No medical reason for stroke

Hi Lisa, 

Sorry that I can't help you with your question. I hope someone else can give you an answer or more information about this 'no medical reason.' 

Maybe someone from the Stroke Foundation can help you. 

Marcus

Hi Lisa,

My stroke was different but I was given the same answer to why I had a stroke. There was no medical reason why it happened, I was just one of the 'lucky/unlucky' ones. When I query if it might happen again; they don't know. I was told that I might not have one until I'm in my 70's or I might have one tomorrow. They don't even know if I should be on 'typical' medication for stroke patients (e.g. blood thinners, cholesterol and blood pressure). 

It's hard some times to not let the fear slow you down. I had a stroke when I was 34 and I've been fine for 1.5 years and touch wood it will never happen again.

Wendy

Hi Lisa

My daughter had a stroke with no known cause last September aged 33. She had a clot in her left carotid artery and a bleed in the brain when they tried to dissolve it. She was fit, had no cholesterol or blood pressure problems, just a family history on both grandparents side. THe best they could explain it was by saying there was some type of neck trauma which she has no recollection of.

she had complete paralysis on her right side and expressive and receptive aphasia.

Her therapy is continuing, she can walk without an aid, though still has stiffness in right ankle. There is some movement of her arm,and soon will receive Botox to try and help that along. LUckily she is left handed so can do many tasks for herself. Communication is improving, but still a work in progress.

 It has been a very disturbing time for my husband and I! It would have been nice to have an explanation but unfortunately nothing conclusive.

Kim

Hi Lisa. I had my stroke a year ago may. Mine was internal carotid artery dissection. Above the base of skull so not common. No reason for collapse of artery, no blockage, just a 2cm clot shot off from the area. Was lucky got treatment within the hour of symptoms. I have MS as well but no correlation with both. The artery has opened again after being told it was 97% blocked. No reason for it. I think I just count myself lucky and get on with it. Good luck 

Hi Lisa

I had my stroke in October last year.  Mine was a tiny blockage in the thalamus and has affected the left side of my body.  At the time of my stroke I was 55, had low blood pressure, low cholesterol, was well within a healthy BMI, walked at least 5km most days of the week and did yoga two or three times per week.  I have never smoked and have always been fit and healthy.  I have had many, many tests and can be given 'no medical reason'.  My stroke has left weakness on my left and problems with my memory and energy levels.  I continue to have pain in my left arm and leg and struggle with tiredness and concentration.  I find at times I am also quite easily overwhelmed emotionally.  Medication wise I now take a blood thinner and a statin to lower my cholesterol even further.  I am still doing therapy in the form of gym work and swimming for the physical side of things and art, puzzles and reading for the thinking part.  The road to recovery seems to be a long and slow process.

Hi Ali,

Thank you for sharing your story. Whilst everyone’s journey is different, feeling like there’s a long road ahead is so common. Hang in there. Hopefully you’re enjoying being on enableme and have comfort from reading about others’ experiences and what has helped them.

After such a life-changing event, feeling overwhelmed is completely understandable and reported by many stroke survivors. It’s fantastic that you are getting out and keeping physically active and also doing activities that you enjoy. Some people find speaking to a psychologist about their emotions also very helpful, as they can provide you with practical ways to manage this. If this is something you’d be interested in, your GP can refer you with a Mental Health Care plan which would subsidise a number of your sessions.

You also mentioned fatigue as well as pain in your left arm and leg. Both fatigue and pain after stroke are relatively common. Have you managed to speak with your rehabilitation team (if you are seeing one) or GP about these? Finding out the cause of the pain would be the first step to finding the best treatment plan for you. With fatigue, identifying triggers and figuring out the best approach for you is important. Ruling out other causes of fatigue (such as medication side effects) first is highly recommended.

And lastly (sorry for the long post!), has your memory been assessed by an occupational therapist (OT) and/or neuropsychologist? Both of these health professionals work with clients to assess thinking skills and the implication of memory impairment on daily function. You may also find that your memory worsens when you are tired or feeling overwhelmed. 

Here are some resources you may find useful:

• Our pain management after stroke fact sheet.
• And there is a great podcast on enableme about pain: https://enableme.org.au/Community/Podcasts/Pain
• Fatigue after stroke fact sheet: https://strokefoundation.org.au/en/About-Stroke/Help-after-stroke/Stroke-resources-and-fact-sheets/Fatigue-after-stroke-fact-sheet
• Fatigue after stroke podcast: https://enableme.org.au/Community/Podcasts/Fatigue
• Here are some conversations on fatigue that might be more useful:
• https://enableme.org.au/Community/Forums/View-topic?id=c54ace0b-0e73-41da-8aab-043b176b6d95
• Practical ways to reduce fatigue
• Our thinking and perception fact sheet (this includes memory): https://strokefoundation.org.au/en/About-Stroke/Help-after-stroke/Stroke-resources-and-fact-sheets/Thinking-and-perception-after-stroke-fact-sheet

Feel free to give us a call if you’d prefer to discuss further over the phone. We are on 1800 787 653 (Mondays – Fridays, 9am-5pm AEST Mondays – Fridays),

All the best,

Lisa (StrokeLine)