TIA
Posted , 6 users are following.
My dad was admitted to hospital last night after suffering nausea, sweating, loss of balance and not being able to stand. Thankfully we brought him home today and he seems his usual self pretty much. He had an MRI which showed nothing abnormal, he will have a follow up appointment shortly but in the mean time has been put on blood thinners and as a precaution statins. Is this usual? His blood pressure is always up and down but he checks it regularly they haven't put him on blood pressure tablets at all. Just after knowing if the tablets given is usual and what to expect now really? Thank you. Oh and he's 85 and in good health
0 likes, 16 replies
amkoffee peppa_pig
Posted
Are you sure they did an MRI and not a CAT scan? I'm just asking because typically they do a CAT scan first and then if they don't see anything in that they do an MRI. Having an MRI done on your head can be very stress-inducing. It is done by enclosing his head in a box and then sending him through the MRI machine that way. And I will say having been through it, it is nothing easy to deal with. If they put him on blood thinners then they must believe he may have had a TIA and just not see the blood clot in his brain. The difference between a stroke and a TIA is that when you have a stroke you develop a blood clot in the brain. When it's a TIA you develop a blood clot but it eventually passes on and so it might be that your dad had a clot but it passed through before they did the Imaging. Do you know what blood thinners they put them on? Some are very difficult to be on. You asked about the blood thinners and statins and whether that's normal and I would have to say yes it is. When I had my stroke is when they discovered that the statins I was taking were not doing enough for me. Except that after my stroke they only put me on aspirin 325 mg. But I had a TIA a couple of years later and then they put me on Plavix. I am very lucky that I have had no deficits from either one of those. You didn't mention but I'm guessing your dad had no deficits either. The one thing your dad will need to be concerned about is that when you have a TIA or a stroke there is a higher probability that you will have another one, I think they say within 4 years. But don't quote me on that. it is for this reason that they put your dad on blood thinners. I hope everything works out for your dad.
RHGB peppa_pig
Posted
I read all the time of people taking statins and then coming off of them because of the effects. Especially in stroke forums, and many like me, refused to take them. Statins control cholesterol, there are much better ways on controlling it through diet. Do you know what his cholesterol is, if not, get him down the GP and get it tested.
peppa_pig
Posted
Thanks both, maybe it was a cat scan then, it was all a lot to take in really. His bloody thinner begins with a C. I'm so vague but I'll find out. The statins he wasn't happy about as my moms on them and definitely has side effects although she is of the thinking that 'doctors know best' dads cholesterol was fine a few months ago but I will recommend he has it checked and discuss it at his follow up appointment. I appreciate your comments so much as I've not know anyone have a TIA before.
loxie peppa_pig
Posted
Hi Peppa. Firstly may I say I'm very sorry to hear of the problems your dad is experiencing, very stressful for both him and the family. Amkoffee has given some very useful info. As said, the problem with a TIA is that it often leaves no discernible trace for the hospital to scan. Aspirin is the most common 'antiplatelet' medication used to prevent clots forming in arteries, and increasingly, doctors may offer an additional antiplatelet medication to increase protection from further strokes (either dipyridamole or clopidogrel). It may be clopidogrel that your father has been given. I agree with RHGB's comments re statins - they are given to almost everyone automatically recently and arent always the best course of action for a given individual. Do get your father to get his cholesterol levels checked. High cholesterol readings can be misleading - it's important to check the variance between HDL and LDL and not just the overall level. If the good cholesterol is high, then the bad cholesterol even if high is being processed efficiently by the body and lowering all cholesterol (which statins do) may not be such a good idea. Just to give you a little reassurance, if it was a TIA, it doesnt always indicate that a major stroke will follow - I have a friend who has had several TIA's and has been told it's not clots causing them but a secondary neurological problem which is not life threatening. I hope your dad recovers well. Best advice do some research of your own and query everything the doctors say to ensure you get proper answers.
pauline59158 loxie
Posted
I agree with the comments on Statins, I've always resisted because of the bad publicity. Almost everyone at my local club have had statins at some point but come off them. My HDL was always good but the GP wanted me to take them. I'm glad I didn't.
gill2107 peppa_pig
Posted
Afternoon
My son was admitted to hospital last year having had these "attacks" prior to having TIA. He also had an MRI straight off and they found he had had a vertebral artery dissection.
Sadly the following weeks didn't go well and he passed away.
During the PM they found he had atherosclerosis which they believe caused the nausea, sweating and unstableness.
amkoffee gill2107
Posted
Oh my, what a terrible thing to happen to you and the rest of your family. I am sincerely sorry for your loss. Did he die from a stroke or was it from one of his other conditions? I'm assuming he was an adult, not that that makes it any easier. My thoughts are with you and your family for this loss.
gill2107 amkoffee
Posted
Thank you amkoffee. It's truly been an awful year. If you had seen Darren after the TIA you would have been surprised as he looked so well. He had an echocardiogram to rule out heart issues and it came back as all perfect......how ironic.
Sadly Darrens stay in hospital (due to his diet in there) caused severe constipation. He was given morphine for the pain which exasperated the constipation and although a nurse was told his eyes were flickering they ignored the fact he was having epileptic fits. We were told "nothing we can do for him in a&e, see your gp".
Darren got Sepsis 3 days later after 12 days of not being able to open his bowels even though taking Movicol and Senna daily. This caused his organs to fail, a huge stroke and heart attack. Should have gone to ITU but taken to a stroke ward with no sepsis treatment.
All preventable if A&E had treated appropriately the previous week.
Darren was 35, cerebral palsy and learning disabilities, never spent a night away from us. Only health issues until that point was high blood pressure which was kept well under control until that point.
amkoffee gill2107
Posted
gill2107 amkoffee
Posted
Thank you for your thoughts x
loxie amkoffee
Posted
Early recognition and effective treatment of sepsis seems to be a real issue presently with the NHS, the deterioration is so rapid and it just doesnt seem to be getting correctly diagnosed soon enough. How terribly sad and such an unnecessary loss of a loved one. The treatment is known and available, the issue is lack of attention/knowledge/care not lack of availability. Hospital staff are well aware how dangerous constipation can be because of the build up of toxins - they are very specifically instructed to monitor and act quickly but often dont. It's not lack of funds or procedures, its lack of care!
RHGB loxie
Posted
loxie RHGB
Posted
gill2107 loxie
Posted
Darren was diagnosed with Sepsis and treatment started in Resus, it was his move to a stroke ward at 1am, no Drs on board and a APN looking after 3 wards. He had been offered a bed in AMU which is Dr based at 8pm but someone declined it!!!!! So on leaving Resus he had no medication for over 9 hours.
He had also been on Movicol and Senna for 10 days which did absolutely nothing , so no bowel movements and absolutely no concern by the A&E department but enough concern to give morphine for the pain which exasperated the constipation further.
loxie gill2107
Posted
So very sad for you Gill. Nothing we say is going to get him back for you but I'm sure everyone on this forum feels for your loss. No parent should outlive their child, no matter what age they are. I experienced incompetence whilst in hospital following a major accident, and I complained via my local MP some time afterwards (I wasnt told whilst in hospital I could have had access to a PALS rep so my complaints were via ward staff who didnt/wouldnt listen). The response from the Minister for Health was four pages of half truths and erroneous info that he had been told by the hospital and administrators. Complete waste of time. My good fortune is that their inability to act didnt become life threatening in my case, unlike your sons. Our sincerest sympathies to you.