no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
I'm a 32 year old male, who eats very healthy and works out 6 days a week. Had got dizzy and threw up and went to the doctor who did a CAT scan, MRI, MRA and found that i had a stroke. Ran extensive tests but could not find any reason for it to have occurred. The 5 doctors that have been assigned to me have all said they could not have any reason for it and are stumped. Trying to see a intravascular doctor now. They have ran every blood test (clotting, lipids, proteins, thickness, etc...) and found nothing; have checked my heart and found no blockage or clots (anywhere in the body for that matter). My diagnosis from one of the neurologists is that I'm unlucky... and that is not sitting well with me. If anyone can help or had the same experience, please any help will be very appreciated.
The following 2 users give hugs of support to: mikeltym Misslilrey (12-27-2010), sjb (12-27-2010)
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeltym
I'm a 32 year old male, who eats very healthy and works out 6 days a week. Had got dizzy and threw up and went to the doctor who did a CAT scan, MRI, MRA and found that i had a stroke. Ran extensive tests but could not find any reason for it to have occurred. The 5 doctors that have been assigned to me have all said they could not have any reason for it and are stumped. Trying to see a intravascular doctor now. They have ran every blood test (clotting, lipids, proteins, thickness, etc...) and found nothing; have checked my heart and found no blockage or clots (anywhere in the body for that matter). My diagnosis from one of the neurologists is that I'm unlucky... and that is not sitting well with me. If anyone can help or had the same experience, please any help will be very appreciated.
I know exactly what you're going through. I had a stroke at age 10 that was diagnosed at Mott's Children's Hospital U of M. Some of the tests you had performed didn't exist back then, as I'm 39 now. But we had the same outcome of baffled doctors because they couldn't find the cause. Although I had completely different symptoms then you described. My stroke was in my left temporal lobe. I lost speech ability and was paralyzed on my right side for roughly 12-15 hours. You didn't say what area of your brain the stroke occurred in so this may be why we had different symptoms.
I felt compelled to reply to you because your story was so similiar to my own. My current doctor sent me for an Echocardiogram Bubble Study and this little test showed I had a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO). Which is basically a hole in the upper chambers of the heart allowing some blood to shunt accross through the hole before going through the proper route to be filtered, oxygenated, & so on. With this blood shunting accross the top chambers it's more than possible for a small blood clot to travel accross just as easily and cause a stroke. My general practitioner & cardiologist both believe that this is what caused my stroke.
A PFO won't show up with regular angioplasty & cardiovascular tests. A year before the PFO was discovered. I had regular angioplasty w/no stent placement, a regular echocardiogram, stress test, and a myriad of other cardiovascular tests that showed my heart was normal. I switched doctors & within 2 weeks they found the PFO. I had the PFO closed in July of this year. The closure procedure was basically the same as having angioplasty with a little more risk as the doctors have to actually touch your heart during the procedure. I went in Friday morning & was home late saturday afternoon.
There are a few tests that will detect the presence of a PFO. The echocardiogram bubble study used to detect mine is painless and pretty quick. They put an IV starter in; do a regular echocardiogram to get a base line; then the cardiolist basically pumps micro-bubbles into your blood stream while a second echocardiogram is being performed; has you cough at a certain points; the IV comes out & your done. I've had the test 3 times so far. I'll admit the micro-bubble stuff had me a bit freaked out, but you don't feel a thing. There's another test called an Transesophagel echocardiogram in which they go down your throat and scan from inside. That was to be my next test, thank god the bubble study was enough.
I would ask your doctors for the echocardiogram bubble study.
Oh and I would also start light physical therapy now. I didn't have any physical therapy after my stroke, and I'm in physical therapy and am paying for it now (just a heads up).
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
Quote:
Originally Posted by batzany
I know exactly what you're going through. I had a stroke at age 10 that was diagnosed at Mott's Children's Hospital U of M. Some of the tests you had performed didn't exist back then, as I'm 39 now. But we had the same outcome of baffled doctors because they couldn't find the cause. Although I had completely different symptoms then you described. My stroke was in my left temporal lobe. I lost speech ability and was paralyzed on my right side for roughly 12-15 hours. You didn't say what area of your brain the stroke occurred in so this may be why we had different symptoms.
I felt compelled to reply to you because your story was so similiar to my own. My current doctor sent me for an Echocardiogram Bubble Study and this little test showed I had a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO). Which is basically a hole in the upper chambers of the heart allowing some blood to shunt accross through the hole before going through the proper route to be filtered, oxygenated, & so on. With this blood shunting accross the top chambers it's more than possible for a small blood clot to travel accross just as easily and cause a stroke. My general practitioner & cardiologist both believe that this is what caused my stroke.
