Clear MRI Scans

Brain and nerves
1

I had an episode a year last September and got discharged from A & E with suspected Migraine. I suspected that I had a TIA or Stroke. For 2 or 3 months no joy with the GP's and when I got to see a Neurologist 3 months later, listening to my symptoms and resulant damage he said he thought I had a stroke/TIA and ordered MRI Scans (some 4 months after episode). The Brain MRI and the MRI Scans of top 2 sections of my spine came back clear. He basically said that he did not know what it was and said if they cannot diagnose my symptoms they will treat them and prescribed PREGABALIN. My symptons are nerve pain, numbness, pins and needles over my right side from the chest down, exactly half of my body (therefore surely neurological).

My main question is surely it is possible to have had a stroke/tia and the MRI scans come back clear, especially as the scans were over 4 months later. My feeling is as the tests came back clear, the Neurologist will not diagnose a stroke, however it doesnt mean I have not had one.

The medication did not ease my right sided pain/numbness so my GP is referring me to the "Area Neurologist" whoever that may be, she said he is very thorough.

If anyone could advise I would be really greatfull.

Mike

 

2

Hi Mike.  One thing to know is that a TIA is exactly what it describes itself as....transient.  If caused by any form of blood clot, as in majority of cases, the clot then disperses so its quite common for the TIA to leave no record that shows up on tests.  What should be looked into is the underlying factors which may have caused the clot in the first place.  IE vascular health, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, whether you smoke or not, what your family history is in relation to heart health, etc.  As to your ongoing symptoms, you're probably right in thinking they are neurological.  Constant pins and needles is commonly the result of a trapped nerve somewhere in the body, which may have an orthopaedic origin rather than stroke related.  Good luck with further tests and examinations.  Try taking a low dose (75mg) aspirin daily, making sure you take them after eating something.

3

Thank you Loxie, very helpful , especially regarding it being common that a TIA may leave no record on tests. I thought about orthopaedic origin but my current sypmtoms started when I had the episode, firstly very mildly but spread thoughout my whole right side during the the 48 hours after.

The episode involved burning sensation in the LEFT side of my head around the eye, the pain lasted about 10 minutes. I couldnt swallow, took about 48 hours for an improvement and then took 2 to 3 weeks to recover. Complete loss of balance, took 48 hours to recover. The pupil in the eye that I had the burning sensation remained permanently small for 3 to 4 weeks. My speech was affected, unable to move my mouth normally, took 2 to 3 days to get back to normal.

I am left with these symptoms on my RIGHT side, and every so often I have trouble getting my words out.

Just thinking about underlying heath issues, at the time of the episode I had a bad (undetected) lung infection, I have always found it hard to believe that I had 2 completely unrelated independant problems.

I would really appreciate your opinion on the episode first of all and then the fact that I had the lung infection.

Many Thanks

Mike

4

Hi Mike, I was just about to say what Loxie said, totally agree :-)

I had a CT scan, bloods and MRI scan, plus neck doppler,  scans showed nothing, but the doppler showed High Blood flow, whilst in the hyper acute unit, I was on heart monitors for 48 hours, and during the night my heart rate went to 45!, the unit staff were amazing and really helped! But when the conslutant came round to see me he said he thinks it may be a migrain?!! I said I have not had a migrain I know what they are like! so he put me on Clopidogrel and I am still on Clopidogrel and awaiting a review with the nurologist, but not til DECEMBER! this happend in july!. If it was a migrain put me on paracetamol or other! not blood thinning medication!!.

I really hope you get sorted soon.

Take care.

