Tia/migraine?
Posted , 4 users are following.
On 6th December my 71 year old husband had a suspected Tia symptoms were head ache shimmering in corner of right eye described by him as like looking through water plus slurred speech which lasted a few mins. I was talking to him and afterwards he said he knew what he wanted to say but could nor find the right words. He went to A and Rand was seen by the doctor. Blood tests were fine except for high triglycerides. Examination was normal. It was diagnosed as possible Tia. 2 days later he saw the consultant after having a Doppler scan on the neck this was ok and after asking lots of questions the doctor said he thought it was a migraine even though he had never had one in his life. At the a and e he was put on 300mcg aspirin. The consultant t old him to stop. About a week after that . He had an mr i brain scan together with an ear scan which had a already been booked for other reasons. He was told not t o drive for a month and he would see him in clinic 6/8 weeks. His appointment is 19th Jan. The consultant said he would be very surprised if the mr i showed anything. He has a copy of the letter to the gp saying it was thought to be a migraine not a Tia. Does all this sound ok. He has type 2 diabetes asthma/copd arthritis and is overweight. He had not had any other episodes and was completely back to normal before arriving at a and e. I would add our son aged45 had a possible Tia 2 years ago but this was because he had let his diabetes go out of control. He has been type 1 diabetic since he was 2. I assume they took this Into account. The other thing is he is wanting to start driving again as I don't drive. One month will be 6Jan but 4 weeks to the day will be the 3rd of Jan. Do you this will matter if drives on the third. Thanks.
0 likes, 15 replies
amkoffee libralady13
Posted
I've had a stroke, a TIA, a blood clot in my leg and an optical migraine. One of each of those things so my statements are going to be based on my own experiences.
My Optical migraine had no pain with it and it only lasted about an hour maybe a little bit more. Even though I had already had a stroke the doctor I saw in the emergency room did not feel that it was a stroke or a TIA. Of course he did no tests except to check my sight before he came to that conclusion. When I had my stroke I had a visual disturbance and that was the first of the above mentioned ailments I ever had so they did a CT scan on my head and that's how they found out I had a stroke. My visual disturbance disappeared slowly over the course of 24 to 48 hours. For me it was like seeing cross-eyed. And finally when I had the TIAA which was just a year ago I woke up with no use of my right arm and my speech was slurred. The doctor did the normal CT scan which they should always do to rule out or diagnose a stroke. Following the CT scan and he insisted on an MRI of my head as well. It was his conclusion that I had had a TIA. I also regain the use of my arm and my speech improved. It is my opinion that your doctor was remiss in not doing a CT scan on your husband in the emergency room. I didn't know that optical migraines would cause speech impediments temporary or otherwise. Frankly since taking aspirin has very small risk of hurting you at least if taken short-term I would continue taking the aspirin at least until you get the results of the MRI. After all it's a very small thing he can do that could save his life.
libralady13 amkoffee
Posted
Hello thanks for your reply. When he was in A and E which was late afternoon on the Wednesday the doctor who saw him said it might be a tia and that he would be seen in the stroke/tia clinic and that they would arrange any tests. I did not think about it at the time but now I realise that when my son was in a and e 2 years ago they kept him in overnight and did the tests before he was discharged. They were still not sure if it was a Tia but treated it as such and he is now on long term medication, but completely recovered as far as I can tell. On the Thursday eve a letter arrived by taxi for him to have the doppler scan done the next day and then see the consultant straight after wards, With regard to the aspirin as mentioned the a and e put him on 300 dose. The consultant in the clinic asked if they had given him aspirin and said was 75 dose when we said 300 he said you don't need that. We will see whether or not because of the diabetes etc whether you should be on 75mcg longterm and will decide that and any other medication once mri scan is back he is seen in clinic on the 19th.
