I had a Right Lacunar Stroke on the 11th August 2025. This came as such a shock due to me been 34, they said it was caused from High Blood Pressure which i am not on medication for including; Clopidogrel 75mg, Ramipril 10mg, Amlodipine 5mg and Atorvastatin 80mg. I am now getting readings on avearge between 150-160/90-100 which im been told is good for 4 weeks post stroke where my blood pressure was 230-250/100-120. Im also very scared i am going to have another stroke and this time it be more serious, i have done the worst thing which is doctor google and the stuff i read scared me more as mentioned fatality rates and high chance of another stroke imminently. Im also due to fly to Benidorm on 13th October which i’ve read flying can bring on another stroke.
I have now returned to work after 3 weeks as i felt ready and able (I am a support worker) and needed some normality back in my life.
@DanRose991
I feel you returned to work too quickly. I can comment on that as I returned after 4 months due to boredom and needing normality back in my life and I was so wrong. Ignore what you read on the NET as if we all took note, everyone on here including carers would be sitting wait of another stroke to happen. Regarding flying so soon after a stroke, I would not, but that ids just me, I am almost a year after mine and I still do not feel ready. When I feel more fit I maybe will, but I may remain in UK. I gave myself more issues by returning to work too early so I pushed myself, which I am living to regret, so now I have to push all the harder to get back to where I should have been had I taken it more slowly, although I would like to add that my GP sent me to Ways into work, this is for people wihtout a job, no attention was paid to my 20 years service in my current job, so that made me go back to work sooner, now I wold say… and the second word is off, apologies to all you sensitive people, but I was so angry with the GP, text after text to attend ways into work and then further texts. The surgery made me feel I was fit to go back to work and the surgery have aided all the further symptoms I then experienced. Take it slow, I made so many mistakes because of pressure and that as NOT from my employer. Good luck
Welcome to somewhere you didn’t ever want to join.
If you read our stories you will find out that 34 is not young for stroke. It is a shock whatever your age and state of health.
Don’t worry if you want to rant. We have all been there and are here to listen. Try not to worry - you are now doing everything you can to minimise your risk. Yu can’t eliminate the risk altogether. If you worry you will ruin your life more than having another stroke would.
I echo everything that @IreneFC and @Janetb have said and this is excellent advice which you would do well to heed.
Advice and information you will get aplenty, but it is what you do with it that matters. The choices have to be made by you as you are the only person who really knows what is going on with you.
What matters to you most? Your health, your job, your family or your holidays? The risks of stroke and follow-on strokes are well documented but as we are all different the outcomes will likely be different. We can tell you what we would do and the health professionals will tell you what they would recommend based on their professional guidelines, but the final choice is yours and yours alone.
Sometimes there is no right or wrong - you do what you have to and what will happen will happen.
At this stage, my only specific advice would be around the return to work which by most on this forum is probably too soon and so now you should monitor your health and watch for signs to indicate you might need to rest.
Stroke survivors need plenty of good rest and quality sleep to help the brain recover. Having returned to work, you should ensure you get plenty of rest - take cat naps at work if you can and eat well.
Really appriciate all the advice given my doctor advised 6 weeks off work but to judge myself at 4 weeks and i do feel well enough to return. I have completley changed my diet now and managing to shift some weight. It’s more the panic and worry of having another one and this time it been bigger and more serious thats blocking me moving on. The fatiuge is my strongest symptom i feel and im managing this well now.
The flying is a big one as ive paid for the holiday and cant get a refund, it will of been 9 weeks after the stroke happened. I’ve got people telling me i have only had a mini stroke like a TIA but others saying its classed as a full stroke. Ive applied for benefits (PIP and ESA) main reason for the return to work is so bills are covered as i live alone.
Hi @DanRose991, sorry to hear about your stroke but you’re in the right place for help and advice. I don’t think it really matters whether they call it a TIA or a mini stroke, they’re all strokes and all are different. It’s a matter of degree, but they should all be taken seriously.
Regarding flying, I’d suggest asking your doctor whether it’s as risky as you fear, but also think about the effect on your recovery. Is worrying about the flight putting you under undue stress? Similarly, will worrying about the flight home ruin the holiday for you? Or will the chance to relax on holiday relieve your anxieties and help you on the journey back towards normality? Only you can answer those questions, but they might help you decide between accepting the loss of the holiday or saying fear be damned, it’s going to be worth it.
@DanRose991 hi & welcome to the community. Sorry you’ve had cause to join us but hopefully you’ll find it a useful place to be.
Well done on getting back to work. Just watch out for signs you are overdoing it. Pace yourself and take it steady. If fatigue is an issue you need to manage it. It sounds like you’re doing that already.
In relation to flying I would check with your GP. You may need a fit to fly letter but your GP can sort that for you. I flew 5 months after my stroke and had no issues at all. That was short haul and was advised to make sure I kept moving my feet and legs, which I did. If the Stroke was a “minor” one gkying should be ok but do double check. You may also need to check the airline rules. Here’s a link to a Stroke Association leaflet on Flying after stroke
Welcome to the group, although I am sure you would rather have not needed it. It must have been very frightening to have a stroke so young but as I am sure you are learning, you are not alone.
I had my stroke at the end of May and I flew out to spain 3 days ago. I checked with my consultant at the hospital that I would be safe to fly and he had no hesitation telling me to go ahead.
Do make sure you update your holiday i surance provider of the change in your health as not doung so coyld invalidate it. I also checked with my GP a few days before I flew that I was well enough.
I was very anxious before I flew and how I would cope at the,airport and on the flight but everything was fine. I did leg and arm exercises during the flight ang got up out of my seat a couple of times. Make sure to stay well hydrated and take extra medication with you in case of any delays on your return.
Remember to take things easy on your holiday and dont get overheated. I found I have had to rest more due to the fatigue, but a nice dip in the pool helps to relax and cool you.
Best of all, going on holiday has allowed me the time and space to process what has happened away from the pressures of home and work.
Dan - I am sorry to hear what has happened. I have just had my first stroke I know too well the fear and worry - but I am getting past that and getting out again. I too googled - big mistake it didnt help and so I listen to my consultant, Doctor and the stroke association recovery service lady, all of whom know the facts and have helped me enormously to get on with things….
Regarding flying, if I can suggest check with any of the above health professionals and also not least listen to yourself and how you feel. Also check with your airline as some may require a “fit to fly” certificate from your Dr (& if they do, this may in fact give you further reassurance?). Also of course appropriate travel health insurance. I believe the CAA recommends not to fly within 2 weeks of a stroke (but check on that) but we all know there are strokes and strokes - in the end it’s how you yourself feel, having taken the advice of medical professionals into account.
Apologies of all thats been said or if u know it already. Hope it helps though.
Google will always give you worse case scenario. A nurse said to me once all the physio in the world is no good if you don’t believe you can recover. I’m 6 months down the line and a few scary headaches, and that what they were I’m still not capable to work but I am trying to live the best I can hardly but what’s the other options… Good luck the worry never goes you just worry less
Russ
Welcome to the community, I’m sorry to hear about your stroke.
Well done on getting back to work but as others have said please do take it slowly. Definitely speak with your doctor about flying, they’ll be able to put your mind at rest about flying.
I hope you’ll find this community helpful for your recovery. If you need anything whilst you’re using the Online Community, please don’t hesitate to tag me using the @ symbol and my username.
