About me

[JoachimGuth]

My name is Joachim. I am 60'years old German and living in Singapore since many years. I had recently a stroke but recovering well from it.

Now I am desperate to prevent a further stroke and get off my medication as soon as it is reasonable.

[nirv]

The prevention is to take the medication, for the rest of your life.

I've been on mine since my stroke in February 2017. I'm about 95% recovered, I still have a few side effects when I get a cold. or move to fast. I think it's as good as I'm going to get now, but only time will tell.

Good luck with your recovery.

[JoachimGuth in reply to nirv]

Continued Medication can cause more harm to the body. I am looking for people, who manages to control blood pressure, cholesterol and platelets by natural means.

[nirv]

My cholesterol when I had my stroke was 4.5mmol, within the normal range. My cholesterol now is 2.3mmol. my blood pressure has always been within normal levels.

My stroke has never been related to my blood pressure or cholesterol but they still like to keep it at low levels to help prevent it happening again.

I would love to stop my medication but not at the risk of me having another stroke. So I will do anything to prevent it happening again.

[JoachimGuth in reply to nirv]

It is similar with me. I feel like in a trap. I am séarching for more info about this topic. If non of the risk factors has caused your stroke, what was it then?

[nirv in reply to JoachimGuth]

Personally, I had a PFO (Hole in the heart from birth) 1 month prior to my stroke I had a minor operation. The clot went through the hole and to my head instead of the lungs. So unfortunate. But the clot could start from anywhere. DVT in the legs? A knock. Enlarged heart chamber. To name just a few. I had all these checked and not a thing so must of been from the minor operation I had.

[JoachimGuth in reply to nirv]

Thanks for sharing. And you still have to take medication despite the stroke is not linked to cholesterol, etc?

[nirv in reply to JoachimGuth]

Unfortunately yes.

[Wittycjt]

Have any of you been checked for APS/ Hughes disease? Google it

[JoachimGuth in reply to Wittycjt]

Thanks for sharing, I did not check this. My stroke was linked to a fall from my bike, whereas I did not have external injuries, but obviously it caused an injury of the major blood vessel in the neck, where the clot could build up over 3 days after the fall.

[opal11uk]

Guten Morgen Joachim....... I too had a stroke nearly 20 years ago now due to Atrial Fibrillation and to this day I still take an anti coagulant and as it was caused by a heart condition I also take heart meds and 3 years ago was fitted with a pacemaker, which has changed my life considerably. Once you have had a stroke you are vulnerable to have another so the advice is always to take an anti coagulant and for the rest of your life. I do not have blood pressure of a cholesterol problem and am thankful that I recovered fully from my stroke because that is not often the case, I would rather take the meds than risk another debilitating stroke.

[JoachimGuth in reply to opal11uk]

Thanks for sharing. I understand it is a difficult topic. Who wants to take the risk? But still the question can natural means achieve the same as anti coagulants? Or can natural means compliment traditional medicine, in order to reduce the dose of pharmaceuticals?

[Tucson]

Like Wittycjt I have Aps which has caused me to have multiple strokes and tbh nothing would get me off blood thinners. Until you know what caused your stroke you won't have any answers. I thought I was very fit and healthy but knew nothing of Aps until a year after my stroke when they were running out of ideas. Luckily I was tested for any auto immune conditions by a young Doctor and the Aps was discovered. As a result I now have to keep my Inr quite high and test it frequently. Taking blood thinners are the least of your worries.

[JoachimGuth in reply to Tucson]

Thanks, in this case with APS there seem to be no option.

[moo196]

Morgen, I had a rare form of stroke in 2014. Unprovoked cvst - clot on the vein side of things. I was advised to take warfarin to thin the blood and ant seizure medication.

I have reduced the quantity of anti seizure drugs but need to maintain a seizure free state if possible so continue to use it for life (my choice and supported by my consultant). But I no longer take the warfarin.... Too risky and like you said, medication will also have harmful effects.

Yoga was a lifesaver and still is important for me. Along with my pre illness badminton, swimming and now cycling. I have a good varied vegetarian diet.

Nothing more can be done so I wear a medical Identity wristband and do things I want to do... Like travelling.

Good luck

[JoachimGuth in reply to moo196]

Stopping warfarin is quite a tough decision. What made you confident to stop it. As I understand, doctors play usually safe and prescribe it forever.

[moo196]

Yes, a tough decision in one way, but thinking about the bad side effects (damage to liver, kidney etc) and bleeding risks it was thought on balance to stop taking it. I now take daily aspirin and keep a reasonable diet /exercise.

It was scary at first.... I took my mind off it by travelling to India for 6 weeks

🇮🇳🙂

[moo196 in reply to moo196]

By the way, I also asked my consultant to write to me about the reason for stopping the warfarin(bad side effects/possible bleed) and how it should be safe. I felt a bit more confident with this to refer to any time I felt anxious.