3Years after a mild stroke, i am experiencing TIA type symptoms daily? My consultants say its stress functional symptoms.Help me someone Please!!

3years ago I had a mild stroke, and since that day, ive been having TIA type attacks near daily. WHY? I need answers and help PLEASE.

Hi my name is Dave.

I am requiring any help feedback, as to whether anyone else seems to have or have had recurring stroke like symptoms, 3years after a small stroke.

With the help of my wife and others, I have compiled this.

8years ago, at the age of 39 yrs. I was a high flying energetic senior manager within a large uk-ftse. company, I had worked for many large UK corporations in a senior position very successfully, and also Director of my own businesses, when I suffered a large nervous breakdown.

This was due to 20years 15hour day 6/7days a week workaholic lifestyle, in senior business management working for private and public companies.

I suffered and am still suffering with hypertension, high cholesterol, and abnormal electrical QT wave diagnosed when I was 24years old.

Due to constantly having heart pain, I underwent stress tests which I was unable to complete, after having an angiogram, it was then found that under stress, my heart arteries and blood vessels constrict severely causing me pain.

All this eventually with my high work ethic, caused me to have a nervous breakdown, I then was unable to work and I fell into severe depression, all this was been treated with medication as belpw.

Then 3years ago whilst having a nice stroll near the beach at Cleethorpes, with my wife, I experienced loss of feeling in my left leg for approx. 10minutes and then the same thing in the left arm.

My wife and I laughed it off, wondering what was going off, I also felt unwell and dizzy so we decided to drive back home to Doncaster.

My left side felt weak, so after having a couple of drinks we went to bed early.

The next morning I was unable to wake up and get up properly, so my wife came upstairs and noticed that the left hand side of my mouth and eye had drooped on the left side of my face.

I was very dizzy and unsteady and weak on my left leg and left arm, and I had this very severe pain behind my left eye socket, and my wife states that I was slurring and unsteady due to dizziness.

Luckily my 24year old daughter who had just popped in mentioned to my wife, that this looked like a stroke, the paramedics who came out were shocked that on inspection I had not gone to the hospital for treatment the day before, they immediately took me into Doncaster Royal Infirmary for hospital treatment.

I was treated for a stroke and subsequent CT, MRI scans and the consultant reports within the first 48hrs states as follows;

‘‘ This gentleman’s symptoms suggestive of ataxic hemiparesis, would be in keeping with a lacunar syndrome although the white matter changes in the MRI are more predominant in the left hemisphere than the right and I cannot identify any clear brain stem lesion on review on the PACS today.

Undoubtedly there is some functional overlay component. This gentleman’s presentation is in keeping with his significant history of depression. His signs would be in keeping with a lacunar stroke and I note that carotid dopplers show carotid atheromatous disease in the asymptomatic artery, Therefore it is entirely reasonable for him to be on appropriate vascular preventative therapy. He is aware of persistent sensory deficit which is causing him anxiety.’’

I have been diagnosed as having cerebral vascular disease, hypertension, angina, diabetes type2, reflux, glaucoma, asthma, depression.

I am on medication for my above health issues as follows, Clopidogrel 75mg, Amlodopine 10mg, Montelukast 10mg, Atorvastatin 40mg, Irbesartan 300mg, Bendroflumethaizide 2.5mg, Pregabalin 600mg, Metformin 500mg, Isosorbide Mononitrate 60mg, Lansoprazole 30mg. Salbutamol and Seretide inhalers. Glyceryl Nitrate GTN spray for angina. Cocodamol and Paracetamol for pain management.

However from the moment I had this mild stroke I have been getting recurring stroke like symptoms, for now 3years after.

Initially my left leg had a small shake uncontrollably, however since being prescribed Pregabalin in the 1stsix months, I have not hardly had a recurrence, just slight shakes now and then.

These episodic attacks are now as frequent as three times a day and sometimes 7days a week, where I suffer episodes of stroke type symptoms, during my sleep, and twice during the day.

