I think my dad (64) had a stroke of some sort. We noticed his blood pressure rise out of control 3 weeks ago, and when we took him to A&E we didn’t think to ask for a scan to check for a stroke.
Since then we got medication to control his BP, but it’s still high. The problem is he’s not sleeping at all, is completely anxious, doesn’t retain any information we tell him and is constantly asking/worried about same topics (mostly financial). He doesn’t want to believe what we are telling him is true, that we are dealing with it. He’s having trouble what to do simple things each day now without a million prompts, like brushing his teeth or getting dressed.
It’s really affecting my mood, but especially my mum and hard for us to keep positive and supportive, because he’s really testing us.
Is this a sign of a stroke or a symptom, will it get any better again?
@Lostperson hi & welcome to the forum. Sorry your dad has possibly had a stroke.
It’s very difficult to say if it could be a stroke. High blood pressure can be a cause of stroke but it doesn’t always cause a stroke. What tests did the hospital do? I imagine they would have done some checks to rule things in / out? If they suspected a stroke it would be usual for them to do a CT scan. BP meds can take a while to settle down & sometimes need altering until the right dose / tablet is found. Are the symptoms a medicine side effect?
His BP being high could be the cause of the symptoms you describe. But i suggest you get him checked over…either return to A&E or get him seen by a GP. You can also call 111 who will be able to advise on what to do.
They did some blood tests and ECG tests. I don’t think any scans. But his confusion and memory problem wasn’t so clear at the time. I’m not sure if they are side effects of the medicine, he was on two of them before for years and we never noticed this before.
I will ask the GP if they can do a scan to rule this out, but not sure if they will.
None of us on here are medically trained But we do collectively have a lot of experience.
The symptoms you describe above could plausibly relate to a stroke. They could even relate to a stroke without effect on balance eye sight, coordination, paralysis, numbness, etc. these are sometimes called silent strokes.
Again with the no medical training caveat I think to detect as such would be more reliable with an MRI than a CT which are not so sensitive.
High blood pressure should be treated Cos it is an indication of the potential for stroke but isn’t IMLE in its own right a cause of the symptoms you spoke of.
Unfortunately GPs are generally gatekeepers and signposters rather than particularly knowledgeable themselves - your likely need a referral. Alternatively is there a self-referral route to a TIA clinic?
I can’t think of any other assurances or certainties or even uncertainties to suggest