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Personal stories of strained backs? And a fainting spell? (Update in Post #12)


Night Elf
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I strained my back a week ago today. I've been to the chiropractor Tuesday through Friday. He did something different yesterday and I was actually worse last night, but today I'm a bit better. I pulled something on the right side but the entire lower back area was hurting. It hurts to stand, sit, stay sitting. The only relief I get is laying on my back but when I get up from laying there, the pain is terrible. I've got another chiropractic appointment Monday. He thinks I'll be noticeably improved by Monday. Considering today has been better, he may be telling the truth.

 

An odd thing happened when I got up this morning though. I got out of bed, hurting a lot, and went to the bathroom. When I came out, I got dizzy and nauseous. I told DH I had to go sit down. I took about a half dozen steps and my vision blacked out and I felt weak as if I was going to faint. DH guided me to the sofa. I sat down and heard every word he and my ds were saying but I couldn't respond. DH brought me a plastic cup of water than had a handle on it. He wrapped my hand around the handle but I couldn't grasp it. My hand just fell to my lap and I couldn't even turn it over. So he held the cup to my mouth and poured water into it so I could swallow it. I asked for a wet rag but they couldn't understand me at first because I was mumbling my words. Finally they understood and DH brought it to me and wiped my face until I came around. I felt like I was fainting yet I was conscious the whole time. Any idea what that could have been and is it possible it's related to my back injury? My mom doesn't like that I was hardly mumbling my words. She thinks I may have had a mini-stroke and I should go to the doctor. DH said I did not slur my words. It was just like I was too weak to speak clearly. So I did not go to the doctor today. It was a scary thing to have happen. 

 

So... if you or someone you know has had a back strain, how long did it take to heal? I couldn't work at the thrift shop last week and I'm positive I won't be able to work this week either. I read online that it can take 4-8 weeks to heal. I can hardly do anything for myself. DH even has to dress me. I can do it myself but it hurts SO much. DH worked from home on Thursday and took Friday off but he can't do that next week. I'll be alone again. I hurt every time I move.

 

I'm trying to decide if I should go see my regular doctor and am wondering what she could do for me. I believe in chiropractors. Mine helped with a pulled muscle just last month and I was released from ongoing treatment 2 weeks before I pulled my lower back muscle. So now I'm in ongoing therapy again. What would you do? I'm seeing some improvement. Should I stick with the chiropractor another week and see how things are going? Do I make an appointment with my regular doctor? I'm thinking she's going to send me to physical therapy. I don't want to take anymore medication than I'm already taking. In other words, I don't want a muscle relaxant. I've been dealing with the pain without it. So what else could she do for me?

 

I don't know what to do. I just know I'm tired of hurting. 

Edited by Night Elf
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Several summers ago, dh threw out his back lifting weights with improper technique. His was definitely sciatic nerve type pain--really bad. He got a book called Treat Your Own Back by Robin McKenzie who was a PT in New Zealand I think. He also saw his doctor who confirmed that that is a book he recommends. The exercises are pretty simple--the first one we called "the dead guy stretch" because you just lay on your stomach on the floor. Then you progress to lifting your upper body up on your elbows. I know the exercises because I later threw out my back and used dh's book. It worked for both of us, but it is not fast. Slow improvement but I think we were both completely better in 4-6 weeks.

 

I don't know if the fainting thing is related or not. Do you have low blood pressure?

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Several summers ago, dh threw out his back lifting weights with improper technique. His was definitely sciatic nerve type pain--really bad. He got a book called Treat Your Own Back by Robin McKenzie who was a PT in New Zealand I think. He also saw his doctor who confirmed that that is a book he recommends. The exercises are pretty simple--the first one we called "the dead guy stretch" because you just lay on your stomach on the floor. Then you progress to lifting your upper body up on your elbows. I know the exercises because I later threw out my back and used dh's book. It worked for both of us, but it is not fast. Slow improvement but I think we were both completely better in 4-6 weeks.

