Temporary one-sided paralysis and headaches,,,?

[NEnglish]

Hi, i just wanted to get an idea of whether anyone had experienced these symptoms and what the outcome was.

About 10 days ago my mother (aged 54) had a funny turn while we were on holiday together. Her speech went slurred for approx 1 minute and her arm wouldn't lift - felt very heavy for the same time, her leg was fine as she was walking.

She has never experienced these symptoms before and I was thinking she was having a stroke but she is now quite normal. She said she had a headache for over a week before the holiday but it had gone for a few days before this happened. She says her vision is now not as good and i wondered if anyone could give any advice.
My dad took her to the doctors when we returned home 2 days later and he is arranging an appointment with the neurologist.

At the time it seemed like it could be a TIA but now the symptoms seem similar to those of a brain tumour - is there anything not so serious that it could be?

Thanks, any advice would be appreciated.

[NEnglish]

Have you had this Vascular Ultrasound where they look at the veins in your neck?

My mum had hers last week, they found a build up of cholesterol on the right-hand side which is blocking about 3/5 of the vein. They have said that part of this may have broken up and lodged in the brain causing a TIA. They don't seem to bothered about it though as they haven't put her on any medication to reduce her cholesterol and her appointment with the neurologist for scans etc isn't until 19th June. I can't believe that she has had this warning stroke and they aren't acting soon - perfect opportunity to prevent a full stroke and they are not giving it any priority...that's the British National Health Service for you!

[cklballs]

I have had scenarios like the one mentioned. I have been in and out of the ER's telling them that I was having a TIA.  I am 32 years old and walk into the ER.  They do not seem to take me seriously.  I'll a CT and it looks normal.  I have had MRI's and they were normal, minus a few lesions in specific areas.

I see a hematologist and I'm on plavix and aspirin.  I do not know what else to do, except pray.

[NEnglish]

Thanks for your post, I know your diagnosis isn't ideal however you seem to have escaped the worst and I hope the medication works in eliminating these episodes.

Well my mum finally has an appointment at the hospital in the vascular unit, they are going to carry out an ultrasound of her veins/vessels. I assume this is to find any blockage/blood clot that may have been the cause of the 'attack'. They don't seem to be rushing into doing the CT/MRI scans though, surely this should take priority?!!!

[smitlets]

I am a 45 Year old female and one month ago experiencen an episode where I lost my speech along with my total paralysis of my left side for approx 20 minutes. I have no history of headaches nor did I have one prior to or at the time of the attach.  I was taken to the ER and evaluated for a stroke.  The CT, MRI, MRI-A and EEG all came back normal.  The motor control and speech slowly returned over the next couple of hours, with the exception of my lower leg, which took four days.    I was released from the hospital a week later with a diagnosis of migraine and given preventitive medication.  I continue to have mutilple daily episodes where I lose my speech, and have varying motor control impairment on my left side ranging from tingling to total loss of control.  I have experienced some brain injury from the frequent attacks but will recover.  I am under the care of a neurologist but like you, I understand the fear that is associated with the unknown.  
The best advice I can give to you is to get your Mom to a Neurologist to get this diagnosed as quickly as possible.  As my doctor told me.  My diagosis is the best diagnosis I could possibly have but that doesn't mean that the recovery is going to be easy. Fear of the unknown is the worst!

[NEnglish]

Thanks for your comments, she has had blood tests done also, these have shown hypothyroidism and high cholesterol, not sure if this has any impact whatsoever on her 'condition'...still waiting for that appointment with the neurologist.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

In general, brain tumors cause neurological symptomsm that come and remain, and get slowly worse over time, although there may be some fluctuation. Brain tumors can cause seizures, and after a seizure there may be a period of weakness of the arm or leg affected in teh seizure and if the seizure affected the brain speech area, there may also be a period of speech loss after the seizure also.

The expressive speech area of the brain is near the area for muscle control of the face, and hand/arm - during dysfunction of this area such as during a stroke or after a seizure they are commonly affected together. Vision in one eye or one visual field may also be affectedat the same time in such a stroke, as vision is in the same blood vessel territory, and blood clots going to this vessel area can affect both. THis is less likely to be the case for a seizure.

This cannot substitute for a formal neurological evaluation but the episode sounds suspicious for a 'TIA' - transient ischemic attack', in reality, a mini-stroke. We are recognising that TIAs now can be warning signs for a bigger, permament stroke - hence there is now a reconiseg need to TIAs to be evaluated as soon as possible - MRI, blood brain and neck vessel evaluation, and evaluation of stroke risk factors, and need for blood thinners to prevent blood clots in someone who is at risk.

Migraine can cause similar symptoms, but in anyone over the gae of 40 years, this is less likely and the other causes above (stroke, seizure) should be looked in to first.

Good luck