5

Best of luck to you both in getting it properly diagnosed and treated.  Just continue to be assertive - doctors are after all only human (sometimes smile )

6

Hey so I'm having issues myself and I'm so afraid and in constant pain all day. Out of the blue one day on October 7th I got this super bad headache worse than I have had before and I got supper sick to my stomach I couldn't see right every thing was spotted and blurred light bothered me sound and smells bothered me I'm completely dizzy and lightheaded that sometimes I can't even walk it hurts all over my head and it feels like someone is smashing my head in with a hammer and sometimes it hurts to talk and I can not concentrate on one single thing without getting a headache. I went to the doctors and they said that it is a migraine but my family has no history of migraine and I've never gotten one in my life and I still have the headaches to this day getting worse and worse with pain. Super strong meds work for maybe half the time they say they would so if it says 12 hours till you take another the pills affects ware off in 4-6 hours and then I'm back in so much pain I can hardly sleep I'm woken up with headaches and I got an MRI but it came back clean idk what to do and I'm in so much pain i don't know how much longer I can deal with it I feel like my head is getting slammed all the time please if anyone has any ideas to help me I just want this to stop and it's getting worse and worse.

7

Hi Lindsey, I saw your reply to Mike (9mos ago). I wanted to reply to you because yours is the most recent & not sure if this discussion, or the people who were here, are still active. My story happened nearly exactly the same way Mike's did, but instead of lung infection I have degenerative disc disease & a host of other cervical stenosis/spondylosis symptoms, that became degenerative in nature, over time with age. I have been an otherwise healthy, active, strong woman & since the initial episode (July 29) I've been in the same boat as you with another major TIA episode just 2 weeks ago. MRI's & MRA's come back clean. ER tested me for drugs, gave me nausea medicine (which I didn't take) & wouldn't even do another test, but referred to one of my brain MRI’s done 3 weeks prior w/o contrast stating: have peace of mind your MRI is just fine! Sickening really. I too, just keep getting more frightened & unsure & more afraid of what may happen while waiting for even a directional compass to point to some answers while bouncing between my GP, Pain Mgmt (which I cannot take anything due to my sensitivity, besides aspirin), Physical Therapy Specialist (who can't help me due to the extent of my cervical condition), ENT Specialists, Neurosurgeons (who can't do surgery until we get to the cause of this problem), Neurologists, etc. Now, I'm drained from all these visits with everyone wanting their own test & no closer to realizing what's happening. Witnessing the lack of communication among specialties & doctors & realizing no one is connecting the dots prompted me to keep scouring & investigating as much as I can (when I have maybe a good day or so without pain, without mini-stroke symptoms, dizziness & where I can attempt to even absorb information). I feel for you- for everyone going through these trials when it comes to diagnosing an unspecified medical condition or the tribulations associated with the obstacles of a lackluster patient care philosophy, IMO & experience- Not to take away from anyone's expertise. I'm just being real.

There are so many symptoms that cross in various areas: infection, spinal, heart, brain & other disorders, nervous system... that each individual's case is specific, or rather non-specific in our case smile sad.I know this: emotional disturbances also come along for the ride- along with anxiety & panic & maybe depression, the longer these things go on in our bodies & minds with no resolution, as our quality of life & family's quality of life is being affected & finances being drained. I'm having a hard time too. But no one is going to care more about our health as much as we do. You know your body better than anyone else. If something isn't sitting right with you, go to another doctor. Ask for a referral. Get another opinion... As loxie mentioned to gavin: continue to be assertive, aggressive & a proponent for your health. Maybe there's another active discussion or support network you/ we can take advantage of. It's even harder without a support network- without people who are empathetic, or understand or since the trauma isn’t blatantly apparent think it’s more in our head than not. I've done so much research on various conditions that I'm more confused as ever as far as what's going on. I guess it’ll never be easy with me- I just hope it’s been or will be easier for you. I wish I stumbled upon this discussion earlier. I hope you're OK & feel free to get back. Just don't give up.

8

Hi Carrie. I was googling my symptoms and was shocked when I read all of this. I'm going for a brain MRI in about a week. My entire right side is numb and tingling and hurts. My CT scan came back ok. I remember when the numbness started and that night, I almost couldn't see. ER doc said I had shingles. I took antiviral meds for a week. My GP said shingles would only cause numbness where the rash is. My rash consisted of three little red dots on my right side that never developed into anything. I also, currently have a lung infection. I have a Spleenic Artery Aneurysm as well but they said it's a very invasive surgery and they will not operate unless it grows. My right eye socket was shattered almost three years ago. I have a plastic orbital implant that is slipping. I see the eye surgeon next month. I am wondering if all of these things could be connected? My eye surgeon told me that the nerve and muscle under my eye has a certain connection to my heart. That's why they rushed me into emergency surgery because my heart rate was dropping. So if the implant is slipping now, I wonder since the nerve and muscle aren't being as supported if that could be causing some of my issues. I have no clue, really. But it's very frustrating. Good luck to you all.