 

I don't know if the fainting thing is related or not. Do you have low blood pressure?

 

No, I don't have low blood pressure. DH wondered if I was dehydrated but I drank about 12 cups of water yesterday. Then I went to sleep around 10:00pm and slept until 7:30. I've never had an experience like that before.

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What you've described could be a vagal reaction due to the pain but IMO, there are too many neuro components for you not to get seen ASAP.

 

If I were you, I'd go to an ER at a hospital with a stroke center in you have one. Otherwise, just an ER.

 

I'm sorry.

 

Ok, at the very least I'll call an advice nurse. I've been fine all day though. No problems other than my back symptoms.

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I hurt my back hiking with a toddler in a back carrier last winter.  Both sciatic pain and higher up on one side.  It was horrible.  And I almost passed out in the shower, apparently from the pain and stress.  I got the black tunnel vision, the exploding stars, the whole bit.  I sure am sorry you're going through it.  I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

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My dad had a fainting spell with a recent back injury. It was diagnosed as a vagal response from the pain rather than a neurological issue. As a side note, his injury was misdiagnosed as a muscle strain by the incompetents at the ER (who never even examined him), but after he insisted on testing, it turned out to be a bone chip pressing into his spine which required urgent surgery. He was in agony for a week, but woke up after the surgery almost pain free. Have you had any kind of scan to confirm that it’s just a strain? I’m so sorry, back injuries are so extremely painful and crippling.

 

 

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What you've described could be a vagal reaction due to the pain but IMO, there are too many neuro components for you not to get seen ASAP.

If I were you, I'd go to an ER at a hospital with a stroke center in you have one. Otherwise, just an ER.

I'm sorry.

  

Ok, at the very least I'll call an advice nurse. I've been fine all day though. No problems other than my back symptoms.

I agree with unsinkable that you need to get checked out, preferably at a hospital with a stroke center. I’m glad you’ve been fine all day, but that can happen after small strokes, and you need to get to the bottom of what happened so you can prevent any future problems.

 

Praying that everything will turn out to be fine, but please be very insistent that the doctors do their very best to determine what happened to you.

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Several summers ago, dh threw out his back lifting weights with improper technique. His was definitely sciatic nerve type pain--really bad. He got a book called Treat Your Own Back by Robin McKenzie who was a PT in New Zealand I think. He also saw his doctor who confirmed that that is a book he recommends. The exercises are pretty simple--the first one we called "the dead guy stretch" because you just lay on your stomach on the floor. Then you progress to lifting your upper body up on your elbows. I know the exercises because I later threw out my back and used dh's book. It worked for both of us, but it is not fast. Slow improvement but I think we were both completely better in 4-6 weeks.

 

I don't know if the fainting thing is related or not. Do you have low blood pressure?

 

 

This belly stretch position is one I am using as well but nothing is fast when it's back problems. 

 

Have you done  any heating / icing?

 

I do think the paralyzed hand incident is worrisome. Could there be a nerve compressed?

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I agree with unsinkable that you need to get checked out, preferably at a hospital with a stroke center. I’m glad you’ve been fine all day, but that can happen after small strokes, and you need to get to the bottom of what happened so you can prevent any future problems.

 

Praying that everything will turn out to be fine, but please be very insistent that the doctors do their very best to determine what happened to you.

Yes, the symptoms of a TIA resolve themselves but if you had a TIA, you are at increased risk for a stroke.

 

I hope you're doing OK, Night Elf.

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Back pain, back pain, go away! It's so depressing. If you are going to faint put your head down between your legs or lie down. Your doctor could prescribe some muscle relaxers which would make you feel better. But the ice, walk, sit straight, lie down thing does work eventually for back strain. If I felt like you do I could not be on my stomach but pulling a knee up to my chest while on my back helped. If you aren't a chunk better on Monday compared to a week ago I would go see a doctor. Well actually I would probably put it off but think I should go. The nurse in me says you should go if not improving.  :grouphug:

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Update: The advice nurse told me to go our urgent care center. They did an EKG, chest x-ray, CT scan and MRI. Everything was negative. The doctor still suggested I make a neurology appointment for a follow up. He said this was some kind of transient thing. I was there for 6 hours. Oy!

