Hi. My name is Richie , I’m 54 and I suffered a stroke 7 weeks ago. Blood clot which left my left side of body effected. Mobility is very good however the whole of my left side is numb , pins and needles in hand and peticularly left foot - like walking on pebbles . Joints are stiff and muscles tight. Feels like arm and leg and shoulder are wrapped in a tight compression bandage. Finally skin on left side of body is hypersensitive. Strange thing is there is no pain just very uncomfortable.
Any advice regarding similar experiences would be greatly appreciated ie how long your symptoms lasted etc.
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@Richie1 welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear you’ve had a stroke. I had tingling in my left arm after my stroke which lasted a couple of weeks but each person is different. I do find I’m more sensitive to some things still, 7 months on. For example when I have blood tests they are more painful than they used to be.
You are very early days yet & I learnt very early on that patience is a big requirement after a stroke.
Good luck with your recovery. Look forward to hearing how you’re getting on.
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Richie everyone’s stroke is different and you are in the earliest stage of recovery. Had a left side six years ago. I had leg spasms for a while, pain in the fingers as they recovered, the feeling of a frozen shoulder and numb parts on the left side of my face. The spasms and finger pain lessened then disappeared. The numb areas of the face also went. I still have a sense of tightness under my left shoulder and my left hand still lacks sensitivity but feels pain. I walk with a stick but need an ankle support. Good luck in your recovery.
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Shwmae @Richie1, sorry to hear you have joined our team but we’re a pretty good team because we are all survivors. I had a cerebellar stroke aged 44, plus six TIAs, September 2020. From my layman’s understanding, brain injury affects the whole nervous system, causing miscommunication and misunderstandings. A fellow stroke survivor who came to speak to our online group described pins and needles down his entire left side, he is a year and half post-stroke, so to answer your question about how long symptoms last … I use the phrase, how long is a piece of string? Each survivor recovers at an individual pace and residual symptoms may last months or years depending.
The important thing in my books is to keep an eye out for acquired conditions due to stroke. When the body’s system gets thrown off track, other issues can arise which may cause further physical complications, however, this is not always the case. The whole body system is a fairly balanced machine and when it’s knocked about, resuming that fine balance can take some time.
Hope your recovery is pootling along, and that you are allowing the brain to rest, as well as, focussing on whatever physio you feel you need.
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Hi Ritchie i had my left side stroke right side brain ( Calcified Aneurysm) 6 weeks ago and I now have all the same symptoms as you ,my rib cage will hardly move with the muscle tightness but I do chest stretches every evening (so I don’t feel sore all-day) and my movements are slowly easing ,my walking and arm movements are also quite good but the left side of my forehead is still numb and still get light dizziness if I move my head to quick .
Fingers crossed we’ll both get back to something like we were before Good Luck Ritchie
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@monk2316 welcome to the community. Sorry you’ve had a stroke. Wishing you all the best with your recovery xx
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Monk2316
Thanks for your reply
I retired as a fireman last year after 32 years service and like you I am now in the building trade as a yard manager for my best mans building firm which I intend to get back to.
It’s good to hear from others who have similar symptoms and to compare although I know no 2 strokes are the same
Sounds like we had our strokes around the same time and like yourself I was quite mobile within 7-10 days walking without my stick.
Currently my muscles down my left side and my joints - knee, shoulder, wrist buttock are stiff and tight and pins and needles in hand and foot. Strange thing is there is no pain but a constant uncomfortableness especially when walking. Feels like I am walking with bubble wrap/pebbles in my shoe. Took dog for a short walk yesterday and within a couple of minutes my left side started to tighten up further.
Also if you drew a line down the middle of my body then all of my left side is numb and very sensitive which is more evident when I take a shower- when the water hits the skin it’s like being hit with miniature needles !
In the meantime I / we need to continue with the repetitive exercises to help the brain rewire and keep the motIvation going as results are not instant. When I had a knee replacement 3 years ago I could see progress week on week but this is a whole new ball game and patience and perseverance is the name of the game
Keep up the good work and let me know how your progress goes
Regards Richie
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Hi @Richie1 I had my stroke almost 7 weeks ago and your explanation of feeling like you’re walking with bubble wrap in your shoe is spot on what I feel under my right foot and I’ve been struggling to explain it so thank you! 
Wishing you well on your recovery journey.
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And… my right leg (from upper calf to just above my knee) sometimes feels like it’s wrapped in a tight compression bandage too - no pain just these odd feelings.
I don’t know why but it’s strangely comforting when someone has the same ‘symptoms’ (if that’s the right word).
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Hi Ritchie
I will keep you updated with my progress but keep doing the chest exercises as it seems to be working for me my ribcage doesn’t feel as tight as it did a week ago also let me know about your progress, I have to see the consultant in approximately three weeks to discuss what he is going to do with my Calcified Aneurysm also I will ask him what caused it.
