Today I suffered a disappointing event, I am just over 8 months since a stroke last September, not a bad stroke compared to some, and I considered myself recovering well,with virtually no remaining symptoms apart from slight tingling occasionally which usually only last a few minutes.
Today I was sitting in a coffee shop waiting for my wife, I received a text from a friend, but when I tried to answer it, my brain wouldn’t let me, it was as if it was scrambled, I couldn’t understand what I needed too do, I had a mild headache which isn’t uncommon for me being a migraine sufferer, although usually only mildly, but more pronounced since the Stroke, then the fingers on my right hand went tingly and partially numb, it’s always been my left side that’s always been affected before, so this was a first, I then noticed a slight numbness and partially drooping sensation in the right mouth area and as my wife had just arrived, she said
I didn’t look normal and my speech was slightly slurred, all this only lasted a few minutes before normality was resumed.
My wife offered to take me to A&E, but as
I was suddenly desperate to go to the toilet, we went nome and I laid on our bed and went to sleep, I have felt fine ever since with no more events occurring.
I know I probably should have gone to hospital, but the last 2 times
I visited A&E they gave me CAT scans with no new indications, they also said that there was no other medication to give me, as I was on everything necessary already,.
This could be my brain still resetting after the stroke, or is it something else!
Time will tell I guess.
I hope it is just a blip. The risk of a secondary stroke decreases significantly after five years. I think the first year is the most precarious. Clopidogrel, while effective, is not 100% foolproof, if that is one of the meds you take. I had a recent secondary stroke scare but an MRI showed no new infarctions but it did show hardening of some of my smaller blood vessels, so I guess I just live with the risk as we all probably do. Sometimes blips do occur, my stroke consultant calls them blips. In my first year, I visited A&E twice with blips.
Your answer was just about the reply I expected, I have been advised be fore that there are some irregularities in my brain, I don’t understand the technical terms, but it seems I am at risk of other or further blips as you call them., yesterday’s was the most significant so far since the stroke.
It just disappointed me as I thought up till then I was doing really well in my recovery.
I also find it a bit scary that my brain can do anything it likes to me without warning, and there’s nothing I can do about it !
I know you don’t want to go to A&E but given the symptoms you describe you should at least get checked by a GP.
As it is a different side to your previously affected side you need to rule out a TIA or indeed another mild stroke. When i had a similar thing happen I saw my GP & they referred me to a TIA clinic avoiding the need for A & E but I got checked over a couple of days later.
Best wishes
Ann
I agree with @Mrs5K.
It does sound suspiciously like a TIA and I’d want to get it checked out just in case there’s something else going on. Hopefully, it’s nothing to worry about. Even if you’re taking all the ‘right’ meds, it’s possible the doc might suggest taking something extra for a short period, eg low dose aspirin although I personally would want a blood test first to check how well my blood is clotting. Just my thoughts.
Take care.
Trace
Aye, sometimes they pair aspirin and Clopidogrel short term if needed. It’s good to keep in mind that a TIA may not show up on scans because they usually heal within 24 hours.