I am 73 and have had a CT scan and have been told that I have had 'multi TIA's' in the recent past, there seems to be no urgency placed upon this either from the memory clinic, the doctor or the hospital (over 2 months waiting time to see someone.) I am worried, what should I do ? push for more urgent attention or what ? is it my age that reduces the urgency ?
'is it my age that reduces the urgency ?'
Probably, their view is vascula dementia is a given and not a lot can be done, what has happened, has happened. Don't feel you have been singled out for any special treatment though, this is just standard practice.
I had an acute cerebral haemorrahage with midline shift at 48. Lost the use of my legs whilst in hospital (ataxia) for two months and was never given any physio, in fact the stroke hospital refused me, until I went to my GP and told him my arm was getting so bad, I could barely pick a dinner plate up.
So I suppose what I'm saying is, if you don't make a nuisance of yourself and shout, you will get ignored.
Hi carol surely you should be on medication to prevent strokes if I was you I would go back and see your gp I've just been diagnosed with promoxal arterial fibrillation and put on meds to prevent a major stroke I'm 52 and at any age it's a concern hope you get the cate you need jo
Hi. Don't worry! It just makes things worse! Do everything you can to reduce your chance of having another TIA! Ask for help and support to reduce your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol, achieve a BMI less than 30, only have 4gm of salt a day and be positive. I realise now that I am in control of my own destiny and so all that I can do for myself helps. Good luck.
Hi Carol,
I had a SAH/Brain bleed, I myself think you should be monitored. It seems Docs do there own things so try Behind the gray you might get help there as I found it good as I went on there thinking I was near deaths door and all these men and loads of women started talking to me about it and it really made me think there is a life after a SAH/Stroke and we all need someone to give vent to what and how we feel, as stress I was told is bad for us and there is you sitting there stressing so get your life back xx I wish you well and sorry for delay as I keep forgetting my password bliming cognative skills lol xx
Plus I am fat and have been told to lose weight but I love chocs lol
Hi, Winnie, I tried 'behind the gray' at your suggestion, but it seems specifically for SAH, rather than my TIA's, that said, very helpful and I thank you for taking the trouble to help me.
Hi, and thanks, I have already, as you suggested made a further appointment and will keep trying to find answers
Hi, Joanne, I am already on certain meds, at present, it seems I do not have arterial fibrillation and so my meds at present are amlodopine and aspirin, my Hubby has found that maybe I should also be on dipyridomole alongside the aspirin, anyway will see the doc again to discuss further. wish you well and thanks
Hi Aneta, thanks for your response, good advise, and now that I am talking about it, I do feel a little more relaxed
I love chocs too, scrummy! I really wish you luck, SAH makes my TIA's seem trivial
Well if you need a chat or anything just message me xx you take care and no stressing xx bossy aint I ..you can take the girl outta London but !!!! lol called myself a girl I was 70 in Sept. ha ha
Keep well xxxx
The National Stroke guidelines say that anyone who's had a TIA should be seen bu a Stroke Consultant within 1 week and have investigations within 2 weeks. TIAs can be pre-cursors for stroke. You need to have investigations.
Now, I'm a little confused as a TIA wouldn't show on a scan, as TIA's do not lead to any lasting damage (ie brain cells dying because of oxygen starvation).
Do they perhaps mean small strokes? Doesn't really make any difference in this case as you still need to see a stroke consultant.
Why did they do the MRI?
Have you had any recent symptoms of TIA /Stroke?
Remember- that Stroke
Comes on suddenly
Uusally affects one side of the body
Doesn't usually cause pain or unconsiousness
Has a lasting effect ie
TIAs are the same except that the symptoms completely resolve within 12 hours but most often within 20 minutes.
Atrial fibrillation isn't a ridk factor for a primary cerebral haemorrhage or Sub arachnoid haemorrhage. If a haemorrhage occurs as a result of an ischaemic stroke ( dying/damaged brain cells then go on to bleed) caused by a clot or fatty plaque then AF would be a risk factor for the original event. This may be the case as carol says she's on Aspirin.
You would only need to be on Clopigogrel and Aspirin if you were on Aspirin already at the time of the stroke. Even then, as you had a brain haemorrhage, I'm not sure they would put ypu on two blood thinners, and Clopidogrel does have a higher chance of causing bleeding than Aspirin, which is why they only use it in higher risk people and those who can't take Aspirin/
.