These attacks which can be from light to severe attacks are as follows, a light attack feels like an electrical current going through my head and dizziness, and then a bad attack sometimes precedes with a tingling numb-like feeling in left-hand side of my face, which then ends with me displaying the symptoms as already described on numerous occasions and literally ends with me sleeping heavily, and my leg and arm feels like a lead weight, these have been seen by many medical professionals within Royal Hallamshire Sheffield Hospital, Doncaster Hospital, the nurses at the local GP and local CMHT.

A heavy attack has the following symptoms, dizziness, pain in my head, a drooped mouth and left eye and left hand-side face, weakness in left arm and left leg, unable to walk, slurred speech, tingling in the left-hand side of face, blurry vision. These attacks whether light, medium or heavy, always ends up with myself being completely fatigued, confused with dizziness and then my brain forces me to sleep, from 2 to 4 hrs. or so.

These attacks happen during my sleep, as my wife is unable to wake me up in the morning and when i do finally wake up, i have the tell-tale left sided face droop etc, they can happen anytime of the day, whilst I am sat watching tv etc. sometimes 2 to 3 times a day for up-to 7days. My memory is terrible, i am unable to concentrate for long periods, i also lose my balance a lot, and I sometimes have a very severe pain, behind my left eye socket, and this does not go away with painkillers.

However after an attack, my limbs are weak for a day after.

Once i have recovered ie woken up after a sleep from 2 to 4hrs, i feels sometimes like I am drunk and very hung-over for a day or two, I am completely washed out, with varying pains, headaches and i am unable to walk once these attacks happen and i am very weak on my left side leg and arm daily and on-going.

I get dizzy spells during an attack and also when im not having an attack.

Also I am slurring, or mumbling during an attack, my speech is clear when I am not suffering attacks however my wife and children have stated that sometimes i say the wrong words or whilst speaking sometimes put the wrong words that im trying to say, in the wrong part of a sentence, which they find amusing, and i find frustrating and angry with myself for doing that, but i do not have slurred speech outside an attack unless I am tired.

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My vision has deteriorated since the stroke, and my left eyesight is terrible, i have just been diagnosed with glaucoma and diabetes and early stages of diabetic retinopathy, however the medics are looking into my eyesight issues but with no joy.

I have also been experiencing in addition to the other symptoms, pain in my bones on my left side and back, especially when i retires to bed at night, to the point where we have had to obtain a loan to purchase, a £3000 hospital type adjustable bed, which has not really alleviated the pain.

I am under a psychiatrist for depression, but nothing seems to be working for me, I am on medication, I have been tried on different medication over the 8years and im currently on 40mg of fluoxetine a day. My depression seems deeper since the stroke and i am struggling daily.

Im under a neurologists at Sheffield Royal, but they have put it down to functional symptoms due to stress, I have been recommended for psychotherapy, but will not be allowed down this road until my depression stabilises, we need help or any information from stroke survivors, have you suffered anything like this...

I feel like im a pain to the medical profession, and as a previous troubleshooter in management and business, in working as a consultant in performance and productive environments and with working knowledge of performance measures within the national health service, i feel I am a problem to performance and productivity figures as i am still on the consultants caseload. However these are just my feelings, and does not reflect on anyone’s professional expertise.

My local GP, is understanding and very GOOD at helping me emotionally and with medication to control my symptoms.

Ive been tested for bells palsy, ms, but no joy, does anyone have these effects or symptoms after 3 yrs after a stroke?

I have never ever regained the strength in my left leg or arm, this was only a small stroke, due to clotting from furred up carotid artery the consultants have informed me.

I am constantly in turmoil over this, feeling very depressed and even suicidal on a daily basis,

My stroke was not a bleed, it was a mild stroke, possibly caused by a clot from the diagnosed furred up carotid artery in my neck.

I just need some answers or other experiences and how they have coped or resolved.

My grown up children, aged 30, 24 and 21 and myself and wife are getting exceedingly worried, as I am having more of these episodes especially over the last 8-10months.

This is affecting my whole family too, in a depressive way.

I need help and answers and im praying for answers, please help someone, all this makes me feel very suicidal.

Doing this email is very hard mentally as i am constantly drained, it has taken me 3 weeks on and off to try and compile this email with the help of my wife and others.

Thanks

Kind Regards

Dave and Nicola

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