Here goes… are you sitting comfortably? on the 30th June 2023 I had woke in the night with chronic pins and needles down my left side but no other symptoms. I thought I’d slept funny so went back to bed. After a few hours of not sleeping I stood in the bathroom looking in the mirror pulling funny faces and doing things with my arms thinking at least I’ve not had a stroke. I still couldn’t sleep so came downstairs and called 111. After talking to the call handler and then waiting a few hours for the doc to call back I called work to tell them I’ll be off sick the next day (one day before my camper holiday to Skye started). My advice was from the on call doc was to call my GP when they opened. So, after waiting 3½ hours I called my GP, then waited another 2 hours for a call back appointment. He advised me to call a taxi and go to A&E. After 14 hours in the A&E waiting room (from 11am Friday morning), with very brief escapes to see a nurse, have some bloods taken and have a CT scan I got grumpy as I’d been there so long and was eventually taken into majors and then told I was being admitted as I’d had a stroke… over the weekend I almost got discharged twice as I’d apparently not had a stroke and then ended up with an emergency MRI that I had 2 days later. 6 days after admission the Dr I’d been under on the surgical ward I was on told me that my results weren’t in from the MRI but he and the consultant had been to look at my scan and I had “not” had a stroke and I could go home, oh I was so happy!! But that was short lived as within 5 mins he came running back in to tell me my results were back and I’d had a Right Thalamic Stroke… my life stopped. I was a HGV driver til that point and now I’m unemployed!! I saw the stroke Dr for about 4 mins before he received a page to go elsewhere that morning and then was discharged later that day with some meds and nothing else… skip to today… I’m in work which is great, but on nights learning how to be a supervisor (as nobody else wanted the job) my meds have swapped and changed many times and I’m on first name terms with the receptionist at my GPs surgery but I’ve got horrible Neuropathic pain that doesn’t ever go away and the pain in my joints is awful. The Pregabalin that I’m taking is now being upped which makes me feel like I’m drunk (oh for a drink) and I’m not sure what the other drugs I’m on really do. I’ve now got Quinine for night cramps and muscle spasms but don’t know if it’s doing anything and I’ve gone from being able to walk normally with pins and needles to everything hurts and going down the stairs is a nightmare… well that’s me I suppose, I keep getting told I’m lucky and I’m still above the ground which is a bonus but for a stroke I’d never heard about it seems to me to be the illness that keeps giving… I’m 56 by the way… stay safe everyone and thanks for reading 
You’re young, at 56… I had a serious stroke 1 year ago, I was 58, now 59.
I have night spasms, and a bad day every other day. Quinine I have not tried (yet) other than some tonic water. Very little helps, though I think it’s starting to ease up towards the end of the day. It’s very much a matter of finding your own solutions. I have some stretches which I devised ; they help partially. Yes, we’re still above ground, which makes things harder than the alternative, but for those around us is more reassuring. I hope you find some answers and keep us posted on what you find helps. Good luck, ciao, Roland
@jay.langdon hi & welcome to the forum. Sorry you’ve had a stroke. Seems you had a bit of a run around initially but hopefully you are now on the right treatment etc.
Losing your licence after a stroke is an added blow & even worse if you drive for a living. Hopefully you can get it back in time.
I hope they get your neuropathic pain under control soon as that must be debilitating for you.
Best wishes
Ann
Welcome to the forum @jay.langdon, your wife is very wise, you should always listen to her 
If you receive Stroke Association bumf on discharge from hospital, have you had a look on the My Stroke Guide website, from there you can find what face to face stroke groups there are in your locality Support in your area | Stroke Association (just click on the blue text) Just key in your post code in that link and hopefully it should bring up what’s available within your area.
Yes I was 58 now 59 and still going.
Not able to get back to work yet but I’ll not stop trying
I have had a long day today, which most anyone here can tell you is rough on a stroke survivor. That is my excuse for not having much useful to share with you at the moment. I do want to say hello and welcome you. I wish it we were meeting under better circumstances. My own strokes have been just over 2 years ago (at age 56 as well). Keep hope as things actually do get better, one way or another. Most every issue has returned to normal or somewhere near at this point for me. The things that have not, I am getting somewhat used to or finding ways to work around it. I hope your pain is alleviated very soon, and that you will find some helpful information, comraderie, and comfort here. I particularly enjoy Zoom meetings here. I hope you will join us for one soon.
I can make it.
Regards
Joe
Thu 1 pm I think I can make it, Simon
What’s the link to get to the meeting ?
ciao, Roland
Thanks Simon, I thought it had changed to fortnightly on a Thursday morning? I can’t make this Thursday unfortunately but hopefully see you on the following Thursday morning zoom cafe? I had a much better week, slowly slowly getting my head round it all, started doing jigsaws which Im LOVING 
. Hope you are good think you might have had a trip away 
Sarah
Welcome 
Im a newbie too, had my stroke in July and still getting my head round it, this forum has been super helpful and the zoom cafes are great. I have taken Magnesium for years to stop night cramps, I find it very effective but not sure if you can take that with your other medications? Anyway thought I’d mention it as it has helped me.
