some advice on TIA strokes?

[lulubel]

I'm new to TP, but I know that everyone is really helpful, so here goes....

Mum (85) had a possible TIA (mini-stroke), 2 years ago. This year she has been diagnosed with AD and Vas D. On Tuesday this week, she collapsed in the street, just up the road from our house (she lives with us), was brought in by kind neighbours, and my husband called the ambulance. By the time it arrived (20mins later), she was showing no external signs of having had a stroke, so it was dismissed by the crew. They were lovely and thorough, and suggested I took her to the GP because her BP was very high. 2 hours later when we saw the GP, BP was normal.
I phoned the memory clinic, as I thought the incident should be recorded on her file. They informed me that it sounded like she could have had TIA.
I've googled it!! Seemingly, any symptoms disappear fairly quickly, but it has left her far more confused/lacking confidence/worse short-term memory. She's started following me round, she's desperate to write Christmas cards, but is struggling to organise herself.
What I would like to know is, has anyone experience of VasD being brought on by stroke/TIA? Will the mental symptoms remain like this, or will she recover some? Or as usual, either and either is normal?!
A li'l confused lulubel.....

 

[J W]

Hi.

Mams sister had a stroke and vascular dementia developed in a very short time, doctors said the dementia is almost certainly a result of the stroke, she was as sharp as a pin before the stroke.
The dementia stayed with her and she started to get more confused as time went on.

 

[PaddyJim]

Hi

Possibly, my mum had a similar incident five years ago. She fell between the gap on the London Underground, she broke her shoulder but since that day her condition has deteriorated in steps which culminate in falls which we could put down to TIA's although its all part of her wider condition. Hope this helpful and hopefully she will improve.

Best Wishes

 

[flowerpot]

Hi lulubel, welcom to TP (Talking Point)This sounds quite a bit like my MiL. For years she would fall over for no apparent reason or seem to be 'not there'! Eventually she came to live with us but sadly after nearly four years is now in a nursing home she is now 91 so not bad going. The VDem is from the strokes with her. Usually when she had a bad turn she would be confused for a while/few days or so and then seem ok. Now the least small thing can confuse her but she's happy and settled and still knows who we are. It seems to be trivial things that she forgets quite quickly but more and more we have noticed that she has forgotten things that she used to do like baking and embroidery that she was very good at. Also she knows Xmas is coming but like last year has no idea about writing cards or anything so I just pop a small note in the cards and send them to her remaining friends and relatives.

Sorry didn't mean to go on...........

Take care and look after yourself too xx

 

[Spencer81]

Hi, sounds the same as my mum. She's had a few memory problems, got disorientated in different places for a few years.
She had a stroke in May, broke her hip in July and another stroke in November. She has vascular dementia and deteriorates with every stroke. They now think she may have been having little mini strokes for years.
The doctors said if she doesn't have another then she could stay the same for years but unfortunately she has a blood vessel disease in the brain which means it's highly likely it could happen again.

Sorry to go on, just wanted to say I understood what you are going through! I am mums main carer and so hard seeing her drifting away!!

 

[Spamar]

Hi
My OH has mixed dementia. When he had his first mini stroke it was more a maxi mini stroke, with his speech and leg movement affected. Eventually I got him to a&e and after he had had a scan I was told that they couldn't see this one, only his previous one . What previous one? This was the first indication that these things can be repetitive.
Since then, he had had several, three or four a year usually ( although 5 in 6 weeks when his drug regime was changed). Most of the time he just feels tired and spaced out. A couple of hours in bed later and he is fine.
Remember that every mini stroke will affect a part of the brain and this part will be damaged. If may be a part where the effect is not obvious, on the other hand it may not.

 

[maryw]

My husband had a major stroke in April. An MRI scan revealed numerous past "silent" strokes and the diagnosed of established small vessel disease. So far he has scored well on cognitive tests but memory and moods are affected. It depends in which part of the brain the strokes take place. He is on warfarin to reduce the risk of further strokes and high blood pressure and cholesterol are also being treated. I try to serve lots of fish meals and fruit and veg in the hope that a healthy lifestyle helps to prevent cognitive decline.

 

[lulubel]

Thank you everyone, those are really helpful comments. Sometimes its just reassurance that's needed. Your experiences seem very similar to mine. Please don't apologise for 'going on', the explanations of each situation are really helpful. Its so comforting to know there are others going through similar things.
Thank you again.
Lu x

 

[creativesarah]

Cod liver oil in my opinion is good yuk yuk yuk

my consultant said I have to have a tablespoon every night its very good for your brain

I have had quite a few mini strokes as well as a bigger one and although i have deteriorated from how I was before the strokes I try to be as active and upbeat as I can

How old is your mum? I am 59

i will gladly attempt to answer any questions you may have

Sarah

 

[lulubel]

Cod liver oil in my opinion is good yuk yuk yuk

my consultant said I have to have a tablespoon every night its very good for your brain

I have had quite a few mini strokes as well as a bigger one and although i have deteriorated from how I was before the strokes I try to be as active and upbeat as I can

How old is your mum? I am 59

i will gladly attempt to answer any questions you may have

Sarah

Thank you Sarah. Mum is 85, and been in extremely good health all her life. Everything in moderation, but she never smoked! Its just trying to establish what could be linked to the mini-strokes, or if there's something I'm missing.
I will definitely come back to you if I have any more queries.
Thank you so much for your help
Lu x

 

[lin1]

Hello Lulubel
Sorry I missed this yesterday.

Am sorry to hear your concerns about your Mum.

My dad does not have dementia, though he has some symptoms caused by a head injury, is prone to TIA's, in fact he had one this week. and apart from being tired , he has made a full recovery .

I assume you already know the following so have put this for anyone reading who does not.
Their proper name is Transient ischemic attack,
The signs normally pass fairly quickly hence the word transient.
Until the symptoms go you don't really know whether its a TIA or the real thing.
.....

Because my dad's TIA's are caused by small blood-clots travelling through the brain, he is on a tablet called Clopidogrel that makes blood cells slippery and lessens the chance of blood clots forming.

If they are caused by a bleed on the brain , the above treatment would be very wrong.

Strokes as you probably know are caused by the same as above
Sadly both can cause VD (vascular dementia)

But not always!!

Since 1985 my dad has had lots of the bloomin things, sometimes it was his own fault because he stopped /forgot his medication.

Due to a head injury back in 2009 he had several CT and MRI scans that showed no sign of damage to the brain. caused by his many TIA's

I guess what I have tried to say in a very long winded way is, I do understand your worries
Also if the cause of TIA's or stokes is known then its possible they could possibly be prevented .

My dad was under a stroke clinic for a while


I hope this helps.

 

[creativesarah]

i am on clopidogerel didn't know it did that ! i told the Dr at the atos test i was on collie dog tablets
:beer:
Sent from my GT-S5570 using Talking Point mobile app

 

[cobden28]

From what I can gather through info gleaned from the Stroke Association, vascular dementia is caused by a series of repeated TIA's and this is what caused my late mother-in-law's vascular dementia. My husband and I were at her hospital bedside when the official diagnosis was given.

Over the previous few years she had had a series of TIA's but the description we were told was 'it's just a mini-stroke' and as MIL seemed OK after each one we didn't worry. We as her family weren't told anything about strokes and until I had one myself I knew nothing more about stroke.