stabiilized BP and heart reading while laying, before you stand, take a few readings up to the 10min mark.

If its ditching it could be ending up raising your heart beat as in coexisting POTS as your body tries to stabilise so good time to do a full 10 mins standing test with this new issue). Often more then one dysautonomia issue can appear.

I find that my BP can drop extremely severely but it only does it for moments so I rarely actually catch that on the monitor. Thou to give you a headache, I'd think your ditch is doing it more then just a few seconds.

The headache on standing more then likely is brain not getting enough blood as found in various dysautonomia issues. As Valentijn asked, what is your pulse pressure? (the number difference between your systolic and dystolic when you are standing).

I think the ME ends up getting most of us in this way (hitting our autonomic system) sooner or later.
 
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Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
I think that maybe it's more an issue of not getting enough oxygen. That's what it feels like. Maybe it's the exertion of getting up from a sitting position that causes this?
 

daisybell

Senior Member
Messages
1,613
Location
New Zealand
I know that migraine is related to spasm in the blood vessels, so i wonder if the drop in BP causes the blood vessels in your brain to constrict and that causes the sharp headache... If so, then as your BP corrects, the pain resolves....
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I think that maybe it's more an issue of not getting enough oxygen. That's what it feels like. Maybe it's the exertion of getting up from a sitting position that causes this?

@Nielk I often experience that feeling when I stand up as if the rest of my body is not able to get enough oxygen. For me it leads to tachycardia and shortness of breath versus headache but maybe is the same process (meaning a postural change and our body can't handle it?)
 
Messages
1
FWIW, I have been diagnosed with ME/CFS and POTS for 3+ years and just started getting very similar sounding headaches occasionally after standing up from a sitting position in the past few days. First sounds began to pulsate, then a sudden splitting headache that only lasted a few minutes, then yesterday my vision became very blurry and spotty for a few hours. The vision loss was alarming, so I had a CT scan and no obvious problems were detected with my brain. Hopefully I will come to understand it better and how to avoid it. I'll try moving my limbs more before standing, in the vein of the posts here about going from lying to sitting before standing...