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Taking Verapamil For Cluster Headache. Blockage Seen On ECG. Should I Stop Increasing Medicine Dose?
Question: I had an ecg 6 weeks ago... I was increasing dose of verapamil to 480mg this is prescribed for preventing cluster head aches. Which so far it hasn't and the side effects are quite extreme. Tiredness, confusion etc.
Went to GPs on Friday (different dr) to ask about other meds to help with CH attacks...Vegas told not to increase verapamil as ecg had shown a blockage. Should this be investigated further? Why would my GP not have got back to me about this?
Went to GPs on Friday (different dr) to ask about other meds to help with CH attacks...Vegas told not to increase verapamil as ecg had shown a blockage. Should this be investigated further? Why would my GP not have got back to me about this?
Hello,
Thanks for the query
I understand your concern
Verapamil in this dose can result in heart block which is reversible when the drug is stopped. I think that you should get evaluated by a local neurologist to secure the diagnosis of headache and if it is cluster headache, other options are topiramate, gabapentine. We need to withdraw verapamil, if you have symptomatic heart block.
Hope this clarifies
Best wishes
Thanks for the query
I understand your concern
Verapamil in this dose can result in heart block which is reversible when the drug is stopped. I think that you should get evaluated by a local neurologist to secure the diagnosis of headache and if it is cluster headache, other options are topiramate, gabapentine. We need to withdraw verapamil, if you have symptomatic heart block.
Hope this clarifies
Best wishes
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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