With regard to migraines I have suffered them throughout my life and they changed somewhat. In my 20's and 30's they were just bad headaches no other symptoms obviously related to hormones. During menopause they became a lot worse and lasted longer with throwing up etc. After menopause they more or less ceased I just now get a much milder headache but with an aura around 20mins before this means I can take a painkiller once I have the aura and I don't get them that often. If he had just had the headache and eye problem I did wonder about migraine but when he got the slurred speech I called for an ambulance. I did however look up the symptoms o fmigraine and slurred speech is certainly a symptom although not a common one. I do also remember a friend of mine who used to go number down one side with hers. As far as the episode was concerned he had a headache before lunch we both suffer with neck arthritis which does cause a headache in the neck going over up over the scalp. He had lunch and then started to complain about his eye which lasted 20 mins or so the slurred speech only about 5 or 10 mins. It is hard to tell how long it lasted certainly he was completely recovered except for the headache. which eventually went as he had taken paracetamol. We will obviously have to wait and what happens on the 19th although I have told him to try and call the hospital tomorrow for the mri results. What ever happened that day I feel it is stress related for reasons I won;t go into we have both had a lot of stress this last few months and it is bound to affect us. Any idea if he can drive would a couple of days make any difference. They say a month but if it was February then is would be only 28 days. Thank you for your interest.
amkoffee libralady13
Posted
Ocular migraines do not necessarily have pain. I think they're a whole different ballgame than a regular migraine. I have regular migraines now and then and so when I got this ocular migraine it was weird that it didn't have any pain at all.
It is very frustrating having to wait to get the results of a test that you're anxious for the results on. I'm just surprised the doctor had your husband stop the aspirin before knowing for sure that it wasn't a TIA. I would definitely call tomorrow and see if you can get any of the results . I hope everything goes okay. Hopefully it was nothing more than an ocular migraine. You have a much greater risk of having a stroke if you've already had a TIA.
libralady13 amkoffee
Posted
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effie_gee libralady13
Posted
I'm new to all of this so can only say what's happened to me. I was diagnosed on 4 October (without tests) with a TIA that happened on the 18 September this year. I am used to migraines with aura but that wasn't a symptom in my case at the time. That watery, shattered visual as well as the not translating thought into words is my kind of classic migraine, together with arm and part facial numbness. I'm still waiting for an MRI that was agreed last week with the neuro, really to reassure me about the after effects of the TIA seeming to last longer than the supposed 24 hours. They can be elusive little devils for showing up on CAT and MTI scans. As far as driving is concerned, my GP, when I saw him on 28 September, told me that I wan't allowed to drive for 4 weeks after the TIA. I really didn't want to anyway, although I need to be mobile, I wasn't confident about it. Is this DVLA doc useful? It notes 4 weeks after the date of the stroke so your husband could be legally back behind the wheel on 3rd Jan (only my opinion!). Best of luck to you all and let 2018 be a healthy year for all of us.https://www.gov.uk/stroke-and-driving
lorraine21063 libralady13
Posted
Hi. The people on this site are mostly patients who either had TIAS' or strokes. Since your husband has had all these tests, it would be irresponsible for any of us to contradict his doctor's advice and diagnosis.
On the other hand, if it were my husband or any relative, I would absolutely get a second opinion if I weren't happy with the doctor's diagnosis.
Good luck to you and God Bless~
libralady13 lorraine21063
Posted
Thank you for your reply. I wasn't saying I was unhappy with the diagnosis. I was just wondering about other peoples experiences. Unfortunately I suffer from anxiety and especially health anxiety, so I question everything and think the worst. I have been having a bad time with the anxiety and have a lot of digestive and back pain symptoms. I am having tests and also counselling. Tomorrow morning I have a an upper endoscopy which I am freaking out about. I should have had one in December but got my self in such a state I had to cancel it. I also have an abdominal scan booked for next week. During 2017 I have had heart scans and a colonoscopy. My husband has also had a colonoscopy, biopsies and mri scans for prostate cancer, ear scan, kidney scan and upper endoscopy so am always worried about him. My current symptoms for which I am having the tests started after being told my husband had prostate cancer and then being told the biopsies found no cancer.