Keep your head up and look forward to a future.
Steve
Hi, like you I suffered a right side blood clot I august 2019 which paralysed my left side at first. I had the clot buster drug & was discharged a day later which was too soon as I had a recurrence which took me back into Leeds General hospital for a week. I was 68 @ the time. It took me 3 weeks to get back into the gym/ pool & 4 sit downs from the car park to the gym.
I found the pool most helpful as it trained me to breathe, I forgot how to speak & breathe so kept running out of air for weeks. I spoke very little relying on my wife to speak for me which was not unusual really 
.
I had no pain at any time just lack of control & strength on my left side & poor balance & fatigue/ brain fog. Three years on i can do most things but am wary of over balancing, being a gym nut I have worked myself back up to almost where I was but have to accept some limitations & readjustments. I was back driving within a month of the stroke! I drove some of the way to Spain although my wife did more than me in October 2019.
My emotions were heightened & took at Least two years to normalise, I find coenzyme Q10 helpful in regards to fatigue/ brain fog. Currently I have minimal problems with brain fog so daytime sleeps are unusual & if so 5/10 minute power nap at most.
Hope that might help you, in conclusion I managed to recover mostly under my own steam with my wife trying to prevent me overdoing things, fortunately we work well together & always manage to laugh at adversity, I blame my stroke she says it’s my age. Whatever we are happy to still be together enjoying our lives.
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Hi prlblue
Can Coenzyme Q10 be taken along side of Atorvastatin prescribed by the doctor daily.
Thanks
Hi @Richie1 and welcome, I had a stroke nearly a year ago that affected all my left side, I had all the symptoms you are having they have all now gone, the pins and needles I think I had for a few months, as others say it’s early days and hopefully in time your symptoms will be gone, best of luck in your recovery.
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I asked my doctor three years ago & he was happy for me to use it. I take 100 mg in the morning with breakfast when I also take clopidogrel. I take atorvastatin 40 mg @ night along with losartan potassium . I suffered with muscle ache which has broadly disappeared with using coenzyme q10. In fact I was locking up when on 80 mg of atorvastatin so had to reduce the dose. I had been unable to take higher doses of statins for years. For me coenzyme q10 has worked wonders. Hope it helps you as well. I have read that vitamin B 12 is helpful as well but I haven’t used it personally.
Hi Napqueen
Thank you for your reply.
It is comforting and reassuring that your symptoms have all subsided. I know no 2 strokes are the same but it gives me some light at the end of the tunnel. Tight muscles in left shoulder ,calf , back and thigh along with stiff knee, stiff wrist and fingers ,sensitive skin and pins in needles in hand and perticularly base of left foot are like I said not causing any pain just very uncomfortable. I’m assuming you did your daily exercises religiously as I am but it’s hard visualise improvement when all these symptoms don’t seem to be progressing very fast.
I know it’s only been 2 months since my stroke but what sort of time scales did you have regards various symptoms improving
Pleased to hear you’ve have made great progress
Regards
Richie
Prlblur.
Thanks for your message.
With regards coenzyme q10. Did you consult your GP before starting these as I’m currently on blood thinners, statins and blood pressure tablets so not sure if they are all compatible and if/ or I would need to adjust strength of my meds.
Regards
Richie
Hi RIchie, there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel it just takes time and patience at 2 months I was only just out of hospital, I have still been left with a few issues but I’ve learnt how to manage them better, I can’t really remember when things improved, I think the leg spasms stopped after a few months, the stroke left me with carpal tunnel so it’s hard to tell when the arm got better, I used to sit with a cushion supporting my arm and only realised last week that I’ve not been doing that for ages. I did and still do my physio exercises daily, I also go on my exercise bike every day, I’ve been doing that ever since I got home, I’m not one for going out walks so figured the bike was best to keep the cogs going, it’s helped me loads if I ever miss a day or two I can feel the legs much stiffer.
It sounds like you’re doing great, just keep doing the exercises and before you know it you’ll be moving better.
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Hi Loraine it was your posts months ago that made me realise I might have carpal tunnel and I went to the doctor, it’s great to hear the operation helped you, I’m terrified of operations but if it helped my hand and stopped me having to wear the splint then it’d definitely be worth it. What was the recovery like? I’ve never actually seen a consultant or doctor at the hospital about it, I spoke to my gp then had an appointment where the splint was made, for some reason I keep disappearing on hospital lists I’ve been wondering if I should’ve seen someone. Might ask my stroke nurse see if she can check.
Yes I am on the same medication as you & did consult with my GP who okd taking coenzyme q10
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Thanks for the information it’s great to hear it’s worked for you, I will start asking when I will see someone in charge 
I’ll word it nicer than that though the splint has helped my wrist but not made much if any difference to my fingers.