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Mini-Stroke, stress or anxiety? Losing my mind.....

Posted , 3 users are following.

EF4468
EF4468

I'm 26 years old, 165lbs (and slowly dropping weight) and diagnosed with G.A.D.

Starting from the beginning, I had a bad panic attack about two weeks ago that landed me in the hospital for a possible heart attack (Thankfully it wasn't) and I've been worried about my health ever since.  I've had aches and pains all over my body, as well as what I believe were heart palpitations, but those were split-second, and I've also experienced a slight lack of balance when I move, but that's mostly when I'm at work. As for my body, I've mostly felt these on my left side, from my chest to my arm, down to my leg but they were split-second sensations and I could replicate them when I pressed on them.  All of my bloodwork (D-Dimer, complete metabolic panel), EKG's and Xrays came back negative for heart attack or blood clot, but even after that I'd still feel aches and pains, like I had a blood clot traveling through my body.   After I calmed down I felt yet ANOTHER sensation while at work today: It was like a very VERY subtle weight in the right side of my face, but no facial drooping, no severe balance issues, no slurred speech, and this sensation lasted all day.  I keep thinking it might be a stroke in the making, but I hadn't slept well the night before so that might play a part.  I've been working on exercising more and eating healthier, but I really don't want to go to the ER again, especially if it's just anxiety or stress-related.  I don't want my poor eating habits to come back to bite me either, especially when I'm just now trying to get better.  I just need reassurances that what I'm experiencing is stress/anxiety-induced and not a stroke waiting to happen.

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • EF4468
    EF4468

    Posted

    I hate this.....the moment I think I can relax I find something else to worry about. I don't have the money to keep going to the doctor's for something that may or may not be stress/anxiety based.

  • amkoffee
    amkoffee EF4468

    Posted

    First of all I am not going to tell you to calm down or to stop worrying about yourself because that's just not helpful. However I would make a few suggestions to you that might help find the answer to your health problems.

    If you don't have one you need to get a GP or family doctor of some sort. Once you get a GP I suggest that you ask him to test for these specific things. Ask him to check your B12 level and your iron level if you are low on either of these you can take medicine that will help you. The other thing you might ask him to test for if he hasn't already is your thyroid. The test is called TSH.

    You should be applauded for exercising and dieting to get your weight down and get healthy. It is possible that your workouts are not appropriately done and that is causing you the aches and pains. Before you exercise always do something to warm up. You can warm up by walking or riding a bicycle and you only need to do this for about 5 minutes. After you're done exercising you always want to take time out to stretch your muscles. Old school thinking was to stretch before you worked out but now they realize that it's not good for the muscles to be stretched while they're cold and so this is why they suggest it for after your exercise is over. Lastly you may want to tone down your exercises a bit it might be that your doing too much too fast. It's really hard to slow down because I'm sure you're very excited to get healthy but you need to approach exercise slowly building up to a tolerance that right for you. If by chance you belong to a Jim and you work out there you might want to spend a little extra money and hire a private trainer at the gym just for a couple of times. They can help you exercise smarter especially if your new to exercising.

    I hope some of this helps you and hopefully you'll get to the bottom of all this

    • EF4468
      EF4468 amkoffee

      Posted

      The most I've done thusfar is power walking for 30 mins up to an hour. I've been debating going to a gym, but now my fear is that my exercising is causing blood clots to form. I am a hypochondriac, moreso since I've gone to the hospital.

    • EF4468
      EF4468

      Posted

      Even tonight, after eating a bit of pizza my heart rate was up, but no other symptoms happened. Then right before I went to go to bed I felt something in the front of my left calf 'jump' for lack of a better word. No warmth, no swelling, and no other symptoms. I can't tell if it was a muscle or something lodged in a vein.

    • amkoffee
      amkoffee EF4468

      Posted

      I've had a DVT (blood clot) and I can assure you that what happened with the jumping feeling was not from a DVT. In addition it's not exercise that induces a DVT it is the lack of exercise that can do it. So if you spend a lot of time doing nothing but laying around all day for several days ... you are more likely to develop a DVT.

      One day my calf started hurting and I thought I had a charley horse. As the days past it hurt more and more and I went to the chiropractor and he said that if it didn't get better by a couple of days later that I should go see my doctor. Then that night my calf swelled and got red so my husband took me to the emergency room where they started administering blood thinners and kept me in the hospital for a day or two. But I don't think there would be a question in your mind that something was wrong if you got a blood clot in your leg. I think I had mine for close to a whole week before I went to the emergency room.

      They put me on aspirin so that I would not develop another clot. If you feel that you have a chance of developing a DVT you can try taking baby aspirin. It does a real good job of thinning the blood enough to help eliminate a DVT or even a stroke however aspirin can tear up your stomach so I don't really recommend you doing it every day 4 weeks on end.

      As for your power walking I don't know how long you've been doing it but walking outside on the concrete can cause you a lot of body pain if you're not wearing the right kind of shoes. It would be a good idea for you to purchase some inserts for your tennis shoes. These inserts are meant to cushion your feet against the hard concrete.

      I hope you get things figured out and don't feel guilty for being anxious about your heath. I wish you good health.

    • EF4468
      EF4468 amkoffee

      Posted

      I've been power walking for two weeks before the weather got bad, though it would be accurate for you to say I did not have the right shoes. I'm on my feet and moving for most of the day when I'm at work, as well.

  • joe1951
    joe1951 EF4468

    Posted

    Hi

    I have been seeing doctors regarding the mini stroke I had 2 weeks ago.

    I didn’t get any confirmation about the actual cause of it and I was told I might get another one soon 

    Which made me worry and stressed 

    I wonder if anyone heard about the second stroke

    • amkoffee
      amkoffee joe1951

      Posted

      I had a full stroke first and then I had a mini-stroke also known as a TIA. I know that's a little backwards from what they say but then she is a is a warning that you could have a stroke in the near future. My 2-stroke or about 5 years apart. As far as the reason why you had a stroke they may never have an answer for that. In my case they didn't really have a valid answer either. So one of the doctors tried to blame it on the fact that I used to smoke and quit seven years before my first stroke. One thing I know can cause a stroke in some people and that's high cholesterol. So if you might want to get checked for that if they haven't already. There is medicine to take to lower your cholesterol if it is indeed its high. I am assuming that your doctors told you to start aspirin every day. If not you definitely should start. But of course check with your doctor before you take any aspirin. After my mini stroke they switched me from aspirin to clopadogrel (Plavix).

    • joe1951
      joe1951 amkoffee

      Posted

      Hi

      I am seeing my doctor regularly since I had the stroke 3 weeks ago now

      My cholesterol level is within the normal range also he gave me blood thinner tablets and cholesterol tablets to keep it below the normal level

      I hope you are recovering well and has no damage

      Regards

    • amkoffee
      amkoffee joe1951

      Posted

      I'm rather surprised your doctor put you on blood thinners for just one mini stroke. However I suppose it's the doctors perogative which one he wants you to be on. I had three incidences of blood clotting. My first thing was a DVT in my right calf my 2nd and 3rd where my stroke and my mini stroke. And you're right I am very fortunate that I have not had any lasting deficits from any of them.

    • joe1951
      joe1951 amkoffee

      Posted

      Hi again

      As soon as I got the stroke the doctors gave my the medication, blood thinners and cholesterol tablets

      To prevent another stroke as it is common to get another one in a short time after you get the first one

      Regards 

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