Hi Elisha
I am sorry to hear of your strokes and that you are experiencing new symptoms. It is great that you are reaching out on EnableMe, it can be difficult and worrying when things change unexpectedly.
Have you mentioned these change to your GP? Changes, especially in swallowing and continence, can also indicate other issues. It is really important that you talk to your GP about these so you can rule out any new medical issues that may be causing your swallowing and bladder issues.
What changes have you noticed with your swallowing? Swallowing issues can cause problems if they are not managed. Have you seen a Speech pathologist since you’ve been having issues with your swallowing? If not I would recommend seeing your Gp and asking about your eligibility for a chronic conditions treatment plan. If you are eligible, you will be able to access 5 sessions of allied health such as a Speech Pathologist over a 12 month period at a Medicare rebated rate. This means your out of pocket costs will be lower. I would ask your GP if they can recommend someone in your local area and refer you to them. Swallowing issues, if not monitored can lead to you becoming unwell if you end up with food or fluids in your lungs. toy can read more about the impact of a stroke on your swallowing here.
In regard to your bladder, stroke can impact on your continence in a variety of different ways. I would also recommend speaking with your GP about what you are experiencing, just to rule out something like a urinary tract infection. It might also be helpful to speak with a continence nurse, and to see a physiotherapist who can help with exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. You can speak with a continence nurse at the National Continence Helpline on Ph. 1800 33 00 66 or their website here. They can help with recommending any aids that might help and answer any questions you might have. Your Gp will also be able to refer you to a continence nurse or continence clinic as well for further investigation. If you would like to lean more about continence problems after a stroke, you can read more here.
You are more than welcome to reach out to us on StrokeLine by giving us a call on Ph. 1800 787 653, or sending us an email on strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au. We are available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. We would be happy to talk with you in more detail about what you are going through.
Kind regards
Siobhan (StrokeLine)
Siobhan
Thanks for your excellent reply. I have been seeing my GP and she too is at a bit of a loss. My speech therapist as given me tests and exercises which I do. I myself am a continence nurse so I have that bit covered.
The new symptoms seem to come and go and it correlates with warm weather. I have seen Neurologists and had LP nerve conduction and bloods but still none the wiser.
That's when I thought I'd ask here if it could be a stroke thing. Is this something that other survivors experience? Extreme heat intolerance with new symptoms?
Do my GP and I keep pursuing further assistance or do I just put up with this as another thing that comes with being a strike survivor.
It kind of renders me useless for a few months every year.
Thanks Elisha
Thanks Elisha
Glad that you have reached out again, it sounds like a complicated situation but it is good to hear you have good support from the Speech Therapist, your Gp and of course through your own knowledge and experience. I think you should never give up hope in your recovery, and it would be worth continuing to look into causes for what has been happening for you.
We do hear anecdotally that survivors of stroke do react differently to heat, and can experience the impacts of their stroke more during intense heat, but have little documented evidence as to why this is the case. Living in Australia, it can certainly be challenging to experience these new symptoms after your stroke, as the summer months do last for some time. We do know that other neurological disorders such as MS do show signs of heat intolerance which can cause new or unusual symptoms to occur, so it is possible that this can occur following a stroke, or in your case strokes.
In regards to managing your new symptoms, have you tried anything to manage these symptoms like using cooling neck wraps, cooling towels or icepacks during the warmer months. You might like to look at some of the options developed for those with MS on how to stay cool to reduce new or unusual symptoms. You can read more here.
Another issue that may be impacting on you and perhaps even causing the new symptoms (given it has been ruled out they are not evidence of a new stroke) could be post stroke fatigue. Fatigue is very common after a stroke and can frequently not be associated with activity or energy exertion. It can be difficult to say exactly how long the feelings of fatigue will last. We do know that Stroke survivors are more likely to experience fatigue shortly after their stroke, but we do hear of those who experience it some time following their stroke. It might be worth keeping a note of whether there are any other triggers apart from the heat, perhaps busy days or weeks, more time spent in busy environments. This way you may be able to identify other possible triggers for the new symptoms.
I’m hoping that others will reach out with their own stories, and ways that they have found to manage these impacts.
Do keep in touch and feel free to reach out to us if you would like to talk more. You can give us a call on Ph. 1800 787 653 or email us on strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au
Kind regards
Siobhan
Hi Elisha, sorry for replying so long after you asked this question but I experience changes in swallowing and choking quite regularly and I'm 9 years post stroke. I know things like tiredness and fatigue effect this; I think once my brain needs to take a break it forgets to use the throat muscles correctly. It was only picked up about 2 years ago that I had weakness on one side of my throat and diaphragm so a bit of time lapsed before any corrective exercises were commenced.
I never liked the heat pre-stroke and now I hate it. It knocks me around so much which results in increased fatigue.
I hope in the time since you wrote this you've seen some improvement, Toni
Before you can post or reply in these forums, please join our online community.