A question about a TIA (Transient ischemic attack)?

Question

I have a question about a TIA (Transient ischemic attack). Do they always show up on CT scans once you get to the hospital and do you always show signs of a droopy face or droopy eyes? I went to the ER this weekend, I called the nursing hotline of my insurance company because my symptoms progressed over the day. I started out having just a headache - that went away. Well, then my symptoms were my nomal pains that I usually have (back and leg pain) - however, I ended up having severe neck pain that came with facial numbness/ tingling where I could hardly move my mouth or facial muscles and I was drooling. Then the pain traveled to my eye. The pain was on only one side of my neck. The pain was a 10. The nurse told me (as I was in tears) to go to the ER and either call 911 or have someone drive me. I went and they took their sweet time (as I was the only one in there) and they after awhile did a quick CT scan that did not show anything abnormal they said. So they passed it off as a migraine or some different variation of my normal headaches. Now, where I live, the ER/ Hospital is probably the worst one anyone could go to, but it is the closest one. They are all the time misdiagnosing people. I am sure they are right on the money most of the time though, but I just wondered about them symptoms of the TIA. The nurse on the line acted like I could be having a stroke. I am 35 years of age and the physicians assistant at the hospital said I am too young to have a stroke, so that was out of the question. I thought a person could have a stroke at any age. I had an uncle who did in his 30's as I just found out. I remember a kid I went to school with who had one in his teen years. So why is it out of question?

Answer 1

The original diagnosis could be correct as migraines have been known atypically to cause neurological symptoms such as tingling and partial paralysis. However, your symptoms did also match that of a TIA (a mini-stroke.) The only difference between a stroke and a TIA is that in a TIA the symptoms must all be fully resolved within 24 hours.

I would go and see another doctor who can run a few simple tests to show whether you are at risk of having a stroke (blood pressure, cholesterol levels, full blood count, clotting tests.) They could also discuss any other symptoms you may have had (the headache may be indicative of a migraine.)

Hope this helps.  

Answer 2

They are very wrong.  Not every patient will show facial droop.  We have other test like speech and arm drift.  Not all strokes occur in the brain so a cat scan may be normal and the patient has had a stroke.

It sounds like your headache, numbness/tingling and pain was a TIA.  Then your severe neck pain, numbness and tingling and lose of muscle control was a mild stroke.

You can suffer a stroke at any age and since it appears that you have had two you are at an increased risk for a severe stroke.  Next time you have symptoms do not go to that hospital.  They now have clot busting drugs but they have to be given soon after the onset of symptoms.

Answer 3

You owe it to yourself to get a second opinion.