Rhuematic fever - long term effects?

Question

My dad had rhuematic fever when he was young. He has already had open heart surgery to replace the aortic valve in his heart, about a year ago. He was recently put in the hospital for a pulmonary embolism and while he was there, the drs think he may have had 2 seizures. When the nurses came in one night to check on him, he was awake but unresponsive and he was drooling and his pupils were dialated and he just stared around the room. The next morning he doesn't remember anything that happened. The next night he ripped his IV out of his arm and went into the hallway and when his nurses tried to help him back to bed he started trying to hit them. They gave him a sedation medicine and he doesn't remember any of this and he also does not remember anything that happened friday before 12 pm and I had conversations with him and everything. The drs do not really know if he has been having seizures or not. They say it sounds like a seizure or a stroke but nothing shows up on his tests. This is been going on for a long time and no one seems to know what is wrong with him. Does anyone know if rhuematic fever can have these long term effects or something that may be causing this? I just want him to get better.

Answer 1

I have been researching rhematic fever for the last week or so because I had a severe case of strep throat and was worried I was experiencing symptoms of rhematic fever. I have not read anything about it causing memory loss. Long term heart damage, yes, but the uncontrolled movement of the limbs is the worst symptom related to the brain that I am aware of and that goes away after treatment. I would think that if the rheumatic fever had anything to do with his recent seizures then he would also be experiencing much worse symptoms elsewhere around his body. Well I hope the doctors can figure out what is causing your father's symptoms and that he gets better. If I were you I would browse medical forums and get opions directly from other doctors. I wish you and your family well.