Pounding pressure headache oddities, help

brokin8ball26 · 08-05-2012, 07:28 PM

35 yr old male 18yrs as a quad c5 on 4hr cath schedule in/out... now about a week ago for some unknown reason my bladder decided to hold about 31 ounces without leaking or alerting me until i awake with a pounding severe pressure headache, after the cath was removed and bladder emptied the headache goes away but was still sore from hurting so bad for a hour or so. no more headaches that night through caths or sleep. the next day i am in the chair no headaches at all. however that night in bed every time my bladder fills i get the headache pounding and pressure, cath then it ease's off and still sore for a while... if my legs spasm a little i get the headache if i setup for a cath and dont be gentle, headache [ or could be from full bladder making me think its getting setup causing it?] ok next day in chair no headaches again. this same thing went on for 3 or 4 days but the headaches not pounding as hard and the pressure being not as bad each time. i'm thinking its going away or at least the headaches arnt nearly as bad as they were at first. now as of the last 4 days or so it's a guessing game if cathing will cause a headache or not, 1 night i had none at all the next night i had one at a cath and one during bowel program, then the next night none, then last night a mild headache on each cath . this is wierd to me... ive been a quad 18yrs and this is a first. i have no redness, no sweats no signs of AD other than a headache on occassion now. and it's always when i'm lying in bed, never in the chair. my urine is clear , caths pass into bladder no resistance, dont feel sick.. whats going on?
did that 31 ounce cath stretch my bladder out and its sparking the headache while its healing or what? 18oz to 22oz has never hurt me in the past. however 12 to 14 oz is my normal cath at 4hrs if i drink right... any ideas or thoughts guys? . brok .

Sue Pendleton · 08-05-2012, 07:37 PM

Sounds like that one large bladder filler is what set off the AD. Do you have a home bp cuff to check your blood pressure now? And I would call your urologist or neurologist and get in to see him/her as soon as possible. In 20 years I've only had one hit with the huge headache and that was just 3 years ago or so. Since you have an ongoing problem you need to see a doctor and soon. And get a cuff.

SCI-Nurse · 08-05-2012, 09:05 PM

When you over-distend your bladder that much, you can actually tear the muscles in the wall of the bladder, and sometimes get little tears in the mucosa too. Did you have any bleeding when you emptied that large amount? Your body (& bladder) is still hurting from this episode, it sounds like to me.

Do you normally manage your bladder by reflex voiding, or just by intermittent cath?

Have you tried using lidocaine jelly as the lubricant for your caths, or even instilling some into the urethra for 5 minutes prior to cathing?

What is your blood pressure when you are having the AD symptoms? Do you have medications to take when you get bad AD?

Could there be other things causing your body pain (constipation, pressure ulcer, fracture, etc.)? If you have mild-moderate AD from some other pain, then doing something like a cath can tip you over into full-blown AD.

When you are in your chair, your blood pressure has a hard time getting as high with AD as it does when laying down (due to your tendency to orthostatic hypotension) so it is not unusual that you only are getting these symptoms when laying down.

(KLD)

08-05-2012, 07:28 PM	#1
brokin8ball26 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 11	Pounding pressure headache oddities, help 35 yr old male 18yrs as a quad c5 on 4hr cath schedule in/out... now about a week ago for some unknown reason my bladder decided to hold about 31 ounces without leaking or alerting me until i awake with a pounding severe pressure headache, after the cath was removed and bladder emptied the headache goes away but was still sore from hurting so bad for a hour or so. no more headaches that night through caths or sleep. the next day i am in the chair no headaches at all. however that night in bed every time my bladder fills i get the headache pounding and pressure, cath then it ease's off and still sore for a while... if my legs spasm a little i get the headache if i setup for a cath and dont be gentle, headache [ or could be from full bladder making me think its getting setup causing it?] ok next day in chair no headaches again. this same thing went on for 3 or 4 days but the headaches not pounding as hard and the pressure being not as bad each time. i'm thinking its going away or at least the headaches arnt nearly as bad as they were at first. now as of the last 4 days or so it's a guessing game if cathing will cause a headache or not, 1 night i had none at all the next night i had one at a cath and one during bowel program, then the next night none, then last night a mild headache on each cath . this is wierd to me... ive been a quad 18yrs and this is a first. i have no redness, no sweats no signs of AD other than a headache on occassion now. and it's always when i'm lying in bed, never in the chair. my urine is clear , caths pass into bladder no resistance, dont feel sick.. whats going on? did that 31 ounce cath stretch my bladder out and its sparking the headache while its healing or what? 18oz to 22oz has never hurt me in the past. however 12 to 14 oz is my normal cath at 4hrs if i drink right... any ideas or thoughts guys? . brok .

08-05-2012, 07:37 PM	#2
Sue Pendleton Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Wisconsin USA Posts: 9,112	Sounds like that one large bladder filler is what set off the AD. Do you have a home bp cuff to check your blood pressure now? And I would call your urologist or neurologist and get in to see him/her as soon as possible. In 20 years I've only had one hit with the huge headache and that was just 3 years ago or so. Since you have an ongoing problem you need to see a doctor and soon. And get a cuff. __________________ Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." Disclaimer: Answers, suggestions, and/or comments do not constitute medical advice expressed or implied and are based solely on my experiences as a SCI patient. Please consult your attending physician for medical advise and treatment. In the event of a medical emergency please call 911.

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08-05-2012, 09:05 PM	#3
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 41,341	When you over-distend your bladder that much, you can actually tear the muscles in the wall of the bladder, and sometimes get little tears in the mucosa too. Did you have any bleeding when you emptied that large amount? Your body (& bladder) is still hurting from this episode, it sounds like to me. Do you normally manage your bladder by reflex voiding, or just by intermittent cath? Have you tried using lidocaine jelly as the lubricant for your caths, or even instilling some into the urethra for 5 minutes prior to cathing? What is your blood pressure when you are having the AD symptoms? Do you have medications to take when you get bad AD? Could there be other things causing your body pain (constipation, pressure ulcer, fracture, etc.)? If you have mild-moderate AD from some other pain, then doing something like a cath can tip you over into full-blown AD. When you are in your chair, your blood pressure has a hard time getting as high with AD as it does when laying down (due to your tendency to orthostatic hypotension) so it is not unusual that you only are getting these symptoms when laying down. (KLD)