9

I recently had an episode, I had been doing some extreme gardening, removing a bush.

Pulling and yanking at this frustrating plant.

The next morning I notice a lump on my left side just above my pelvis, thought it could be a hernia or a muscle tear to my obliques. In addition to the lump my neck and shoulder were sore. Made an appointment for the doctor, two weeks! This being Good Friday and the Easter Weekend I thought to take it easy. That evening I had a weird sensation over the area of the lump. Something like a bug crawling over me! I touched the skin as to check and the flesh felt numb. Two to three minutes after there was another sensation of pins and needles very light. Weird, very weird. By bedtime the whole thing had subsided and I put it down to the injury.

I now jump to the 19th of April. My side had resolved itself and was pretty much back to normal. Five o'clock in the morning got up as I'd neglected to put the bin out.

Got up put clothes on and sat on the bed. As my arm dropped to my leg, zoom, eminating from my left side where the injury had been. An incredible surge of pins and needles and an air of numbness down to my left big toes and up to my left arm and hand. But most disconcerting my left upper and bottom lip and left side of my tongue.

My first thought was, "Bloody hell, I'm having a stroke!"

The initial intensity of the event disipated within seconds. I didn't lose cognisent function infact I was talking to the wife and finished putting my shoes on.

I told her I had really bad pins and needles and did a couple of star jumps to show I had no weakness.

She said to phone the Doctor at 8 get an appointment, yeah right! I phoned and was told to phone 999 for an ambulance.

Paramedics arrived to me opening the door and them asking for the patient... That would be me, I said.

Where upon the started their examination.

My wife and daughter were ask do you think his left side of his face is drooping they replied, No but he thought it was so he put drooping face, WTF!

Then he did the strength test crushed his hand and pushed him away, no argument there.

Now I've always but always had high blood pressure, so I wasn't surprised it was way up, 200/210. Shocking even for me but bear in mind this event is a rollercoaster.

So off to the hospital this is now more than three hours later. I arrive and due to the high blood pressure everyone is working on the idea I've had a stroke.

Nobody is listening to me. Weakness in left side. No, no weakness if I said it once I said it a hundred times.

After chest X-ray went to ward, from arrival at about nine o'clock, I hit the ward at just after eleven.

Had a CT, normal, no comments made. They then tried to get my blood pressure down first pill put it up but it was down from earlier.

Otherwise they were going to send me home.

All this time I have been telling them about my pins and needles and numbness to no avail, this is what I had phoned about in the first place. Six doctors came round, "how's the weakness?"

I have P&NS and numbness, no weakness, no weakness!

I was kept in overnight and was home by four after hanging around waiting for a prescription.

This is where it gets silly! Isuffered the P&Ns and numbness for the next two weeks. They would be full on in the morning and slowly subside around late evening. Frustrating! I phoned NHS 24 and the Nurse Practitioner said I should seek my GP and question the diagnosis. The outcome of that was a phone consultation and a two week line off work.

Now I've filled you in with the situation, I'll tell you what I think is responsible for my symptoms.

For three to four weeks proceeding the main event I had been indulging in an evening drink. A splash of alcohol, really, very small not even a unit but in a tall glass and being aware of the hate of sugar, topping it off with a cheap diet lemonade. Over this period I must have had well over 6 litres of pop. This is the only thing I was doing different to my humdrum life. My point is that I wasn't aware of Sucralose and the possible side effects of this sweetener. Obviously it effects different people in different ways but time and time again P&NS and numbness are quoted.

These sweeteners are everywhere!