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Transient Ischemic Attack?

You definitely need to see a neurologist.

 

The diagnosis is Transient Cerebral Ischemia. The doctor left while I was having an MRI of my head and neck so another doctor brought me the results. She didn't mention the diagnosis, just follow up with my GP, neurologist, and suggested I have an eye exam for transient vision loss. I don't understand that. The loss of vision was clearly a part of the incident not separate. There was a little information on TIA in my discharge papers but not much. I still don't understand what happened. The doctor told me to call neurology on Monday but my paperwork says wait 3 business days. I'll call Monday and see if they have my referral. 

 

On top of this I still have my strained back to deal with, and my doctor wants me to get a colonoscopy. I can't do that until my back is healed. 

 

This is too much for my brain to process.

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The diagnosis is Transient Cerebral Ischemia. The doctor left while I was having an MRI of my head and neck so another doctor brought me the results. She didn't mention the diagnosis, just follow up with my GP, neurologist, and suggested I have an eye exam for transient vision loss. I don't understand that. The loss of vision was clearly a part of the incident not separate. There was a little information on TIA in my discharge papers but not much. I still don't understand what happened. The doctor told me to call neurology on Monday but my paperwork says wait 3 business days. I'll call Monday and see if they have my referral.

 

On top of this I still have my strained back to deal with, and my doctor wants me to get a colonoscopy. I can't do that until my back is healed.

 

This is too much for my brain to process.

Wow, I am really sorry. I was hoping you were going to say everything neurological was all good.

 

I was afraid this sounded like a TIA, though. :-(

 

Transient Cerebral Ischemia and Transient Ischemic Attack describe the same thing. You had a temporary interruption of blood flow to your brain, resulting in stroke-like symptoms. While at this time, it resolved itself, it does mean you are at a higher risk for a stroke.

 

I'm not saying this to scare you, but please, if you have these symptoms again, do not hesitate: call 911. Tell the responders you've previously had a TIA and the symptoms have returned.

 

Follow up tomorrow with your GP.* Edited to add: Tell them the diagnosis and that you want to be seen. Tell them the ER said follow up with neuro and you need help picking a neurologist that specializes in strokes and getting an appointment.

 

:grouphug:

Edited by unsinkable
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The diagnosis is Transient Cerebral Ischemia. The doctor left while I was having an MRI of my head and neck so another doctor brought me the results. She didn't mention the diagnosis, just follow up with my GP, neurologist, and suggested I have an eye exam for transient vision loss. I don't understand that. The loss of vision was clearly a part of the incident not separate. There was a little information on TIA in my discharge papers but not much. I still don't understand what happened. The doctor told me to call neurology on Monday but my paperwork says wait 3 business days. I'll call Monday and see if they have my referral.

 

On top of this I still have my strained back to deal with, and my doctor wants me to get a colonoscopy. I can't do that until my back is healed.

 

This is too much for my brain to process.

I’m so glad you went and got checked out — it sounds scary, but ultimately knowing what happened may very well end up saving your life. So many people ignore things like what happened to you, and don’t pay attention until something terrible happens. You didn’t do that. You did the right thing. Please follow up with a stroke specialist as soon as possible. Don’t put it off or assume that this was a one-time thing. It’s a signal that there is a problem that needs to be fixed — as soon as possible.

 

Did they check for carotid artery blockage?

Edited by Catwoman
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The diagnosis is Transient Cerebral Ischemia. The doctor left while I was having an MRI of my head and neck so another doctor brought me the results. She didn't mention the diagnosis, just follow up with my GP, neurologist, and suggested I have an eye exam for transient vision loss. I don't understand that. The loss of vision was clearly a part of the incident not separate. There was a little information on TIA in my discharge papers but not much. I still don't understand what happened. The doctor told me to call neurology on Monday but my paperwork says wait 3 business days. I'll call Monday and see if they have my referral. 

