AboutDr Alan Galbraith Expertise I can answer most questions on drugs, both medical and "recreational". Answers can be given in either technical or layperson terminology. My main areas of interest are psychiatric, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular drugs.
Experience I have been a university lecturer/head of department for almost thirty years, but am now retired. My research interests were alcohol, smoking and cardiovascular disease.
Organizations Institute of Biology, London.
Publications Principal author of "Fundamentals of Pharmacology" 4th Edition published in November 2003 by Pearson Education, Australia.
Question Hi ,My doctor has put me on metoprolol succTa23.7mg for migranes.I'm already taking accuretic10mg for high blood pressure.I don't have many migranes,only 3 or so a year.I'm 55 yrs old and menopousal,have been on blood pressure tablets for 20yrs.The problem is that thelast migrane I had put my blood pressure up to 150 over 102 and my doctor felt to control this and the migranes to give me a beta blocker.I now feel worse than before Ihave amild headache every day,have problems sleeping longer than 2 hrs aat a time at night and my tummy is always churning up.
Answer Dear Sue
It is unusual to treat infrequent migraine with continuous betablockers but I can see why your doctor is doing this. You will have to speak to her/him about this as it seems you are not coping with the metoprolol. I suggest that you just use treatment to treat an attack rather than continuous treatment. If you can be prescribed sumatriptan injection (self injected - it comes in a preloaded syringe and it is painless to use as it has a very small needle). This drug works within minutes and if used as directed your BP increase should not be a problem. The levels of your BP are not immediately life threatening.