I appreciate the comments from you and everyone who replied. I will try and remember to post again once he has seen the stroke consultant on 19th.
Best wishes to everyone.
lorraine21063 libralady13
Posted
Hi there. I totally understand what you are going through. I have anxiety issues myself, and some of which contributed to my having 2 TIAS and finally a stroke. I thought my TIAS were pinched nerves because of having sciatica and other spinal issues. I'm replying in hopes of helping calm you about the upper endoscopy. I've had 2 of those and several colonoscopies. My remembrance of the upper endoscopy was like taking a nice nap. I was fine after. God Bless you and your husband. If you'd like, I will pray for you both. Let me know.
libralady13 lorraine21063
Posted
libralady13 lorraine21063
Posted
I don't seem to be able to send you a private message.
Thank you so much for your kind words and offering to pray for both myself and husband. I not religious in the sense of going to church but I do try to help others and care about nature animals etc although I am not vegetarian. So if you feel you can do so that that is most kind.
My procedure tomorrow is being done at a mobile clinic as they do non urgent referrals so they do not offer as much sedation as the hospital might do but I have been told I can have some light sedation to relax me but not send me to sleep. If when I get there I find they only offer gas and air which is the other alternative then I will have to decide whether I can go through with it. I hope it will be ok.
I will post again and let you know how I get on.
amkoffee lorraine21063
Posted
The spirit of this group is patients helping patients. I think most people understand that and do not use these sites as it means to diagnose their problem. Not only that but I think she wanted some support on what she didn't know thus far. She has not got a diagnosis for her husband yet because she had to wait till today to try to talk to them about the test results.
lorraine21063 amkoffee
Posted
Yes, she did explain she just needed support. I got involved in these discussions because my stroke this past summer completely changed my life because it was so traumatizing. In desperation, I got online one night after being awakened with nerve pain that felt like pure electricity flowing through my entire left side from my head to my toes.
I wanted to see if there were any people chatting about similar experiences. I thought sharing and listening to others would help get my mind off my discomfort.
I have appreciated this site for being able to do just that.
I am still in therapy and learning on a daily basis how to handle this situation. I guess the hardest part is accepting the possibility that I this is as good as it may get.
I have to fight depression, anxiety, and discouragement because of my pain and limitations. I spend a lot of time convincing myself that I am still a productive mother and citizen, as I struggle to take care of myself and my 18-year-old son, who has autism.
I have said all that so you may have a better of why I am involved in participating on this site. It gives me comfort to share with others who may be going through the shock and trauma of something as sudden and debilitating as a stroke.
I have many well-meaning friends and acquaintances, but none of them have had a stroke or can fully comprehend what it is like.
Being involved on this website is a small part of giving back.
I am writing to ask you not to give your opinion about my posts to the precious people who seek out this website for the same reasons I did. Although you may think it helps or is needed, it is discouraging to me at this time, especially when I wasn't addressing my post to you.
I'm sure I may make mistakes in my interpretation of what people are asking, but I'm just so thrilled to be able to read, write and understand what is said. I'm just glad to be here for my kids.
I wish the best for you. Good luck and God Bless~
lorraine21063 libralady13
Posted
Hello there. I am still trying to figure out how to send private messages as well. I will pray in private for both of you and if I ever figure out how to send a private message, I will send my prayer to you directly.
Thank you for replying back to me directly. I personally know how overwhelming a stroke is. It hasn't been quite a year since my stroke.
I've also had many of the same issues you mentioned otherwise. It can all be so overwhelming at times. I'm so glad you have good medical care available.
I may share more about my situation later. I love being involved with this site.
But I also get fatigued mentally and physically sometimes when I chat.
Again, God Bless you both.
libralady13 lorraine21063
Posted
libralady13
Posted
I can report that my gastroscopy well well. I did have light sedation and apart from a bit of gagging at the beginning was comfortable. Diagnosis is mild gastritis in stomach, oesophagus and duodenum normal. Going back on medication. Thank you everyone who replied to me and offered advice and good wishes.