 

On top of this I still have my strained back to deal with, and my doctor wants me to get a colonoscopy. I can't do that until my back is healed. 

 

This is too much for my brain to process.

 

Just to help you understand your diagnosis a little better, there are two types of strokes, you can have a hemorrhagic stroke where you burst a blood vessel in your head and start bleeding into your skull. Or, you can have an ischemic stroke where a clot or other obstruction (like an arterial spasm) blocks blood from flowing through part of your brain. Of the two the ischemic type is better to have because there are more treatment options. A TCI like you had is when a blood clot or obstruction prevents blood flow for a short period of time before resolving. It's something you need to follow up with. If it was caused by a clot then you need to know more details and what to do if it happens again. If it was caused by something like an arterial spasm then you need to know about that too. At this point it may be hard for the doctors to know specifically which trigger caused your symptoms, but having had one puts you at increased risk for having another, and you need a game plan for if that happens so getting all the information you can is important. It's also important to establish a relationship with a neurologist you like now in case you have to see one later when the situation is more dire.

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I’m so glad you went and got checked out — it sounds scary, but ultimately knowing what happened may very well end up saving your life. So many people ignore things like what happened to you, and don’t pay attention until something terrible happens. You didn’t do that. You did the right thing. Please follow up with a stroke specialist as soon as possible. Don’t put it off or assume that this was a one-time thing. It’s a signal that there is a problem that needs to be fixed — as soon as possible.

 

Did they check for carotid artery blockage?

 

The MRI tech said she was imaging my head and neck. She put something on my throat before I went into the machine.

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Just to help you understand your diagnosis a little better, there are two types of strokes, you can have a hemorrhagic stroke where you burst a blood vessel in your head and start bleeding into your skull. Or, you can have an ischemic stroke where a clot or other obstruction (like an arterial spasm) blocks blood from flowing through part of your brain. Of the two the ischemic type is better to have because there are more treatment options. A TCI like you had is when a blood clot or obstruction prevents blood flow for a short period of time before resolving. It's something you need to follow up with. If it was caused by a clot then you need to know more details and what to do if it happens again. If it was caused by something like an arterial spasm then you need to know about that too. At this point it may be hard for the doctors to know specifically which trigger caused your symptoms, but having had one puts you at increased risk for having another, and you need a game plan for if that happens so getting all the information you can is important. It's also important to establish a relationship with a neurologist you like now in case you have to see one later when the situation is more dire.

 

Yes, I will follow-up. The doctor last night told me the neurologist would be able to help understand what happened. But all my testing last night was negative so what can a neurologist do that hasn't beeen done? I had lab work, EKG, CT scan and MRI of the head and neck. Or is the idea that a follow-up with a neurologist is to establish a patient-doctor relationship for if this happens again?

 

I'm reading about TIA online and it says I'm at risk for a stroke. But if all the tests are negative, wouldn't that mean the risk is very low? I guess I need to ask the neurologist about that.

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Yes, I will follow-up. The doctor last night told me the neurologist would be able to help understand what happened. But all my testing last night was negative so what can a neurologist do that hasn't beeen done? I had lab work, EKG, CT scan and MRI of the head and neck. Or is the idea that a follow-up with a neurologist is to establish a patient-doctor relationship for if this happens again?

 

I'm reading about TIA online and it says I'm at risk for a stroke. But if all the tests are negative, wouldn't that mean the risk is very low? I guess I need to ask the neurologist about that.

 

The point of the follow up is twofold.

