stroke confused :-(

Hi Debbie, I really can empathise with you as our son had a stroke a couple of years ago aged 39.  A non-smoker, little alcohol, a frequent football and tennis player, and a gym bunny.  His stroke occurred in his sleep and when he awoke the following morning he became aware of a slight problem with his vision.  He ignored it for a couple of days and thethought he should get it checked out with an optician, who became concerned and referred him to a consultant who did an immediate MRI and confirmed a clot to the brain and immediate admission to a stroke ward.  He spent a couple of days there and was put on the blood thinning medication Clopidogrel and statins - the latter is an automatic treatment following stroke even in the case of normal cholesterol levels.  The cardiologist could find any problems apart from a slight thickening of his heart muscle but said that was subjective in that it could have been there for years, perhaps even since birth, and probably not related. His vision improved but not to perfect so he doesn't drive but continues with life as before, still playing tennis but has given up football and the gym of late.

I think the important thing for you now is to try and put it to the back of your mind (difficult I know) but your continuing anxiety will not help as it will place stress on your body, and stress can cause all sorts of problems in itself.  Good luck and stay well.

Hi Debbie, I had a mild stroke in December, I am waiting on one last heart test this month to check my arteries, I've had the neck one done and MRI I will still be waiting to see specialist  after all this time, still none the wiser, Normally high BP and Fast heart beat can be a cause, but won't happen again if your on right meds, I think mine was cholesterol or smoking and poor diet 

x

Thank you for yr replies..very much appreciated. I am also on clopidogrel..bisoprolol and losartan. Guess I am just searching for a reason and feel at a loss because they cant give me one. Find the memory and fatigue quite hard to deal with, but have an fantastic stroke nurse who helping me work through it. Just taken away my confidence. Thank you again for yr replies. Kindest regards

Hi Debbie, I had my stroke 3 years ago, I have never smoked or drank, played regular sport, Tennis, Badminton, Bowls etc. Seems thats no guarantee you would'nt have a stroke. The consultant could find no reason why I had the stroke, or the several TIA's that followed. I am on warfarin, blood pressure tablets and beta blockers. Still have problems with my memory, weakness on my right side.

Since being discharged from hospital, I've had no follow up consultations, or advice.

I have lost my confidence, for which I was being helped by a counsellor, but that has stopped now. 

Whenever I talk to my Doctor about other issues, he seems reluctant to prescribe any other medication in case it conflicts with the warfarin.

Sorry I haven't been much help, or offered re-assurance, but I wish you well for the future.

Pauline

Stroke risk increases linearly with blood pressure. High blood pressure was your problem. Keep taking that medication.