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Head and Neck Cancer and the possible consequences.
Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: 18 hours ago | Replies (21)Comment receiving replies
My husband finished treatment for neck cancer in 2010.He started having bp problems about 8 or 9 years ago. He was put on meds for high blood pressure. Fast forward to beginning of this year. He passed out in our kitchen after getting up and walking from bedroom. We live in a major Midwest city but doctors could not figure out problem. Cardiologist said not a cardio problem. Neurologist said not neuro. I started research and found article regarding long term side effects of radiation on head and neck cancer survivors. Not one doctor had ever dealt with this before and we sought out(not easy) an autonomic specialist in Indianapolis. From there we went to Mayo for second opinion. Both diagnosed baroreflex failure. My husband has had 3 seizures due to his bp going so high. He has doctors stymied because his bp can drop over 100 points after standing yet he is asymptomatic. His quality of life seems to lessen each week.
I mentioned Mayo agreed with diagnosis. But I asked doctor at Mayo if he would have started my husband on meds Indy dr had. He said no but didn’t want to”to rock the boat.” Maybe it’s too soon to tell (it’s been a little over a month), but I feel the boat may be sinking.
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This is interesting; I have bone cancer, and it’s heavily invested in my thoracic vertebrae. These vertebrae are pushing on the trigeminal neurolgia nerve. This results and nothing but pain. Worth reading about and being aware of. I currently treat my with doctor prescribed drugs same for my cancer. 32 pills a day, which I don’t take all of because it just seems wrong.
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I'm sorry to hear your husband has been going through this. I know this is trying for both him and you. I had no idea there was any problem until I had a headache from a BP in crisis stage. It took a year and a lot of money to get to the bottom of this for me. They put me on BP meds and a water pill, which have their own side effects that turned my life upside down. I've experienced syncope, blurred vision, and an awful feeling when my BP drops out. I've done several face plants from weakness and blacked out once. I'm going in for a heart ECHO to see if my ascending aorta has dilatated further. Occasionally I get headaches when it spikes. I've dropped some supplements, changed my diet, and exercise more. I monitor my BP multiple times a day and medicate accordingly. Currently, I'm on 10mg Losartan, and fluctuate between 12.5mg and 25mg of hydrochlorothiazide. This has greatly reduced the number of incidents during the day. Nighttime is another issue. Currently, I am experimenting with my sleep position as I find when my feet and heart at the same level, I experience hypertension. I have Hydralazine on hand when it goes into crisis stage. All of this is time consuming and annoying, but better than staring up at dandelion roots. I'm not saying this regime will work for everyone, but it is helping me, at least to feel like I have some control. It appears most doctors are unaware of the side effects of head and neck cancer treatment, but I've read studies drawing attention to the problem, so awareness may grow. I posted here just to bring it to attention of those who are looking for answers. Hopefully, your husband will find his.