Stroke-leg

[mjeans]

My father is 77 years old.  Last year he had a mild stoke.  The stroke left him still mobile, although he has constant tingles in his face, arm/hand, leg/foot.  He describes it as if they were sleeping.  He still has strength and can walk, but sometimes he wobbles.  He also states that his leg feels cold.  He often complains of being cold, when the temp is comfortable.  His doctor has not been able to locate a medicine that helps control the tingles.  He is also a diabetic.  He controls it with pills and diet only.  He also has high blood pressure.  I am hoping to find an answer for him in regards to the tingles.  He still remains active, but seems depressed in addition to the constant tingles.  Please....if anyone has any advise, it would be greatly appreciated.

[Helln]

My husband had a stroke last year when he was 49. Now almost is 1 and 1/2 year. He was suffering leg pain too. After I read many posts, I learned that leg pain was caused by Simvastatin medicine which is a Statin drug for lower cholesterol. He took the Simvastatin for over a year. Now he stopped taking that Simvastatin medicine and is taking RED YEAST RICE with CoQ10 instead. Please do online research and  you will find out that many people have leg pain or muscle pain after they take the medicine. Just let you know that. Hope you get better soon.

[Helln]

My husband had a stroke last year when he was 49. Now almost is 1 and 1/2 year. He was suffering leg pain too. After I read many posts, I learned that leg pain was caused by Simvastatin medicine which is a Statin drug for lower cholesterol. He took the Simvastatin for over a year. Now he stopped taking that Simvastatin medicine and is taking RED YEAST RICE with CoQ10 instead. Please do online research and  you will find out that many people have leg pain or muscle pain after they take the medicine. Just let you know that. Hope you get better soon.

[Ronni049]

I have had leg pain for almost a year now. I feel in April 2010. And the pain that I have consists of Shin pain with a tightness and going up the leg it has now affected my knee.   I'm 49 and do not have high blood pressure. Can this be a post stroke symptom. I have had X-Rays galore including an ultrasound and MRI.   Some advise???

[maryc229]

I had a stroke a year and half ago and it affected my left side..I too have all the tingling, tightness, and my feet hurt and I can't explain it but the bottom of my feet hurt all the time which throws off my equal librium and hard to walk...and my feet feel cold but I had all the tests and I do have good circulation......nothing helps but I am taking Tylenol 3 but that only eases a little so I can sleep for a little while...I too notice if I try and do too much it gets worse....my whole body feels like I have rhuematoid arthritis for 24/7.... friends look at me and think that I am  ok because I am walking but they don't know the suffering I am going through...even the doctors listen but they don't hear you.....if anybody found anything that relieves their pain .....I am taking a lot of meds because high blood pressure and I had a stint.....I am 70 yrs old.... Mary

[mjeans]

Thanks again to Katie 72 for your input.  It would be greatly appreciated if you could respond back with the name of this med.  Sorry for the delay, I was on vacation. Good luck with your rehab.  

[katie72]

I am sorry but I told the doctor that I was not interested in any more medication at that time so he did not tell me the name of the medication.  However, I will be seeing him next week adn I will ask him the name of the medication.  I think it was somethng other than folic acid.

[mjeans]

Thanks Katie72 for your comments.  You had stated that your doctor could have given you medicine to control the tingles, but you felt that you did not want to take any more medicine.  Could you possibly reveal "what" he had in mind to prescribe for you?

Open comment: I have read that 10 mg of Folic acid may help.  Has anyone else ever been told this?  I would appreciate all comments.  Thank you for you support and your help.

[katie72]

I also had a stroke a year ago when I was 49 that has affected my left side.  My whole left side tingles as is it were asleep just as you dad described.  I never have relief from the feeling - especially in my hand and foot.  I am also able to walk around and drive now.  I am back at work part time.  I have found that the "tingling" gets worse when I have done too much and not just physical activity, but when I have not slept well, etc.  Also, my leg does get cold and almost feels as though it is not a part of my body - very strange feeling.  The last time I went to my neurologist he indicated that he could give me something for the "tingling" but at that time, I did not want to take any more medicine.  I will be returning to see him in a about a month and plan to ask him about it. I have found that exerising without overdoing it does help.  Also if I stay in one place for a period of time, the tingling tends to get worse.

As far as the depression, I also going through that.  I thought it was a natural thing because I was grieving the life that I had lost and trying to live my new life with limitations that I am not use to.  I cry easily at almost anything - especially when I discuus my stroke and what all hs happened over the last year.  So my neurologist sent me to a neuro-psychologist.  He explained to me that a stroke can cause depression due to the brain damage and that therapy is often needed to help with this aspect.  I have been seeing him once a month for about 4 months and I feel it has helped.  He has prescribed medications for me which I was reluctant to start because I have never been one to use a lot of medication.  I am currently on antidepressants, sleeping pills (I was only sleeping 1-2 hours a night) and addrerol because I was having a difficult time staying focused. I know this sounds like a lot of medication - at least it does to me.   My neuro-psychologist explained it to me like this.  "Sometimes you have to go to war and it gets ugly, but you do what you have to do to win.  Then after the war, you clean it up.  Well right now we are at war so you can get better and we use the medication to win.  Once we have won, we will clean up by getting you off the medication." This analogy has helped me to realize that this hope that I will win and that the medication in only temporary.

The other thing I would recommend for your dad is to be sure not to ignore the spiritual therapy.  I was so busy going to physical therapy and doctor appointmsnts that spiritual was ignored.  Then one day as I was talking and crying with some friends, I stated that I was angry with God and that my relatipnship with Him had changed.  At that time, I caleed my priest and have been seeing him for help with my relationship with God.  I am still struggling with this aspect as well as everything else, but I have made some progress and I know I will continue to progress with everyone's help.

I truly hope you can help your dad and that he gets better.  I have told my husband on several occasions, I wish he could feel how my left side feels because it is a very strange feeling and difficult to describe.  The best thing I think you can do for you dad is to be understnding and supportive for him.  I do not know what I would have done withoiut the support of my husband, son, and daughter.

Good luck to you and your dad - sorry if I rambled on too much but I hope I helped..

Katie