Headaches during sex call for visit to doctor

Q. I started suffering from horrible headaches at climax about seven or eight years ago. I told my doctor, but he had never heard of the problem. He ran some tests that came up negative and prescribed a migraine medication that didn’t work.

The only sure way to avoid the headaches was never to allow myself to reach that level of arousal. I would experiment occasionally to see if the problem persisted.

Then a molar that had bothered me off and on suddenly became excruciatingly painful. I went to the dentist and ended up having the tooth pulled.

After I recovered, I did another check. To my husband’s surprise and mine, I was headache-free! I was so happy I cried. After all these years, and all the pain and self- denial, the headaches were gone.

Please urge your readers to see a dentist as well as a doctor who can check for the cause of a sex headache.

A. Thanks for the suggestion. Dental problems are hardly ever listed as a potential cause of sex headaches.

Everyone who suffers a headache associated with sexual activity should see the doctor, as you did. Most coital headaches are annoying rather than dangerous. Occasionally, though, they may be a symptom of a serious problem that could signal a risk of stroke.

Q. I have just been diagnosed with high blood pressure (145/95). My doctor and I are trying to find a medicine that agrees with me.

I’m currently trying the third one. The first was an ACE inhibitor that made me cough. Then he prescribed Norvasc (amlodipine) and now Cardizem (diltiazem). They made me drowsy during the day even when I took them at night.

Isn’t there a new drug that’s better than the old standards?

A. You may want to ask your doctor about a thiazide diuretic such as hydrochlorothiazide or chlorthalidone. Although such drugs have been around for more than 50 years, they are still considered a first-line treatment for high blood pressure (New England Journal of Medicine, Nov. 26, 2009).

We are sending you our Guide to Blood Pressure Treatment with nondrug suggestions and more details on the pros and cons of various medications. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. B-67, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Q. You have written about the difficulties some patients have in getting specific doses of Armour Thyroid. Many of these patients might consider having desiccated natural thyroid compounded for them.

At our compounding pharmacy, we have been formulating all the strengths, including some very customized versions.

The prescribing doctor should write the prescription as “Natural Compounded Thyroid Desiccated.” Your readers might request a Certificate of Analysis, which would provide the guarantee that the compounding pharmacy is using a USP powder. This would have the same T3:T4 ratio as the commercial products.

A. We have heard from several pharmacists who are compounding thyroid hormone. Thank you for suggesting an alternative for those who can’t get the appropriate dose of Armour desiccated thyroid during the current shortage.

XIn their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of The Vindicator or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Favorite Foods From The People’s Pharmacy: Mother Nature’s Medicine.”

2010 King Features Syndicate Inc.