Heart attack, stroke, or meltdown..
By katsmeow1213
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
United States
September 24, 2012 8:44am CST
This is what a doctor told me I was having yesterday.
I hadn't been feeling good lately. I did have some chest pains a few nights ago, but they went away, and my husband was sure it was a panic attack because he's had them before but I honestly hadn't. I wasn't overly worried because it wasn't extreme pain, just sort of a tightness in my chest when I was trying to fall asleep.
Yesterday was a bit scary though. I was fine for awhile in the morning, and I was working on school work, but suddenly I just had to get away from the computer. I felt weak and dizzy. I got a bit of double vision. I felt like I kept sort of blacking out for a few seconds.
I showered as we were planning on bringing the kids to a festival. I was afraid to drive with the way I felt, but hoped it would go away.
Through most of the day I felt okay, with it just coming and going occasionally. But when we got home from the festival it got worse again. I told my husband that while we were walking around the festival I had tingling in one foot, and then my lips felt numb and tingly.
He immediately took me to an urgent care, where the doctor there said I was either having a heart attack, stroke, or meltdown from stress. They did an EKG there, which came back fine. Then they sent me to the ER where I had a CAT scan. That was clear too.
The ER doc didn't seem as concerned as the urgent care doc, and let me go after the CAT Scan and told me to follow up with a neurologist. I also got some meds for the dizziness, but they honestly didn't help a bit.
This morning the dizziness is back, same as yesterday. I was fine when I woke up, but about an hour later it started again.
My husband has decided to chalk it up to stress. I have felt a bit more stressed lately than I used to, not sure why. Not much has changed really. I am working more than I was, school is about the same though I'm almost done. The kids are getting more stressful as they're getting older. My oldest is now in those teenage years which can be trying sometimes. I guess it's just the simple fact that they're back to school and in full soccer mode now. My oldest has practices everyday and games twice a week, the younger ones have 1 practice per week and games on Saturday, so soccer keeps me super busy between everything else going on.
Add to that I now have a $500 vet bill because the antibiotics they gave my cat didn't work and he still has a UTI so had to go in for x-rays and more testing. Haven't heard the results on that yet other than his x-rays are clear. And we're already behind on some of our other bills.. but that's not much of anything new.
I will be sure to keep everyone updated as to my progress. I am glad to know my heart and brain are working properly. Maybe it's just some weird side effect of the flu or something because I thought I was coming down with that last week (though my temperature is okay).
Have you ever had a medical problem that nobody knew what the cause of it was?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
24 Sep 12
My sister who is a nurse had the same thing happen to her....her arm went numb and her feet also. She spent the night in the hospital and they could find nothing wrong with her....just recently...a year later she had the same thing happen. She was with my younger sister and when they went to bed she had to hold on to my younger sister until they got her to bed....the first time the did figure it might be one of the meds she was on...now they can't find anything wrong again. I hope they do find out though. My friend in Wisconsin's husband has panic attacks too...he has been to the emergency room several times thinking he is having a heart attack....it's stress and he is now on meds for it.
2 people like this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
24 Sep 12
I agree that could be another possibility of withdrawl symptoms or even symptoms of the med. Do you have the information sheet? Or do some some searches online about that med.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
24 Sep 12
The doc said I might feel a bit odd when going off the meds.. but what I'm going through is definitely nothing like being a bit off.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
24 Sep 12
I don't normally get panic attacks, but I am in the midst of going off a medication that I was on because I've gained 25 lbs while on it although my diet and exercise hasn't changed. I'm hoping going off it helps me lose weight because I can't fit into my clothes anymore and don't want to get more clothes.. especially not bigger clothes!
I think the dizziness could honestly be the flu. Last week I wasn't feeling well and thought I was getting the flu.. but then I felt better on Friday so thought it was going away. Today I realized it's possible I'm having a sinus infection or something and that's causing the dizziness.
In the off chance that's not the problem, I do have an appointment with a neurologist in a few weeks, so if I'm still having the problem at that point I'll see what they say.
2 people like this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
24 Sep 12
It is quite likely that you are doing to much and they are panic attacks. I had one many years ago and it was a tightness in my chest. I am glad that the results are okay but you are not.
Of course you are doing too much. You work full time, are studying and running a house as well as looking after five children. Something has to give somewhere. Sit your eldest down and talk and maybe he can now take over dinner one nght a week for the family and some extra chores too.
Have I had a medical problem that no one knew what it was? Not really. But I did go to the Dr. and told him that I was entering early menopause. He did some tests and then told me that what I was suffering from was early pregnancy
You have to cut yourself some slack as you need down time. The twinsd could maybe help with chores too. You are the best one to decide on dovision of labour for jobs in your house.
If it doesn't go away then hyou must get back to a Dr. I hope that you feel better soon
You have to cut yourself some slack as you need down time. The twinsd could maybe help with chores too. You are the best one to decide on dovision of labour for jobs in your house.
If it doesn't go away then hyou must get back to a Dr. I hope that you feel better soon1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
24 Sep 12
I already make the kids do chores, but that adds to my stress because they don't do them and I get frustrated by it. They've had these chores for years, and they aren't difficult. Each child is responsible for one room of the house. The oldest has the kitchen, the 9 year old has the bathroom, my daughter has the living room. Not too tough. But my daughter doesn't do her chores at all, and the oldest does some of his chores but leaves things that he doesn't like such as the trash.
I've tried rotating chores but I found that didn't work well and didn't change their attitude towards chores. I've tried dividing them differently, but that also didn't work.
