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[Harmony]

On Sunday night I think I had a TIA. 🙁 I suddenly felt strange and not very with it, random thoughts were popping into my head, and I was trying to decide if they were real or not. My first thought was that I was having a breakdown! It was very scary, and I live alone (with my dog), so it was doubly scary. The last couple of years have been very stressful, and it's ongoing with no possible resolution. I called the Samaritans and was struggling to speak, the lady I spoke to suggested that I called 111, which I did. When a doctor called me back, all he said was that he thought I'd be ok, and to contact my GP tomorrow! I now realise that he should have suspected a TIA and sent an ambulance. I also had a headache, which has been there ever since, I'm not normally a headachey person. I was shivering violently for a while, even though it wasn't cold.

On Monday I realised to my horror that it could have been a TIA. My grandmother died from a stroke, which obviously raises my risk. I've been checking my blood pressure every day on my bp monitor, and it's been quite a bit higher than normal. I went to my GP's a few days ago and had an ECG and blood pressure check. I was expecting it to be fine, as I had an ECG in June which was ok. I was shocked when the doctor said I have a slightly irregular heart rate and pulse, and I'm now really scared of having a stroke. I felt strange on Thursday evening and was really scared. I went to bed wondering if I was going to wake up partially paralysed or something. There's a 10% risk of having a fully blown stroke in the week or so after a TIA. 🙄 Living alone, I'm so worried about that happening and not being able to get to hospital, and ending up with irreversible damage. Also that I could die and nobody would know for days, leaving my dog without care. That's a huge worry. I've spoken to a few people who will take care of him if necessary, but that's assuming I'm able to use the phone.

The GP has referred me to the stroke clinic. Presumably it's fast tracked, like potential cancer is. I feel like I'm living with a sword hanging over my head. Stress obviously increases the risk of stroke, but it's impossible not to be stressed in the situation. My greatest fear is having a stroke and being unable to care for myself, and having no quality of life. To me life without independence and being unable to do the things I love isn't worth living. I want to have DNR put on my notes, I'll raise it when I go to the hospital appointment. I've never felt so scared and vulnerable. My family live 80 miles away, which isn't a great help at a time like this, and I have no other relatives. I have great friends locally, thank goodness, so I've made them all aware of the situation. I know they'll help if necessary - assuming I can call for help. I'm taking 75mg of aspirin to help prevent a stroke, but other than that I don't think there's anything else I can do in the short term. I don't smoke or drink, and (struggle to) walk my dog every day, albeit slowly due to having ME and a lung problem. I've also got gallstones, have had some agonising gallbladder attacks and am very worried about having an infected gallbladder or bile duct, which can lead to death from sepsis. All in all, I'm feeling pretty fed up with life! 😢

[Sparrow]

To be honest, it sounds more like an anxiety attack.  I'm not saying that it was not a TIA but your symptoms don't seem to match.  The only thing that does is the headache, but that could also be caused by stress.

As for you BP, again anxiety will cause that to rise.

When is your appointment?  You should try to keep as calm as possible until you have been checked out, but hopefully not as bad as you fear.   

[jillydoll]

Hi Harmony.
My MIL has had a few TIAs, and one full stroke. She didn't have headaches at all with hers.
I know, it must be very worrying for you, anyone would be, especially living alone, but I think your anxiety is taking over, and I understand that. Totally.
As youve said, you have good friends around, maybe, they could ring you every so often to see if your ok, that way, if you can't answer the phone to them, they'd know something was wrong, and raise the alarm.
As your stressed, maybe that's why your blood pressure was elevated.
It's a good thing you've been referred to the stroke clinic, that way, you'll know if you've possibly had a TIA. But maybe the doctor is just being thorough.
Think about a plan, to put in place with your friends, incase, god forbid, anything does ever happen.
Do you always worry about the gallstones and sepis? Or has that just come about since this episode on Sunday? If it has, it's your anxiety, which has gone sky high, that is making you worry so much. Even the tiniest of things can make us believe we're about to die from one thing or another, and one thought leads to another.
I'm sure your friends wouldn't mind ringing you, or popping round to make sure your ok.
Try to calm down,  deep breaths,  and hopefully, it was just an anxiety attack.
Take care. Let us know how you get on. xx

[jaycee]

Harmony.please ring for an ambulance if this happens again. my son has had a few TIAs, but sometimes it has been an anxiety attack, the paramedics will check you out in the ambulance before deciding to take you to hospital
My son has rung the more than once and apologised in case he was wrong, and once it was just an anxiety attack/
The paramedics have been lovely, and said not to worry that is what they are there for,and would rather he rings than doesn't,he lives alone, and they understand how frightening it can be
Also it will put your mind at rest if you know it wasn't a TIA

[KaraShannon]

Harmony, I've had a few anxiety attacks due to family health stuff, and, for me, how you wrote that sounded like how I sounded when anxious. 

I'm not saying TIA's can't happen, and of course I don't know, I'm not a medical expert and no one can diagnose on a forum, but just to give another possibility as it's horrible to feel so anxious.  All that being said I think it's important to call for medical help asap if you feel it happening again. 

I wonder if a GP could help you with suggestions of things you could try to do in that situation, which might be able to help you distinguish between anxiety and something that warrants quick medical attention.  I know when I had labyrinthitis I left my flat to try and get to my doctor's.  I tried to hold the hand rail to go down the stairs and my hand wouldn't touch the rail.  My legs felt like they were 'concertinas,' as I went down the steps and I was so dizzy I couldn't stand up.  A traffic warden was walking by as I slid down the wall onto the floor saying 'I'm ill, will someone get me round the corner to the doctors.'  He called an ambulance.  Even blinking was causing me a problem and of course I didn't work this out for quite a while.  I honestly felt awful and had never felt like it in my life.  But the ambulance people ran checks and then walked me back into the flat.  They got me to move my limbs, touch my eyes, nose, etc and told me I was not having a stroke even though I was having severe symptoms.  They diagnosed labyrinthitis themselves and told me to get to the doctor later that day when it settles. 

I value independence too and I understand where you're coming from.  And yes important to check always, but just wondering if the doctor can suggest things that you could try, and then if you can do those things, see if you can calm down a bit first, etc.  If you can't speak of course or anything like that then I think it's important to get checked out immediately. 

Anxiety, can cause some very weird body sensations and when we are anxious we hyperventilate which then causes more symptoms.  Just putting it all out there to see if any of it helps.  I wish you well and good health x

[CLKD]

Did U go to A&E Harmony?