Thanks Misswoosie, interesting! I did have a scan, in fact two scans so far, each organised by the memory clinic, and they say that the scans show multi TIA,s ? so I am confused. I have never experienced problems with face or body and so there is no evidence that I suffered stroke.
In terms of the National Stroke guidlines, well this is really where it falls apart, I am still waiting for an appointment to see a consultant and it seems that it will be several weeks/months before I get to see anyone.
But thanks for your response, regards
Hi Carol,
Can I ask why you've had 2 scans?
Was it because you have memory problems? Someone here mentioned vascular dementia , but I don't see that you say you have that, only that you've been seen at a memory clinic.
If you were referred to the memory clinic by your GP, what happened prior to that?
TIA's definitely don't show up on CT scans. The clue's in the name, as I said before. T is for transient, ie the symptoms come and go, and there is no residual damage to the brain.
A small stroke, however, would show up on a CT scan (eventually).When the brain cells are starved of oxygen as a result of the disruption in the blood flow, some of the cells die and this area of dead cells (the infarct) shows on a scan.In a TIA they're not starved of oxygen for long enough to cause brain cells to die
Some strokes don't cause weakness problems. It depends where in the brain is affected. It can be less commonly known symptoms, such as memory, vision, understanding speech and finding the right words, and the very subtle things like balance,falling about, judging distances, having problems doing things that , prior to the stroke, you wouldn't think twice about. A reason for the dleay in you being seen might be because the stroke consultant to whom they've referred you doesn't think they're TIAs or strokes. Don't suppose they said where in the brain these TIAs were? I know it's pretty unbelievable, but soem Doctors do still insist in calling small strokes TIAs, when in fact they're not, although essentially the follow up and secondary prevention are the same. Hope you get the care you need soon. NHS is going to the dogs and has been for the last 15 years. Too many Doctors and GPs compared to nurses and support staff. Glad I'm out of it and living it up on my £400 per month pension (taken early) ater 28 years of service.
Hi, thanks again for your input, very interesting.
I have got vascular something or other, but not at present vascular dementia, the report from the CT scan says :- 'Small cerebellar, subcortical hypodense areaof lacunar infarct. There is also a smallestablished rightcerebellar infarction seen along the superior cortex of the right cerebellar hemisphere. Small left frontal periventricular lacunar infarct'. now, I have typed all of that, not a clue what it means.
Your comment regarding delay in being seen :- I am still at the stage of 'choose and book' ie there is no consultant involved at present, just can't get a resonable date from any hospital ther than maybe 2 months waiting time. Regards
PS I am told that all this wording means multi TIA's is that not true?. And yes, retirement is great!
Hi Carol,it's my impression ,from the use of the word "infarct" that the CT scan shows 3 small strokes, ie infarcts. I'm not a Doctor, but I worked as a Stroke Clinical Nurse Specialist, Anticoagulant.Deep Vein Thrombosis Nurse Specialist and then Clinical Lecturer Practitioner in acute stroke for 10 years. Google Gary Ford Stroke. In the late 90s I worked at Freeman Hospital with him and together we set up the FIRST ever UK stroke thrombolysis service. Latterly I worked with Chris Price, Stroke consultant at Northumbria Healthcare and Lecturer at Newcastle University. As you can imagine I've looked at and read CT reports for 1,000s of CT scans for Stroke and TIA patients and I'm (although retired) extremely passionate about stroke and TIA patients getting the right care at the right time. I am not sure who is saying they're TIAs, but they need a knock on the head.
I don't know the date of this scan, but it looks like one of the strokes "Small cerebellar, subcortical hypodense areaof lacunar infarct" is more recent. They are all small strokes and I wouldn't expect that when they occured any of them would've caused loss of movement of any limbs or anything else which most people associate with stroke. So, you (and the wonderful Doctors) may have missed them, but maybe you have some symptoms that they have classified as memory problems and diagnosed as vascular something. Do you live alone? Have you had any falls or trauma to your neck recently?
The referral should be as per the local guidelines for the TIA /Stroke referral protocol and shouldn't go anywhere near bleep Choose and book, but be faxed directly to the Stroke Consultants secretary. I might be able to help you if you can tell me where you are, or you can call yiur GP, tell them you have had a CT scan that shows you;ve had several small strokes and they need to send a referral directly to the Acute Stroke Service Do you know which acute hospital trust you fall under? It should be on the Letterhead of any letters you've recieved. We need to try and make sure you get the investigations and care you need.