 

Firstly, depending on what exactly caused your symptoms, you may have some other underlying condition that is causing obstructions to form. This could be some condition that is causing you to form blood clots, or it could be something like a clogged artery that is shedding bits of hard cholesterol that can act just like a blood clot. I don't know what treatment options there may be for things like arterial spasms, but they often go along with other conditions that may have treatments available. So figuring the underlying cause can help prevent future problems. Also, there are other tests that a neurologist can do beyond those you have already had, and a neurologist's interpretation of the tests already done may differ from that of a standard doctor. A TIA put you at increased risk of having a more damaging stroke later due to whatever caused the TIA in the first place. Figuring out that cause is the best way to prevent permanent damage from occurring. Also, TIAs can themselves cause permanent damage. Some people have one TIA which doesn't result in permanent damage and then never have another one, other people can have recurrent TIAs over a period of years which can cause cumulative damage that is as severe as one big stroke. So it's really important to try to figure out the cause.

 

Secondly, establishing a good relationship with a neurologist now helps to ensure that problems can be dealt with early before the become big, life threatening problems. They can also give you advice for what to do if this happens again.

 

Lastly, if you ever experience these symptoms again you need to call 911 immediately. The saying in healthcare is that, "Time lost is brain lost." There is no way to know whether one is having a TIA or a massive stroke in the moment so getting medical attention as soon as possible is crucial to mitigate brain damage. Also, if one is having an ischemic stroke then they need clot busting drugs which have a prescribed window for administration, so delaying treatment means they may not work as well.

 

I know this is scary, and I sincerely hope that this was a one-off that never recurs, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially for something like this where the brain is involved.

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An odd thing happened when I got up this morning though. I got out of bed, hurting a lot, and went to the bathroom. When I came out, I got dizzy and nauseous. I told DH I had to go sit down. I took about a half dozen steps and my vision blacked out and I felt weak as if I was going to faint. DH guided me to the sofa. I sat down and heard every word he and my ds were saying but I couldn't respond. DH brought me a plastic cup of water than had a handle on it. He wrapped my hand around the handle but I couldn't grasp it. My hand just fell to my lap and I couldn't even turn it over. So he held the cup to my mouth and poured water into it so I could swallow it. I asked for a wet rag but they couldn't understand me at first because I was mumbling my words. Finally they understood and DH brought it to me and wiped my face until I came around. I felt like I was fainting yet I was conscious the whole time. Any idea what that could have been and is it possible it's related to my back injury? My mom doesn't like that I was hardly mumbling my words. She thinks I may have had a mini-stroke and I should go to the doctor. DH said I did not slur my words. It was just like I was too weak to speak clearly. So I did not go to the doctor today. It was a scary thing to have happen. 

 

 

 

My son had a fainting episode when he was 13.  When I called the pediatrician office the doctor who spoke to me wanted to know if he had just urinated because there can be a sudden drop in blood pressure that could cause fainting.  This wasn't the case with my son, but since you said that you had just used the bathroom I wanted to mention this to you.  It's called micturition syncope...usually it happens in men but maybe women can have this happen as well?  I'm not a nurse or doctor, but maybe this is something you can ask your doctor about.  

 

I'm really sorry about your back and now this!    :grouphug:

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The point of the follow up is twofold.

 

Firstly, depending on what exactly caused your symptoms, you may have some other underlying condition that is causing obstructions to form. This could be some condition that is causing you to form blood clots, or it could be something like a clogged artery that is shedding bits of hard cholesterol that can act just like a blood clot. I don't know what treatment options there may be for things like arterial spasms, but they often go along with other conditions that may have treatments available. So figuring the underlying cause can help prevent future problems. Also, there are other tests that a neurologist can do beyond those you have already had, and a neurologist's interpretation of the tests already done may differ from that of a standard doctor. A TIA put you at increased risk of having a more damaging stroke later due to whatever caused the TIA in the first place. Figuring out that cause is the best way to prevent permanent damage from occurring. Also, TIAs can themselves cause permanent damage. Some people have one TIA which doesn't result in permanent damage and then never have another one, other people can have recurrent TIAs over a period of years which can cause cumulative damage that is as severe as one big stroke. So it's really important to try to figure out the cause.