A PFO won't show up with regular angioplasty & cardiovascular tests. A year before the PFO was discovered. I had regular angioplasty w/no stent placement, a regular echocardiogram, stress test, and a myriad of other cardiovascular tests that showed my heart was normal. I switched doctors & within 2 weeks they found the PFO. I had the PFO closed in July of this year. The closure procedure was basically the same as having angioplasty with a little more risk as the doctors have to actually touch your heart during the procedure. I went in Friday morning & was home late saturday afternoon.
There are a few tests that will detect the presence of a PFO. The echocardiogram bubble study used to detect mine is painless and pretty quick. They put an IV starter in; do a regular echocardiogram to get a base line; then the cardiolist basically pumps micro-bubbles into your blood stream while a second echocardiogram is being performed; has you cough at a certain points; the IV comes out & your done. I've had the test 3 times so far. I'll admit the micro-bubble stuff had me a bit freaked out, but you don't feel a thing. There's another test called an Transesophagel echocardiogram in which they go down your throat and scan from inside. That was to be my next test, thank god the bubble study was enough.
I would ask your doctors for the echocardiogram bubble study.
Oh and I would also start light physical therapy now. I didn't have any physical therapy after my stroke, and I'm in physical therapy and am paying for it now (just a heads up).
Hope everything works out for you ~ Sherri
Mrs. Sherri, i really appreciate your help and input. I'm in the process of hooking up with the Methodist Hospital in Houston that has a section of the hospital dedicated to strokes. I will ask them to perform the procedures you spoke of. They did look at my heart; had a video camera film my heart beating and looking to see if i had a hole that could have caused a clot, and that was cleared. The section of the brain that was affected was the cerebellum. I thank you again for your help and avenues i can request, and i hope all goes well with you and your rehab.
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
Hi!
I had a blood clot in the brain at age 37, just recently. It was found by an MRI and I was hospitalized and given an IV blood thinner, heparin, then put on a pill, coumadin, and then put on warfarin because it was less expensive.
What I would suggest is that you find another doctor, preferrably a cardiologist or even more preferably, a neurologist (who saw me and diagnosed my blood clot). Don't give up; keep trying until you get answers. You deserve to be diagnosed and treated.
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
Thanks Sherri for that info; hopefully I won't have another blood clot or a stroke, but I am glad to know other diagnostic tools in case the ones they generally use don't work.
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
mikeltym,
See my thread in this section titled 'Lacunar stroke....' I am 33 and just had the same thing happen to me. You may have a PFO. A regular echo will not pick that up. You will likely have a TEE (transesophagial echocardiogram) where there they will pass a scope down your esophagus and look at your heart via-ultrasound thru your stomach.
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
Quote:
Originally Posted by CTKid
mikeltym,
See my thread in this section titled 'Lacunar stroke....' I am 33 and just had the same thing happen to me. You may have a PFO. A regular echo will not pick that up. You will likely have a TEE (transesophagial echocardiogram) where there they will pass a scope down your esophagus and look at your heart via-ultrasound thru your stomach.
i appreciate your response. I have to be honest, i don't recall the name of the procedure but it was a scope down my throat to look at my heart... but i will bring up what i read in your thread to my cardiologist and brain man too... thanks for your help and many prayers with you and your recovery...
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
I love the Healthboards because of the diversity of the experiences people share. Rather than dispute your understanding wondersabout, I should learn from it. I have a lot to learn...I'm sorry.
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
Hi Mike:
I have read your posts about you had a stroke. Im sorry to hear that
and the doctors took alot of test, did they take glucose test sometime
problem can be hidden in lease place in your body. and you can also get
a second opinion from another doctor. keep the faith
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
i had a similar thing happen to me nearly two years ago. i can relate to how you're feeling about being unlucky. my docs told me that i should have full use of my right arm and my left leg (i had 2 strokes, one on each side of my brain) within a year, and to date i am no better off. i'm mad, but don't know who at. i'm depressed because i lost a very active lifestyle. its infuriating at times, but it taught me a valuable lesson in patience, so i don't guess its been all bad. i have an appt. with my heart doc on the 27th, i'm going to ask him about activase. doing some online research, and it may be too late for it for me.
The following user gives a hug of support to dlt1963: pianomaster (12-08-2010)
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
here's my update... i just got cleared by my brain doc and heart doc. both are still stumped and again have no answers or direction where to go now. the intravascular doc doesnt want to do the stents in the artery because of possible death or rupture. I am now trying to get a second opinion but at a more advanced hospital. One suggestion is that i have spasms in my brain arteries and that it caused the stroke and they are sure it will happen again. no treatment. definitely wasn't heart or PFO, no medical problems, and there was no mention of venous stroke. i will continue to try to figure this out and i really appreciate all and every word of help and info. you will always be in my prayers and i hope for the best for you...
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
Quote:
Originally Posted by 42ronee
Hi. Hope your doing fine. where was your stroke. do you have any problems after the stroke. any headaches?
my stroke was in the cerebellum and the right artery that feeds from the brain stem into the cere is closed. my docs have said that i was lucky not to be paralyzed on the right side. physically im good, no side effects, but i do have headaches everyday all day... i have caffine pills i can take to help with the pressure but it makes me very very tired. is this a common side effect of stroke victims? (headaches). also, im always tired, not physically, but my brain is like telling my body to rest. my workouts are still 2 hours long and my strength has come back, but im just so mentally tired...
