after effects of a TIA

[jjjtll]

A week ago I had a Tia. I was unable to speak and could not move my left arm or leg. This went on for about an hour and 15 mins. After a night in the hospital, and an Mri and other scans. I was released. I was told I should have no side effects. But  now I have bad head aches on my left temple and I get a stabbing pain on my temple and neck, that last that last just several seconds.
    Also my speach has been effected slightly. Often I will be talking and a word will pop in a sentence where it doesnt belong, and I forget just what I want to say.
   Could you tell me how long these symptons last?
     Thank you
        jjjtll

[sara12345]

The next time you wake up experiencing hardly able to move and  your mouth was dropping again, you should call 911 so that they can give you the medication in time to stop the problems. And those around you should know the signs of stroke so that they can call 911.  I did not have the judgment to get help when I had a major stroke until hours later and I am VERY tuned in to my body.  The night before I experienced tiny red lines in my peripheral vision.  I  immediately went online to see if I should go to the ER.  It showed nothing.  But the next day when I woke up initially paralyzed and couldn't speak properly, I didn't know that anything was wrong with me.  Maybe that's what happened to you the last time you experienced it.  Try to drill it in your head that you need to call 911 if you experience any of the stroke symptoms.  I don't know if it will help, but that's what I've tried to instill in my brain--LOL.  

[sara12345]

I am so sorry to hear about all your trips to the ER.  Have you looked at the risk factors for a major stroke, including keeping a good blood pressure, high cholesterol and no smoking?  I would be worried too. I quizzed my doctor in detail about my chance of having another major stroke.  

I sincerely hope that they figure out what is going on with you.  Good luck.

[Jo21260]

I am 54yrs old & I suffered my 1st TIA 4yrs ago at that time I was told I had suffered a stroke.  It took me a year to be able to walk on my own and still suffer from slight left-sided weakness.  After all that I was told I didnot have a stroke and they could not explain to me what happened.  K was forced to medically retire from a job I loved. I went to see the neurologist from my HMO who told me to go see a psychiatrist! I was so mad I called my insurance & requested to go out of network thankfully they approved it. The neurologist I see now is so compassionate and has done quite a bit of different test in the meantime I still continued to have TIA's. He found I had a PFO I had it closed on Aug. 2013 thinking yes no more problems. Well that was short-lived because 2wks after surgery I had another one. I have gotten to the point where I don't want to go to the hospital when it happens: left side droops, confusion, left side weakness can't lift my leg or arm then comes the headache.  It is SO FRUSTRATING each time I end up in the hospital cat scan, mri all come back normal. Even the hospitals seem to be tired of me I just got released once again 2days ago. I didn't want to go so I waited until the next day and I was getting worse the headache kicked in and I could hardly see out of my left eye. After prescribing two more medications added to the 8 I already take (I haven't gotten them) I was sent home @12:00 midnight.  I am soooo tired of this roller coaster but I have no other choice it sounds horrible but if they claim it's leading up to a major stroke then get it over with but to be honest I don't even think the doctors know what is going on. God bless you all and I pray that someday they can actually tell us what is happening.  

[Mimmaw2007]

I am 57yrs old and had my 3rd TIA on Saturday, now 4 days ago. I woke up and tried walking and fell down. Got up and fell down again. I also have Multiple Sclerosis and called my 35 year old daughter that I live with, to come help me. I told her I also had a very bad headache. She gave me medicine for my headache and I went back to sleep while she sleep in my recliner. When I woke up 3 hours later, and could still not stand up or walk, my daughter also noticed my mouth was drooping on the left side and I was slurring my words. She begged me to go the hospital, which we did. They took me in immediately and did a CT of my brain and said they found a spot that had not been on previous CTs, and were going to diagnose me with at Stroke. When I gave them my history over the past 16 hours, they said they felt my Stroke had started about 8pm the night before and the actual stroke happened sometime while I slept between 10:00pm and 7:00am.  This was way past the 4 hour window for medication to be given to help the side effects of a stroke. All we could do was wait and see if the symptoms started going away, which would mean it was a TIA and not a full Stroke.

The symptoms did get better, but did not go away. They released me to go home on Sunday evening. I really thought I was feeling much better, then I woke up Monday morning and could hardly move, my mouth was dropping again, but not as bad as originally. I can barely walk with my walker, and all I want to do is sleep. I pray and hope these symptoms will gradually continue to decrease. Anyone with similar situations?

[BajanMonda]

I was thinking about when I had my first TIA and I remembered having the worst headache of my life at 13yrs old, this was in 1993/1994  I was taking a French test as school and lost use of my right arm and my vision got blurry.  From then until Feb 2009 I have suffered many terrible headaches.  I have seen many doctors had a CAT Scan and was always told that I have migraines.  Over the years I was taking large amounts of medication to dull the pain of the headaches and I would just wait until the numbness and blurred vision went away.  The pain got so bad over the years that I was taking 3 extra strength pain killers at a time.  I had a headache in 2009 that lasted the 31 days I finally could not take the pain and my stomach could not take the excessive amounts of medication so I went to an emergency room.  I was given pay painkillers via IV and this helped. Until 2 days later when the pain returned, but I also had loss of memory and numbness.  During Feb 2009 I went to 6 different doctors and when I was finished I had a large Ziploc bag filled with medication which did not work.  I had at least 4 TIA and then a permanent headache.  The last doctor I saw finally realized what was happening and sent me to the hospital where I was diagnosed with Polycythemia Vera. I was given asprin and this took away the pain and I had no more TIAs.  I was put on hydroxyurea and that has kept me TIA free.

I have noticed that I have been depressed a lot over the years, my memory comes and goes and I have gotten extremely clumsy with my worse accident required a trip to the ER, stitches and X-ray scans.  My doctor does not think that I have any long term effects of my TIAs but I have to wonder if I do not have long term damage after suffering for so long with this problem.  Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions that could help?

[sara12345]

Thanks for your reply.  I hope that if the new place and opportunities will help her. But if not, I hope that you will consider taking her to a doctor about her dizziness and another anti-depressant that she could take.  If she has clinical depression, no amount of great opportunities can make a difference.  Yes, she has a lot of life left.  I had my stroke at 56 years, but due to my disabilities from the stroke, I have very little of a life.  But I am not depressed and have made peace with it.  Your mother is very fortunate to have such a caring daughter as you are.