 

Secondly, establishing a good relationship with a neurologist now helps to ensure that problems can be dealt with early before the become big, life threatening problems. They can also give you advice for what to do if this happens again.

 

Lastly, if you ever experience these symptoms again you need to call 911 immediately. The saying in healthcare is that, "Time lost is brain lost." There is no way to know whether one is having a TIA or a massive stroke in the moment so getting medical attention as soon as possible is crucial to mitigate brain damage. Also, if one is having an ischemic stroke then they need clot busting drugs which have a prescribed window for administration, so delaying treatment means they may not work as well.

 

I know this is scary, and I sincerely hope that this was a one-off that never recurs, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially for something like this where the brain is involved.

Bolding by me. Yes...this cannot be emphasized enough. I mentioned calling 911 in a post above. And I've said it numerous times myself in other threads: "Time means tissue."

 

Everyone needs to familiarize themselves with stroke, TIA, and heart attack symptoms and be prepared to call 911 in the event of their onset. Please don't brush it aside.

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When the incident happened, neither DH nor I even thought to call 911. Later when I talked to the advice nurse she said if we had called when it happened she would have told us to call them immediately and get me to a hospital. We didn't realize the severity of the situation. I'm not familiar with stroke symptoms and know very little about heart attack symptoms as well.

 

Anyway, thank you for all the information. I'll be sure to discuss it all with my doctors. And DH knows if he sees me doing that again, to call 911. Now we know.

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When the incident happened, neither DH nor I even thought to call 911. Later when I talked to the advice nurse she said if we had called when it happened she would have told us to call them immediately and get me to a hospital. We didn't realize the severity of the situation. I'm not familiar with stroke symptoms and know very little about heart attack symptoms as well.

 

Anyway, thank you for all the information. I'll be sure to discuss it all with my doctors. And DH knows if he sees me doing that again, to call 911. Now we know.

Please don't take my posts as anything but care and concern for you and anyone else reading.

 

I've lost family members to stroke and heart attack and vascular incidents and if I can help someone, I want to try.

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Please don't take my posts as anything but care and concern for you and anyone else reading.

 

I've lost family members to stroke and heart attack and vascular incidents and if I can help someone, I want to try.

 

Oh no, I'm going to use the information to help me know what questions to ask the doctors. It's a little overwhelming and I don't think clearly when I'm overwhelmed. At least once I see a Kaiser doctor, I can email him/her so if I have questions after the appointment I still have a way to communicate without making another appointment.

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Oh no, I'm going to use the information to help me know what questions to ask the doctors. It's a little overwhelming and I don't think clearly when I'm overwhelmed. At least once I see a Kaiser doctor, I can email him/her so if I have questions after the appointment I still have a way to communicate without making another appointment.

Of course it’s overwhelming! :grouphug:

 

It’s good that you’re trying to figure out what questions you want to ask the doctors. Start writing down everything you want to know, and bring your list of concerns with you to your appointment so you won’t forget anything when you get there. It’s so easy to ask one question and then get sidetracked based on the doctor’s reply, so you end up forgetting the other things you wanted to discuss until you remember them when you’re halfway home in the car.

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When the incident happened, neither DH nor I even thought to call 911. Later when I talked to the advice nurse she said if we had called when it happened she would have told us to call them immediately and get me to a hospital. We didn't realize the severity of the situation. I'm not familiar with stroke symptoms and know very little about heart attack symptoms as well.

 

Anyway, thank you for all the information. I'll be sure to discuss it all with my doctors. And DH knows if he sees me doing that again, to call 911. Now we know.

 

Hoping I'm sharing this right to address the bolded, not just for you, but for anybody who wonders. My understanding is that heart attacks can present very differently for women than for men, and this video shows what it might look like when a woman suffers a heart attack.

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How are you today, Beth?

 

I realized I didn't see you post I hope you're OK and I just missed them.

 

I'm okay except for my back. It just hurts so much. I finally figured out the heating pad works best. I can get up and move around without too much pain after I've had some heat on my back.

