texasag
02-12-2007, 02:27 AM
Well first off, I'll give a little background about myself. I'm a 20 year old male college student who is extremely physically active. I am a moderate alcohol drinker, but do not partake in any drugs. In August of 2006, I suffered a right side vertebral artery dissection at the C2 level.
When I first knew something was wrong, I was driving on a rural road back to my university and got this horrible pain in the back on my head as well as a feeling passing out. The passing out however felt different than anything I had ever experienced. I felt like I was dying. The pain went away and the "death feeling" went away after about 3 minutes and I continued on to my apartment at school. That night I partied a little, but when I awoke the next day I felt ok. In the early afternoon, I started to feel really dizzy and was sweating enormous amounts. I got taken to the ER. After numerous tests, including a CT, spinal tap, etc. nothing was found. They did however suggest a follow up with a neurologist. A few days later I went to the med center in Houston and got an MRI done with no though of something wrong. Basically, the next day I got a call and they wanted to do an angiogram because they found something. The discovered the VAD and I then went on plavix and baby aspirin for about 4 months and now I only take the baby aspirin. During the past months, I've just felt really stressed about everything and have had bad anxiety. One attack produced a throbbing inside of my head. I've talked to people and am doing very well now, but I'm just looking for people out there who have been though something similar to me. The only things that make me nervous now are beginning to workout again and alcohol consumption. I've changed a lot because of this ordeal and am by no means an alcoholic, but is it safe to say have a beer for dinner or a glass of wine? Thanks for taking the time to read this and I appreciate questions or comments.
When I first knew something was wrong, I was driving on a rural road back to my university and got this horrible pain in the back on my head as well as a feeling passing out. The passing out however felt different than anything I had ever experienced. I felt like I was dying. The pain went away and the "death feeling" went away after about 3 minutes and I continued on to my apartment at school. That night I partied a little, but when I awoke the next day I felt ok. In the early afternoon, I started to feel really dizzy and was sweating enormous amounts. I got taken to the ER. After numerous tests, including a CT, spinal tap, etc. nothing was found. They did however suggest a follow up with a neurologist. A few days later I went to the med center in Houston and got an MRI done with no though of something wrong. Basically, the next day I got a call and they wanted to do an angiogram because they found something. The discovered the VAD and I then went on plavix and baby aspirin for about 4 months and now I only take the baby aspirin. During the past months, I've just felt really stressed about everything and have had bad anxiety. One attack produced a throbbing inside of my head. I've talked to people and am doing very well now, but I'm just looking for people out there who have been though something similar to me. The only things that make me nervous now are beginning to workout again and alcohol consumption. I've changed a lot because of this ordeal and am by no means an alcoholic, but is it safe to say have a beer for dinner or a glass of wine? Thanks for taking the time to read this and I appreciate questions or comments.
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Budweiser
02-12-2007, 01:42 PM
Welcome
Sorry to see what happened.
I had a Carotid Bilateral Dissection two years ago at the age of 34. I had a head-on car accident. The left artery lining broke and filled with blood in the left brain. That caused me to stroke (speech/language area).
I had very bad head aches for about 4 months but it got better. I've been off any medication since then (stopped after 4 months).
If I do too much, i'll get bad head aches. I will drink light beer only now. I've never touched any liquer and have very little bit of regular beer since I stroked. I've had a "few" extra beers before but it will give me a very bad head ache so I limit my beer now (few beers now).
If you have questions about alcohol, talk to your doctor. Some types of medicine you don't want to take with alcohol.
Good Luck
Sorry to see what happened.
I had a Carotid Bilateral Dissection two years ago at the age of 34. I had a head-on car accident. The left artery lining broke and filled with blood in the left brain. That caused me to stroke (speech/language area).
I had very bad head aches for about 4 months but it got better. I've been off any medication since then (stopped after 4 months).
If I do too much, i'll get bad head aches. I will drink light beer only now. I've never touched any liquer and have very little bit of regular beer since I stroked. I've had a "few" extra beers before but it will give me a very bad head ache so I limit my beer now (few beers now).
If you have questions about alcohol, talk to your doctor. Some types of medicine you don't want to take with alcohol.
Good Luck
texasag
02-12-2007, 10:13 PM
In all honesty, I could care less if I ever drink again. I am just looking for people who have been through something similar to me and are as young as I am. My family and friends and everyone who should be there for me are, but there's just sometimes they don't get it because they haven't gone through it. Do you all get days where your head just plain hurts? My doctors say everything is ok and I believe them, but there's just some days it hurts. I'm hoping time will be my best medicine for this. Budweiser, I appreciate your reply. It's good to hear you seem to be doing ok now. I didn't stoke, Thank God, but it was not a pleasant experience for me at all. I think the hardest part has been to deal with the fact that I didn't do anything wrong and it just happened. I'm pretty much over that though.
Budweiser
02-13-2007, 10:17 AM
More people have had a dissection that don't even know.
I know people (stroke group I'm with) that had a stroke by a dissection by sneezing. That is scary.
Take it easy and good luck with your progress
I know people (stroke group I'm with) that had a stroke by a dissection by sneezing. That is scary.
Take it easy and good luck with your progress
texasag
02-14-2007, 12:30 AM
The only reason they knew I had the dissection is because I chose to follow up with a neurologist. They MRI/MRA barely even detected anything. They thought at first I had a small aneurysm, but they decided to do an angiogram where they discovered the dissection.