Stroke Seems To be Getting Worse

Hi Will, sorry to hear that your symptoms are worse. I also had a cerebellum stroke 18 months ago and have improved with daily balance exercises. I had a relapse and consulted my GP who recommended I go to hospital where I had a brain scan and tests to determine the cause and was discharged the next day.

All the best 

Ian

Hello Will

I’m sorry to hear about your cerebellar stroke and the worsening symptoms that you were experiencing.   How have things been since you posted this last year? Pain, dry eye and dizziness are all issues that must be very difficult for you to deal with, especially if you are still experiencing them now.  I thought it might be helpful to touch base with you to see how things have been more recently.

There are a number of other community members who have experienced a cerebellar stroke. You might be interested in reading this blog post by Ros, there are also lots of comments from others who have also experienced a cerebellar stroke. Here is the link to the video discussed in the blog replies.

Ian made a good point about seeing your doctor.  If these are still current issues for you,have you spoken with your doctor about what you have been experiencing? They are often a good place to start, and your GP might recommend a review with a neurologist to determine what may be causing your symptoms to worsen.  In terms of dry eye there may be some drops that the GP may suggest for you.

You are not alone in what you are experiencing. For many stroke survivors, dealing with chronic pain is a major part of life after stroke. Pain becomes chronic when it lasts three months or more.   Pain experts emphasize that even if you can’t make your pain go away, it is almost always possible to reduce pain levels and to improve quality of life.  There are a variety of options to better manage your pain, these may include medications, therapy such as physiotherapy, mindfulness/meditation and psychology input.

Pain is usually best managed using a team approach. This may include your GP and allied health services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychology. Your GP can arrange access to allied health services under the Chronic Conditions Management Treatment Plan, or you can access a specialist pain clinic. This would need to be arranged through your GP, you can find a pain clinic near you here.

Some people also find it useful to use mindfulness or meditation techniques to help with managing their post stroke pain. You can download an app such as Calm or Smiling Mind or seek the support of a psychologist who can go through techniques that might be of help to you

We have some great resources on EnableMe, and I am not sure whether you have seen our resource page on pain after stroke, our blog post making gains after pain, and our pain podcast. There is also a great blog post by Emma Gee that may help you feel less alone in what you have  experienced.

In regards to  dizziness, it can be a common effect following a cerebellar stroke. It sounds like you have been doing all the right things. Are you still doing your daily exercises, or have you seen a physiotherapist recently? It might be helpful to seek support form a vestibular physiotherapist if you haven’t already and speak with them about your symptoms.   These physiotherapists have special training in identifying dizziness and other balance-related problems caused by a stroke.  If you are not seeing a vestibular physiotherapist currently, you can find one here, or you an give us a call on StrokeLine and we can look at other options for a local therapist.

I hope that these issues have settled for you a little, but do reach out and give us a call if you would like to talk with one of our Health Professionals here at StrokeLine.  You can give us a call on    Ph.1800 787 653.

Best wishes

Siobhan (StrokeLine)

Thanks Ian, do you have dizziness and if so, do you find the balance exercises are helping?

Thanks Siobhan, yes I have seen all the stuff you posted in your response, and yes I have also seen my GP I suppose I am really struggling, as my wife also left me and I am on my own, which makes motivation very difficult. Yes I still have the dry eye, pain and dizziness, the only thing that resolved was my swallow, I just feel like I am never going to get any better than I am now

Hi Will, I can understand how hard it must be to stay motivated on your own.

For me, I found the balance exercises helped, and probably had made a big difference wthin about 6 months. My stroke may have been a lot less severe than yours.

I also found that my balance deteriorated if I tried to do too much, or is I was tired. In the early stages memory and multitasking were also significantly impacted. Also before the pandemic  I had rehab with physiotherapists who provided tailored exercises to help my balance. 

It was hard, but I definitely improved, 

Thanks Ian, how about dizziness has that improved for you?

Hi Will,

It seems like my stroke was a bit different, and I felt unbalanced like a sapling swaying in the wind but I did not feel dizzy.

all the best 

Ian