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
Mike,
The fatigue is definitely typical of stroke survivors. While you brain is busy reconnecting and re routing blood supplies, it has little energy for all the extras. Although it is hard to be patient, it is imperative that you let your brain do it's work, and give yourself a lot of rest. The two hour workouts might be a bit much!
Although we all experience different effects, being very tired is one most of us all share. I would suggest you give in to this signal the brain is giving you. Recovery is very slow, and very important to allow yourself the proper time and rest to accomplish all it needs to.
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
i understand. i was just cleared about 3 months ago to go back to work which is personal training and youth ministry, both are very physical. so i do allow much rest. are the headaches common? my neuro really wasnt overly concerned with it. are the headaches a common factor, or is does it matter on location or nerves damaged? again, im getting more info here than with my neuro...
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
Hi Mike,
I know what you mean about getting information from doctors...With all the legal constraints doctors have upon them, getting anything solid out of them is like pulling teeth! That is why this forum is so helpful to us.
About the headaches, they personally scare the heck out of me. That was what proceeded my 4 strokes, an excruciating headache. I was actually snorkeling in the ocean when mine struck (simultaneously). Thankfully I washed up on shore and was rushed to the hospital.
I personally don't get them unless my BP is too high, but of my many friends (here) do have them. as well as dizziness and nausea. A few questions...
Are the headaches localized to one specific are, or are the more of an all around headache?
Do they disrupt your day to day life?
Are you sensitive to light when the headaches occur?
Is there a typical time of day you get them?
Could you please remind me of when the stroke occured?
I applaud you for getting back to work, and I have a special place in my heart for personal trainers, my son is one too! And the youth ministry is a wonderful gift to our young people, they need all the guidance ans support we can give them.
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
Hi,
My dad had a minor stroke 10 years ago, when he was forty - he plays footie threes times a week, eats healthy as well as not drinking or smoking, similiar to yourself. They ran all sorts of tests and could not find anything wrong other than his cholesterol was slightly high - as they could not find anything they assumed that it had to be the cholesterol and was given aspirin to make the blood thinner, luckily he fully recovered without any disability. Two months ago my dad had another stroke, this time leaving his right leg with pins and needles and tightness. All tests were ran and this time they ran the bubble echocardiogram procedure which checks the functions of the heart, this revealed a hole in the heart which he probably had from birth. If you have not yet had this procedure, then try this as you may have the same issue. He will now have to have an occluder inserted to close the hole. Unfortunately,they have also found a tumour in his spine but so far they have said this is unrelated to the strokes. In the mean time he his having acupuncture and that seems to be helping with pins and needles and when the appointment comes through the occluder - so hopefully we are on the right road!
Well either way I hope this helps, whatever you do, dont give up trying, good luck and all the best!
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help
Hi Mike.. I'm sorry to hear about all that's going on - doctors can be SO infuriating sometimes!!! I'm 34 and had a stroke in June of this year. My situation is similar to yours in that I'm in good shape, don't smoke or drink, my weight is very healthy.. basically I had no risk factors to indicate I would have a stroke. After a few tests they were able to find that mine was caused by dissections in my left and right carotid arteries, along with a dissection in my right vertebral artery. They are completely stumped as to why/how I have so many dissections - it's a rare condition and is usually only caused by something like a high impact car accident. I've had no traumatic events to that area so it's especially rare to have 3 dissections occur spontaneously. All the doctors keep telling me is that my situation is very rare and some have never seen this in a patient. That's nice and all but I'd really like a solution to all of this!!!
I got a second opinion from UCSD after I was discharged from the hospital I was taken to after the stroke. The doctors at UCSD were more helpful than the ones at Scripps, the local hospital I was taken to. They were able to put stents in my left carotid artery (it was 99% blocked and it was a clot from that artery that caused the stroke), even though the docs at Scripps had told me the dissection was in an area that was "non operable" b/c it extended into the base of my brain. The docs at UCSD advised me that the procedure was very risky but the risks outweighed the consequences of not doing the procedure b/c they said it was highly likely that if nothing was done I'd have a massive stroke on that side. I guess my point here is definitely get a second (or third) opinion... I can't believe the doctors said there's nothing they can do and that it's likely you'll have another stroke! That's kind of what the docs at Scripps left me with as well and I'm glad I went to UCSD. The whole medical system is very frustrating but keep pushing forward and ask for more tests or whatever you need... sometimes that's the only way for us to actually get the treatment we need! Btw, have they checked your carotid arteries? Carotid dissections are rare but they are also one of the leading causes of stroke in people our age. Good luck and I hope you're starting to feel better!
Lizzy
Re: no reason to have had a stroke at 32, but I did!!! any help 
