high blood pressure

[littlecanuck]

I am a 58 year old female and my question is about high blood pressure and sex.  While I understand blood pressure rises during sex I wonder if it is normal to get a sudden onset pounding migraine.  This is new the last two times at climax.  I was curious and checked my blood pressure the last time and it was 160/88.  The headache is sudden and severe and remains for hours after.  Is this something I should be concerned about?


This discussion is related to Blood Pressure During Sex.

[littlecanuck]

I do get migraines so I know the pain associated with them.  The sudden onset and pounding was different.  I have continued to monitor my blood pressure a few times through the last couple of days and it remains high for me spiking at 172/103.  I am normally 120/70 and the lowest it has gone is 140/88.  So I suspect something is going on which requires a trip to see my doctor.  All I have to do is try and reach her, a monumental task.

[ed34]

160/88 certainly is not dangerous. It must have been some session though (joke). This reminds me of a time about 10 years ago for me. I had just finished and suffered a migraine. Now, for someone who never gets migraines, this was a terrible one and I even held a bag of frozen peas on my neck to no avail. I went to A&E and they tried to do a lumbar puncture 4 times but were unsuccessful. They said they would return in the morning and try again. I was too scared to have another one because each time that needle went into my spine, my legs were shaking. I was afraid they would cause paralysis so I signed myself out. I got home and the headache seemed to be easing with pain killers so I stopped worrying so much. The following evening the pains got worse than ever and I had to go back to A&E. With the pain so high I didn't care about the lumbar puncture. A chinese Doctor came over and explained that the timings were all wrong for a stroke or bleed on the brain. He said "I think I know the cause, and if I'm right, your pain will be gone in 20 seconds". He returned with a syringe and said "I'm going to inject you, but you won't be able to move any muscles for 2 mins, so don't panic". In around 15 seconds the headache was gone. He explained about a muscle at the bottom of the skull, at the back and this had gone into cramp mode. It crushes all the nerves in the spinal column causing pain. He told me never to tense up around the neck during sex or it could repeat itself. His advice was spot on :)