Possible Stroke

[albyone]

I saw my Dr. last week and related an experience that I had a few weeks ago. I was lying in bed reading one of my favorite things to do and I suddenly had a sensation that I really can't describe when I stood up I felt lightheaded and when my wife came in she asked if I was okay and I couldn't respond to her immediately I asked her to get me a cold seven up I sat down and I began to feel better. I had been taking warfarin but having a difficult time staying in the proper range. My Dr. said it sounded like TIA and Monday next I will be having a brain scan and a carotid scan as well. I have since changed to elaquis hoping that It will do the job for me. I will be 82 in October. I have stage 3 heart failure and chronic diastolic cardiomyopathy. I am still active trying to walk at least a mile and a half to 2 miles though it it is getting more difficult to do. In Jan. 2014 I had an AV Node ablation so I am completely dependent on my pacemaker. Just wondering if there members here that have had TIA and how it effected them.

Ed

[Rellim296]

Was this anything to do with postural low blood pressure rather than a TIA? My other half has to watch leaping out of bed. His blood pressure taken sitting down is not the same as it is when taken standing up and he can suddenly feel lightheaded and has to sit down if he has changed posture too quickly.

[Tobw]

Seven years ago, I had an experience whereby I had a feeling come on me just below my left elbow within a second or two which felt like the one you get when you hit your funny bone. I was driving at the time and, although that feeling disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, I found that I was unable to grip the gear stick when I next tried to change gear. It was okay when I tried a second time, but then about two minutes later after I had reached home and parked, I found that the bunch of papers I wanted to pick up just slipped through the same hand because I couldn't grip them.

Although they were the only "symptoms" I experienced, I made an immediate appointment with my GP. He found nothing wrong with me when he saw me about an hour later, but I'd seen him before about my "episodes" where my heart went funny (it was suspected that I had AF but had not been proved at the time) and when I mentioned that I'd had one the day before, he said "I suppose it could have been a mini stroke then".

My Doctor's true feelings about what had happened to me were revealed by him saying that, even with a TIA, he would expect me to have had more symptoms which would also have gone on longer - he also said that the rules were that he should tell anyone who he believed had suffered a TIA not to drive for a month, but he told me he was happy to let me drive home from the surgery.

He did say that, whatever had happened to me, the probability that I had AF meant that my chances of having a TIA/stroke were much increased and so he was going to refer me to the stroke avoidance unit in my local hospital.

Over the following weeks I had all of the sort of tests you are going to have and when the brain scan came back all clear, I said to my GP "so that means I definitely didn't have a mini stroke?". He replied that it didn't because the nature of TIAs meant that there was often no lasting damage to the brain.

So, although my GP does not think I had a TIA back in 2008 and I've not had anything to compare with what happened since then, it cannot be ruled out completely - this means that it's impossible for me to work out an accurate CHADS score for myself.

I suppose the relevance of all this to you is to let you know that there is a strong chance that the tests you have will prove to be inconclusive, but the really important thing is you are already on anti coagulation medicine - whatever happened to me meant that I got my AF diagnosis quicker than I would have done and so I didn't have any more episodes where I was not taking something to help prevent clotting (even though it was only Aspirin for a while), so I suppose it has to be seen as a good thing.

Beat of luck on Monday.

[10gingercats in reply to Tobw]

I would be wary in these circ umstances from what you describe and ask for an NOAC or Warfarin...just to be sure that your TIA risk is reduced....I have had a tiny TIA and have AF and no way am I intending to come off Apixaban...much as I would like to...I find medicines a 'hastle'

[Tobw in reply to 10gingercats]

For about six months after it was confirmed that I had AF (around August 2008), I took only an Aspirin a day. My GP recommended from the start that I go on Warfarin, but I liked my Saturday night binge drinking too much and I convinced myself that Aspirin would be sufficient. However, it only took a bit more research and a few conversions with others with AF to confirm that this was far from the case and, apart from a spell about a year ago where I came off it for a medical procedure, I've been on Warfarin since March 2009.

[albyone in reply to Tobw]

Thanks, my Dr. did tell me that the scans may not show anything but I should take the episode seriously and if it happened again to call 911.

[fergywergy]

I have an opthamologist that says he can discern past tia events by looking in the eyes. He says that tia's leave a trace on the retina. I'm not sure all apthamologist would agree with that but if true it might be a way for you to determine one way or another about your tia. I also agree with Rellim296 that your symptoms could be due to getting up quickly. If you started afib while in bed and then got up quickly your BP would drop and make you light headed.

[albyone]

I was told that as well but several years ago she told me that the eyes can tell a lot about health. My symptoms began as I was lying in bed reading and I sat on the side of the bed before getting up I have learned that I can get dizzy if I get up to quickly so I don't do that. Thanks for your response.