# mini stroke



## balabosun (Nov 7, 2008)

Driving along M6 a month ago, i lost the vision in the lower half of my left eye,it was like i was looking over a wall for about 20 seconds.Check up at hospital today, seems i may have had a mini stroke,possible cause may be narrowing of the carotid arteries.anyone experienced this and what where the results.


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## rolyk (Aug 24, 2007)

I had two occurences of vision distubances around 10 years ago. One of mine was like flashing tinsel in one eye and lasted around 30 seconds. The second one seemed more serious with blurred vision that gradually cleared after an hour or two.

I had a MRI brain scan as well as an ultrasound scan of my neck. The ultrasound picked up poor flow in one of my neck arteries, not the main artery but a smaller one. I was prescribed 10 mg Simvastatin and 75mg asprin and have been fine ever since.

However the Simvastatin gave me bad should pain after a couple of years and I changed to Atorvastatin which has been fine.

If the hospital didn't do an ultrasound I would strongly suggest that you discuss this, and any medication, with your GP as you need to get all the necessary tests done, if only for your peace of mind.

Roly


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## Richard_M (Dec 17, 2010)

balabosun said:


> Driving along M6 a month ago, i lost the vision in the lower half of my left eye,it was like i was looking over a wall for about 20 seconds.Check up at hospital today, seems i may have had a mini stroke,possible cause may be narrowing of the carotid arteries.anyone experienced this and what where the results.


A mini stroke is a TIA (transient ischaemic attack)

A TIA is basically the same as a full blown stroke (CVA: cerebrovascular accident), the only difference is that a TIA only lasts for 24 hours or less.

Suffering a TIA can be a warning that you may have a CVA in the future. See your doctor asap for follow up/meds/advice.


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*TIA*

 Ciao, exactly my experience, except that I'd never heard of TIA's or strokes; so put it down to tiredness. BIG MISTAKE. Get yourself a total examination asap. I was eventually persuaded to seek medical help when I realised that I was become dangerously irritable and flying off the handle. By that time the damage was done; but have recovered quite well with daily doses of cardioaspirin, cardura, and karvezide. My left side is fairly wonky, and am almost totally blind in left eye, and deaf in left ear; but life goes on fairly normally. If you get yourself treated quickly, you should avoid all this. Mine was caused by a combination of stress and plaques forming in the carotid artery, shown up by brain scans and something called a doppler.
Hope you get well soon.
saluti,
eddied


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## Scolds (Jul 26, 2010)

My father suffered the same while living with us in Germany, they operated on the blocked carotid artery within a week and he was fine for the rest of his life. Not sure what the practice is in the UK but a simple scan showed the blockage.

His symptoms were blindness in one eye and loss of feeling in his hand for short periods of time.

Hope this info helps and you can at least get scanned.


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## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

My tame nurse says go to this link and it explains it all.

http://www.righthealth.com/topic/Carotid_Endarterectomy?p=l&as=goog&ac=404&kgl=35835933


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

Don't forget to declare this episode for your travel insurance when travelling abroad.


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## Hezbez (Feb 7, 2009)

Sorry to hear about your experience.
I wonder if you would need to declare it to DVLA and your insurance company?


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## bob23 (Nov 13, 2009)

Hi balabosun,
Its a warning, I suffered a similar flash across my vision while driving in 2004 and never had a repeat occurrence just have to take BP and cholesterol pills.

I am writing as I noticed your age of 69, if your van weighs over 3500kg consider changing it by your 70th.

I have been trying since 2009 to have the C1 reinstated on my licence and next week courtesy of the DVLA I have to visit a Specialist Hospital where they will inject a nuclear tracer into my body containing radioactive material, a process which the hospital inform me may take up to 5 hours. 
I purchased my van new in 2007 and wish to keep it as my last van and was well aware of the situation when I reached 70 regarding the driving licence but never thought it would be a problem,
.
The problem is down to that mini stroke in 2004 which was just a flash across my vision.
If I could go back to 2007 the van would have weighed 3500 not 3900kg.


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## delboy0127 (Mar 3, 2009)

*A mini stroke a TIA (transient ischaemic attack)*

A mini stroke is a TIA (transient ischaemic attack)

Yes I suffered a TIA in December 2009 it did not last more than 24hours ( This is very important if it lasts more than 24hours it is classed as being far more serious although both are equally serious in my opinion).

People are affected in different ways I was driving at the time very luckily going towards my Doctors health centre, when suddenly I lost all vision co ordination, my eyes kept going to the right, and my brain was telling me to keep going straight on, I had lost all control.
I managed to get into the health centre car park, left the car, and managed to crawl into the surgery and shout for help, a team was working on me within minutes. My blood pressure had gone through the roof, I was violently sick and felt very very ill. Once they had me stabilised, which took almost 1 hour, I was then taken to Hospital by emergency Ambulance, I was discharged the next day, a very frightening experience indeed.

I had a MRI scan and nothing was found, I do suffer with A/F, my INR at the time was low at 1.8, this they said had probably caused a small clot on the brain, having previously had 2 DVTs and a blood clot in my arm. I am now monitored every week for INR keeping to a range of 2.7 to 3.2. Touch wood no further TIAs at the moment.
As I was advised
1) You are not allowed to drive for 1 month if you do and have an accident you will not be insured)
2 If you suffer a further TIA in the month you will then have to wait a further 1 month until you have gone 1 month clear.
3) You do have to advise your travel insurance company.
3) Once you have had 1 month clear you can resume driving.

In my opinion a TIA is very serious indeed and should be treated as such.

I am not a doctor and do not profess to be one, this is just what happened to me and information I was given at the time by Medical staff and Doctors.

Take care

Delboy


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## Richard_M (Dec 17, 2010)

*Re: A mini stroke a TIA (transient ischaemic attack)*



delboy0127 said:


> I am not a doctor and do not profess to be one


Well, I am a Paramedic and I see TIAs/CVAs on an almost daily basis.

TIAs are a warning: heed them! See your Dr asap.


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