Sarah
Well, funnily enough I was a bit befuddled in the conversation, I didn’t really feel like I had much to contribute about things going forward, as it seemed a fait a complit ( not sure Ive spelt that right) and I wondered if I had stumbled into a work meeting lol. Really pleased you will still be hosting the Thursday 1pm and I think weekly is a great idea, for me its the only time I have felt amongst people who get it, its certainly a different world we now live in. When Im sufficiently with it I would like to be a force for good, but right now baby steps for me. 
Yes. Count me in. I miss you all.
You are a beautiful person. I can tell it already. I hope to meet you on a Zoom very soon.
Hi @jay.langdon , Welcome to the forum but sorry you’ve had to join. I can’t believe how long it took for you to get help.
I’ve also had a right sided Thalamic stroke 4 years ago at 48 suffering left sided pins and needles and painful joints. Other parts of my brain were affected but the Thalamus damage is my main issue with pins and needles remaining and sensory problems with my left hand.
I’ve been lucky with the aftercare of my stroke as I was referred to rehab medicine who I have an open door to and they did prescribe me with Pregabalin which did make me feel drunk and sleepy so I took the decision to stop taking the medication after discussing with the consultant. Definitely ask the Gp what your meds are for, it’s protocol if you have a stroke to put you on statins whatever the reason for the stroke. It’s great to hear you’ve returned to work but put yourself first.
Best Wishes Nat
After 4 years post stroke how are things. I find myself at the moment sore from the neuropathic pain constantly with my drugs just being increased. I keep finding it strange that when I was an inpatient all I had wrong was my pins and needles and since discharge I seem to be getting worse. It seems to be the illness that keeps giving 
Hi @jay.langdon, I was given Pregabalin for neuro pain and pins and needles and the dose kept getting increased till it just gave me nausea and even more tiredness so I took the decision to try living with out it. It took away the symptoms of nausea but I have to live with the pins and needles which surprisingly 4 years on I know they are there but I live with it and feel like me.The only stroke meds I was given was pre gab and atorvastatin, statins can cause weakness so speak to the doc if you’re experiencing side effects and get them changed. I had severe pins n needles down my left side of face literally draw a line down centre of face and rather than droop of face mine is tight and eye is more closed it was my daughters wedding last year I had Botox because I’m vain and it gives me relief so hubby knows now my treatments are mediastinal 
. Stroke recovery is trial and error everyone is different and recovers in different ways but do not worry about questioning why you are on medications and what there side effects are. My stroke was caused due to my congenital heart condition so I take heart meds too. I was told by one consultant “You are an intelligent woman you have to take charge of your own health not rely on others to do what’s right for you, as you are the one most invested in your life” So ask them questions make an informed decision if pregabs aren’t right for you speak to your doc try without, you can always go back on them if you find they were helping more than you realised.
Nat
Strange thing to say but welcome you find out that it’s up and down I go into myself and don’t post sometimes as I feel people don’t need to listen to me being miserable but stupid really as that’s what this group is for, I didn’t realise there was a zoom group I have aches and pains I sometimes think it’s the medication we get put on as you have a pill to counteract another and so on I find my legs don’t want to hold me in the morning for a few seconds then I am fine but I am going to the gym to help myself which I would never say I am a gym person. I am still trying to come to terms with giving up my job which I don’t regret but it’s like where am I going from here after 5 months I think that’s a work in progress like you suddenly doing a job you weren’t expecting but it’s brilliant that they have still got a job for you. You’re wife can also post on here because it’s hard on them as well maybe I will dip into the zoom later to see these lovely people that have helped me when I have felt low.
Thanks for today it was nice to see faces the beautiful Scottish views joe making me giggle and Kieron is the new Martin Lewis to advise us how to get all these cards two for one and more 
Hi Jay, I read your post today and while you’re on a few medications and seemed to have had them changed a few times I wondered if you’re taking any statins. These type of tablets can give you a lot of pain in your leg muscles which can be there at rest as well as while walking. I’ve tried several different statins over a period of 5 years and always get muscle pain in my legs, on one occasion I was told to stop them immediately which I found quite worrying. I’m now waiting for an appointment for a cholesterol clinic at my local hospital but appointment waiting times are currently 20 weeks, so I worked out I should be seen just before Christmas !! I would check with your GP that it’s not the statins though. Love your humour with the illness that keeps on giving it did make me laugh. Hope you get all these pains sorted soon.
Ann