Thank You for the information and web address. I am going to Vancouver tomorrow and hopefully coming back with a PCP. Or a good solid lead to one anyway. I will contact the stroke org. you mentioned as they may have something closer to me.
You have been very helpful, thank you.
Barb
lostfuzzy1
Hi there,
I hadn't heard of the term PBA before but i have definitely heard of inappropriate emotional responses of laughing or crying and its called Pseudobulbar Affect and thats where the term PBA comes from.
"Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is a medical condition characterized by sudden and uncontrollable episodes of crying or laughing. It is sometimes referred to as emotional lability, pathological crying and laughing or emotional incontinence. An episode of PBA can occur at any time, even in inappropriate social situations.
PBA can occur in stroke survivors or people with other neurologic conditions such as dementia, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) or traumatic brain injury. It is thought to affect more than 1 million people in the U.S. PBA is often mistaken for depression, causing it to be underdiagnosed, undertreated and sometimes inappropriately treated."
http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=PBA
I really think you need to discuss this with a doctor, because of your high blood pressure this is NOT something you should ignore! I noticed your having difficulty finding a dr and it might be an idea to contact the stroke and heart organisations and see if they can help you find one, worth a try at least.
Cheers...........JJ