I am not the type that will do things for them if they don't get it done. Instead I will tell them to do it over again until it's done right. I hoped this would teach them to do it right the first time, but it doesn't seem to.
All of the kids help with dinner. The oldest cooks a couple times each week and my daughter has started wanting to do dinner more often too. If nobody else cooks it, then I will cook it but make them serve it so I can sit down a bit sooner.
I don't want to worry the kids and make them think they are making me sick like this, but my husband did tell my oldest that he had to help with my stress levels more. But it's tough on my oldest too because he is in school all day then does soccer till 5pm then has chores and homework and goes to bed early. I can't put much more on him either, at least not until soccer season is over. Hopefully just another month of that.. maybe then I won't be as stressed anymore.
1 person likes this
@rosesthorns14 (803)
• Philippines
25 Sep 12
I have the same medical problem, I already experienced those symptoms that you have described and had gone to the doctor several times, all my lab results came back negative and I was told that it was just stress . He clearly stated that I am not suffering from panic attacks because I never had it before. I had a problem with my cholesterol because it was high and I had to lessen my intake of oily foods but that was not actually the cause of those symptoms you described, in fact, high cholesterol does not show any early symptoms unless it's time that you're going to have a real stroke or a true heart attack.
I suggest that you take time to relax your mind and body. Sometimes the body and mind is overheated when a stressful situation takes place.
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
29 Sep 12
Not me personally, but I think my son is going through something similar (or not too similar). We've been going to the doctor for about 5 or 6 times and they seem to have not cure his ailment. We just recently been scheduled to see a specialist. I hope he can figure it out.
Anyway, I hope you're feeling better now kat!
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
30 Sep 12
It's worse when it's your child! I hope you're able to figure out what's wrong with him and fix it!
@deazil (4723)
• United States
24 Sep 12
Hi katsmeow, sorry to hear about those strange symptoms. But first I have a link that might help with your cat. I'm a firm believer in natural remedies. www.earthclinic.com/Pets/cystitis.html I know it says cystitis but it's also a section on feline UTI's. And another site I just found www.naturalpeturinaryhealth.com/six-best-home-remedies-for-cat-urinary-tract-infections If you could use natural herbs it would save you money. And I found this site that might help defray the cost of a vet visit if you have to take him back www.felinediabetes.com/vetbills.htm I don't know why the word diabetes is in there. The sites listed are places that help financially with vet care bills for a variety of things. And for your problems I have never had anything like that but I had something really strange happen and the doc at the ER couldn't find anything wrong. I was at work, midnight, I worked alone in the shipping office. I was the only person in the whole place. A driver called in, I told him where to drop his trailer, hung up the phone and started to get hot & sweaty. I put cold water on my face and sat there for a minute. I began to feel weak and then it was as if all the strength drained out of me. I couldn't sit in my chair. I was so weak I knew if I didn't lay down on the floor I would fall out of my chair. I slid down onto the floor and waited for the driver to come in. Thank God he wasn't done for the night, the next driver wasn't due in for an hour. He called an ambulance. My breathing was shallow and fast but I didn't feel I was having trouble breathing. I didn't even have enough strength to keep my eyelids open. They kept closing. The ambulance got there and what a circus that was. They gave me oxygen and said my BP was really low. Put me in a wheelchair, almost tipped me out of it and down the stairs. I had no strength to talk, I tried but they could hardly hear me. At the hospital the Dr. said, after all the tests, they couldn't find anything wrong with me. My BP was okay by then, blood sugar okay too. Cat scan & heart okay. It never happened again. Have no idea what it was. It took a lot out of me, probably because of my age. I was 63. That was last year. I had to stay out of work for 2 nights I was so exhausted from it. But it was the strangest thing that I've ever experienced. And that's my medical mystery. I hope what happened to you doesn't happen again. It's unnerving to have things like that going on. Hope the cat stuff helps you. I have cats, too. Love 'em like crazy.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
24 Sep 12
The vet called back today and said all the tests came back clear, so we still don't know what's going on with him. She thinks it's a behavioral problem now. She says to keep his litter area immaculate and add more litter boxes and see if that helps. I'm going to shampoo the sofa where I just caught him peeing because if it smells like pee they're likely to use it as a litter box.
If it's not behavioral then it's possible he has a tumor on his bladder and would need an ultrasound. Honestly that's not something I can even think about affording.. so I'm just going to work on the behavioral stuff and watch him. He seems to be acting normal so as long as he's not in pain or having trouble.. I'm just going to work on getting him not to pee on my stuff.
As for me.. I'm hoping I'm just sick and it goes away in a few days.
1 person likes this
@seeking12 (2)
• , Texas
23 May 13
I haven't been in to see a doc yet but I'm so dizzy now I wrote on this blog. I don't feel particularly stressed but I am dizzy and THAT is scaring me. Can't get to the hospital doctors not in yet and they would tell me to come in ... moot point can't walk let alone drive. nothing new in my life except need to take one of my dogs back to the vet today her eye was hurt playing with the other dog and she's on antibiotics. so I have no idea what this is but it seems we are not alone
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
26 Sep 12
With the problems that I've been having with my back since July, I know that it was something that was caused as a result of the car accident that I was in. However, I didn't know until just last Friday that the extreme pain that I am still experiencing is because of the fact that I have a herniated disc in my lower back. It has taken two months of trying to recover naturally with non-invasive treatment to finally get a diagnosis. I see the orthopedist tomorrow to see what course of treatment that he is going to want to take.
It really stinks when there is something going on with you and you aren't sure what it is, but sometimes I also believe that having a diagnosis is worse than really not knowing what is causing it.
