Puppypaws I have one question for you about exertional headaches.

My understanding is that the ones you refer to as benign begin fairly soon after termination of the exercise. Would the same hold true to headaches triggered by exercise (biking) due to high/low blood sugar, neck extension, etc? or could those come on hours later as well?

My neurologist is pretty sure mine are migraines (I started taking preventative medication for them about 8 months ago with mixed results).

If you don't mind me asking I do have one question with regards to exercise triggered migraines and preventative medication.

My 1st attempt at using daily a preventative was a low dose beta blocker (nadolol). I started at 20mg daily and went to 40mg then back to 20mg. It worked pretty well at the beginning, but I found the side effects of lethargy, bad dreams, and always feeling very cold (especially in Canadian winters) to be hard to live with. I worked out hard almost everyday (intense spinning classes) and while the lower HR wasn't too much of a problem, I did not enjoy the feeling of having little or no zip. The feeling cold really bothered me the most, I have never felt that before.

The then went to a combo of even lower nadolol (10mg) with Candestartin (8/16/27 and even up to 32 mg although I don't think I can take 32 or my BP will be too low. Seeing my family doctor about that one). The Candestartin works ok but not as well as the beta blocker I find.

With my migraines I can go weeks and ocassionaly months without any headaches, then if I get 1 it begins a cycle of almost daily headaches that can take weeks to break out of. Any form of alcohol seems to be the worst trigger, exercise is not as bad, although if I am in a headache cycle then exercise can be (and often is) a trigger too. I have tried everything to get rid of the headaches when I get them and hate swallowing all that stuff). I have also gone cold turkey and had good results but eventually get into a cycle that I can't take and start back on abortives or pain meds.

Any thoughts on the beta blockers and other preventatives. I have had MRI's and even though my migraines started late in life (I'm 53 and male) my neurologist is convinced they are migraines.

If you feel uncomfortable getting into specifics I understand, it's just that my neurologist is not someone who works out and he doesn't seem to understand my addiction to exercise, he hasn't told me to stop, but he tells me there is no need to push yourself. I find that doctors who do not exercise much have that point of view. I have been checked every which way for heart disease and seem to be in the clear.