Stroke or Not

[srogers2750]

I have had issues in the past with fatigue. Really hot days seem to only aggravate it, but up until just a couple days ago, I have been able to fight it off with monster energy drinks. I don't do drugs, I drink a beer occasionally.

And as of the last month HEAT is really a problem it seems. Ive been working outdoors for almost 20 years...I'm 38 in October.

I was at work, Yesterday.. ( I work outside with electromagnetic utility locating equipment) I was there maybe an hour before I became faint, the left side of my face became numb, and I was somewhat disoriented. My speech became slurred and I wound up at the emergency room.

Once I was laying down and cooled off I began to feel better, but the tingling in my face took awhile to go away. All of my vitals came back fine, no dehydration, no bad sugar levels, etc... the ER Dr.s told me to set up an appointment with a Neurologist. I have but, I have to wait.. until next friday. I had another mild attack after I got home and had to lie down for a couple hours before feeling well enough to get up.. Then all day today I felt lethargic and the tingling and slight pressure to the left of my face was present for most of the day...

A few months back I injured my back at work, and I have had lingering pain as well as tingling and numbness in my legs that has persisted.. gets worse during work hours... lying down taking the pressure off seems to help.. All of my x-rays/MRI have been done while lying down.. when it of course feels better, not perfect, but better. They show bulging discs, but nothing that requires surgery, My Dr. said it could be a sign of deterioration, career related. It just took this injury to really kick start the problems.

Is there anyway this is all connected... or am I looking at a more serious problem?  ALL of my research online points to MS, which quite frankly I think I would rather have had a stroke.

I'm twice married, once divorced and have kids and cant afford to not work... I need advice on what I should do.

I'm a little freaked out and beginning to worry about things I have no control over.

[ggreg]

I've done a little reading on your issues, and aside from dehydration, your symptoms also sound like a migraine and migraine aura.  You can get one that will last for days, it can be brought on by temperature and exertion, among other things, and can cause the initial slurred speech and facial numbness/tingling, plus disorientation, and bright light can bring it back on.  Some people get them routinely, others just during one period in their lives.  Also, there's a chance since you work in an outdoor environment, the toxins used to keep weeds down alongside the roadways may have accumulated in your body, and can cause oddball symptoms.  

So, I think if you visited your regular physician and discussed whether your episodes were caused by dehydration, migraine, or toxins, that would give him enough to run a few tests and perhaps decide if any of those things may be what's wrong.  Try not to think of your disorientation as being too strange, you've just got an illness from some cause, and a doctor can figure this out for you.  But I still think it's dehydration, even tho you were only at work one hour, becuz you can be dehydrated from the day before or as an ongoing problem, and eventually a person's body can't take it anymore.

[srogers2750]

The symptoms come back on and off.. The left side of my face is tingling slight numbness Again, concentration was difficult, Drove my self home from a Dr. Appointment for another issue.. My lower back. And that was a challenge..  The sun light hurt my eyes, sharp pains lancing into the back of my head, the left side of my face felt worse with the sun light, as soon as I drove into the cloud cover i started to feel a little better, but not perfect... my balance was off, and I was able to walk but everything seems to be moving so fast around me... or Im slowing down.. its weird..

[srogers2750]

plus i have had many other problems since tuesday, dizzyness, walking in a cloud disconnected state, headaches today, overwhelming sensation of being tired,

[srogers2750]

I was only at work for maybe an hour, had Gatorade with me.... I am very used to working outdoors, and I drink plenty of fluids...

I was using the energy drinks to fight off the lesser symptoms of extreme fatigue...

this is an ongoing battle that finally got a leg up on me..after 23 years....

[ggreg]

Son, even tho the hospital docs said you were not dehydrated, that is exactly what it sounds like to me.  Energy drinks have stuff to energize you, but not necessarily to rehydrate you.  Next time you go outside to work, bring water, just drink that all day.  Also, if you aren't already, pour some of that water periodically on a scarf and wrap it around your head or neck, put a hat on, straw is best because it ventilates heat so well.  Lastly, get some protein in you before you start your workday.

Now, as for it being a little stroke or some neurological problem in your head, it is possible, but the neurologist can have a go at both when he sees you Friday.  I do not think this is MS from the symptoms you give, usually it shows itself as loss in vision and dropping things all over the place, but the neuro will know that too.  But keep in mind getting overheated can really do a number on a person, look up dehydration, I don't care what the ER said.

[srogers2750]

I could really use a Dr.s advice.....  I have an appointment for Friday... From what Ive read and gone through in the past, this is no easy thing to diagnose... *****

[srogers2750]

My episodes are daily now, cant handle heat, and pulling weeds for 15 minutes put me in bed for awhile.