 

I had an appointment with my regular doctor yesterday. She didn't know why they asked me to follow up with her as there isn't anything else she can do. We talked about what happened. She asked some questions. She's most concerned about the aspirin they have me taking. She told me when I have my appointment with the neurologist, if nothing is found, ask if I can stop that.

 

My neurology appointment is April 6th.

 

And that's about it. Thanks for asking!

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Did the doctor prescribe anything for your back, like steroids? Often a week of heavy steroids will calm down the inflammation a lot. And I know you said you don't like muscle relaxants but even just taking them at night could let the muscles calm down and stop spasming. 

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Did the doctor prescribe anything for your back, like steroids? Often a week of heavy steroids will calm down the inflammation a lot. And I know you said you don't like muscle relaxants but even just taking them at night could let the muscles calm down and stop spasming. 

 

No, we didn't focus on the back since that wasn't the reason I was there. We just casually talked about it for a minute and she said it can take a month to heal.

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Chiropractic maneuvers have been known to cause strokes in those who are predisposed, so I'd be careful doing anything there until a neurologist gave me the okay.

 

That's scary. I wonder if it depends on where the adjustments are taking place, like the neck may be more problematic than the lower back or something.

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Thank you for the update, Beth! I wish you could get in to see the neurologist sooner so you can get all of this off your mind.

 

Did you check and make sure that this neurologist specializes in strokes?

 

I have no idea. The Kaiser site doesn't have a lot of information about the individual doctors. I just got a referral to neurology and the guy setting up the appointment said there were certain doctors who took the referrals. I don't know what that means. This doctor is in the Kaiser network. I imagine all the neurologists on Kaiser staff take Kaiser referrals.

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I have no idea. The Kaiser site doesn't have a lot of information about the individual doctors. I just got a referral to neurology and the guy setting up the appointment said there were certain doctors who took the referrals. I don't know what that means. This doctor is in the Kaiser network. I imagine all the neurologists on Kaiser staff take Kaiser referrals.

You can look up the doctor online and find out his or her specialty. You can also find patient reviews. It’s definitely worth a look!

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You can look up the doctor online and find out his or her specialty. You can also find patient reviews. It’s definitely worth a look!

 

Ok, I found her. Stroke is listed as a specialty. Interestingly, she's also into psychiatry. Neurology and Psychiatry. I wouldn't have put those two things together.

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I'm wondering if your back pain is more than muscle related. You could have injured a disc, which is very painful. I think you should see an ortho neuro doctor who might do an MRI to rule out a disc injury. I would hold off on the chiropractor until you know for sure that you aren't dealing with a herniated disc.

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Ok, I found her. Stroke is listed as a specialty. Interestingly, she's also into psychiatry. Neurology and Psychiatry. I wouldn't have put those two things together.

  

I am glad it is a stroke specialist.

I said, "oh, good!" out loud when I read it!

I said the same thing! I’m glad she’s a stroke specialist because if she wasn’t, she would have probably ended up referring you to one, anyway. :)

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I'm wondering if your back pain is more than muscle related. You could have injured a disc, which is very painful. I think you should see an ortho neuro doctor who might do an MRI to rule out a disc injury. I would hold off on the chiropractor until you know for sure that you aren't dealing with a herniated disc.

 

Oh no, I'm doing much better. Sunday was a turning point for me. The pain isn't all across my back anymore. It's localized to one spot. My range of motion is about 85% better. I don't wince in pain when standing up or sitting down. The worst part of the day is in the morning when I'm getting out of bed and I think it's because of the way I'm sleeping. I'm trying to sleep with a pillow between my knees but I move it out of my way while I"m asleep and lay on my stomach with one of my knees up by my belly. I'm very stiff in the morning and it hurts to move around. I've been using the heating pad and it helps tremendously. I'm just worried how long this pain will last. I read online it can be 4 - 8 weeks and I don't want that obviously. 

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