Hi my stroke was in February I have been feeling pretty good of late even considering going back to work as a carer at the end of the month.
The last few days at night I feel the top of my head will burst open with pressure and a headache, I become very red in the face even though the room it’s not hot. My legs feel very heavy all the time and I keep stumbling I had two near falls this morning. I feel ok apart from these recent symptoms.
Do you think I should be concerned I don’t want to come across as mega paranoid.
Thank you it’s the usual story everyone thinks you look fine but inside you really aren’t. I couldn’t even remember my nephews name the other day I had to ask the person I was talking to it’s just little things.
I think I know deep down I need to call the doctor but I am scared to.
They never altered my medication as I am on 16 tablets a day already due to a heart attack 8 years ago. I hope I am just having an off day. They said they couldn’t understand why the stroke happened when I was already on the medication they would give me.
As the other’s have said, speak to your stroke team, did they give you a number to contact them on? Get a blood test to see if you are lacking in certain nutrients that could bring on these symptoms.
The heaviness in your legs is normal with strokes, it’s like walking with led boots on, and can take months to wear off but it will.
We’ve all had that pressure in the head and headaches too are normal in the first 6mths, and you fear you’re about to have another stroke. Your brain in under a lot pressure to heal and repair whilst still maintaining functionality. You’ve got a lot of spinning plates in your head. Frequent rest/naps during day, take life at slower pace, your heavy legs is your brain forcing you to slow down whether you want to or not.
The first 6mths are the most crucial time for recovery so don’t push it too far.
For me it was folic acid I was low on, I can’t say it would be the same for you, but that was a turning point for me. The heaviness went, walking improved, I seemed to brighten up after that. Doc started by prescribing 2wks worth of high dose folic acid and said to continue with a daily over the counter strength from there on along with B12. I also take a daily vitamin D advised by the bone clinic.
Muscle atrophy is common in strokes/TIA’s, I lost nearly 3stone in the first year and that has a of lot those sort of symptoms too. It would do no harm to including those vitamins in your daily diet for a time. Recovery takes a lot out of you in way of nutrients and they need replenishing. You may be just not taking enough back onboard in your daily diet and it needs a boost.
I heard back from stroke nurse she said to see the doctor about headache and memory it could be migraine. She doesn’t understand or know what could be causing heaviness in legs she said with a stroke it’s usually predominantly one side.
@aodonnell1743 I had heaviness in my affected leg afte my stroke. It started a few months after. I was eventually told it was a condition called Functional Neurological Disorder. I only have it in 1 leg though, not both & i’m not saying this could be the cause of yours. People do sometimes report heaviness as a result of their stroke but it is usually one sided. I would see your dr about it & see what they say.
Best wishes.
I am going to try and get appointment with doctor next week thank you. It just feels such an effort to walk and move. Being more forgetful now almost 4 months after stroke too I just want reassurance that this is only temporary x
That’s why I suggest you get your gp to do a blood test. Heaviness in both legs could be a deficiency in the vitamin B group. It stopped for me within days once I was on folic acid as that was the one that was very low for me. And vitamin B12 deficiency is linked to impaired cognition and memory. Just get the vitamins in your blood checked.
Spoke to the doctor my blood pressure is high she doesn’t understand my legs being heavy she is going to speak to the other doctors in the surgery failing that she will call the hospital and speak to the stroke ward/neurologist She doesn’t feel I am ready to go back to work. Thank you all for your support x
Please tell me she does know about heavy legs though doesn’t she? And is she going to do a blood test to see where nutrient levels are at? Is she going to do anything about your high blood pressure?
Well fingers crossed the increase in bp med might be what’s causing the heavy legs.
A little tip when dealing with gp’s, if you want something from your doctor they haven’t already suggested, you have to tell them this is what you want. You don’t ask “could I have or maybe I should have”, you just state you want to have a blood test to check your vitamin levels. But like I said, maybe the increase in your bp tablets will be enough to sort out that heaviness. (Oh, and that was a tip from a doctor friend )
@aodonnell1743 hopefully your BP will settle with the increased BP meds. I know the GP hasn’t helped initially re your heavyblegs but at least she is going to follow up on it. Hopefully they’ll be able to do something to help but it may just be time.
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