CT Scan for Strokes?

[kerri73]

Hi all!

Has anyone ever had a CT scan to determine if you've had a stroke? I have to have one tomorrow... I can't eat for 4 hours before hand and will have an IV going on - I would assume it's a die that they're injecting to see if they can see any blockage?

I had one of my "episodes," as I like to call them, yesterday... (the first one in at least a few months, since they put me on baby aspirin.) I was driving and my left arm felt heavy/rubbery... the rest of my body soon followed. I was almost home and when I pulled into the driveway, the sunlight seemed to "dim"... all of these things are indicative of a stroke, and when it happened I thought to myself that I was having one - usually I'm just like "oh that's weird". But as soon as it came on it was gone. I did go in and took my blood pressure right away - my cardiologist had been thinking these episodes were brought on by low blood pressure but I could never get a good reading... got one yesterday... 153/95 (my regular bp is 100/70 with my atenolol), so I debunked his theory.

Anyway, just thought I'd share... I'm trying not to think too much about it, as hard as that may be... if anyone has similar experiences they'd like to share - I'm interested in hearing them!

Thanks!
Kerri

 

[sue943]

I had a CT scan when I had a stroke. It is almost two years ago (next week) and the memory is a bit dim but as far as know I wasn't fasted and don't recall having any dye injected, but who knows, they might have done that. I wasn't on any drip either.

Mmmn, that blood pressure isn't good, I know my GP would be very twitchy with the 95 part, he says that is stroke territory.

How was your face? My mouth drooped on the left.

 

[kerri73]

Hi Sue, thanks for your reply! I didn't know that 95 in the blood pressure was stroke territory. Yikes. My symptoms just came and went... no lingering effects.. and I didn't notice anything with the face/mouth (I did take my bp this morning and it was back to 103/70.) And I went in to get my protime done today, just to make sure it wasn't too low, and it was 2.8 - in check. But he's having me take 2 baby aspirin and we're upping my coumadin a little to get me in the 3.5-4.0 range.

Thanks again for your input!
Kerri

 

[sue943]

Actually if you were stressed at your symptoms, and I guess you were, that could account for that 95. When I get really stressed mine gets to 90-95 and my GP goes potty. It happened several years ago when I was going for a routine appointment to get my prescriptions, this was well before my heart problems started. I got stuck in traffic so thought I was going to be late and my BP was about 150/95 and he was worried. Said I had to go back five days later and if it wasn't down then I would be on medication, he didn't want to be responsible for me having a stroke. I was put on beta blockers even though I told him it was purely stress related. I was taken off the beta blockers when I had OHS.

So bearing that in mind, try not to worry and hopefully your BP will remain at a good level.

 

[Arlyss]

Hi Kerri,

The scan you will have does sound like it includes a contrast die.

CT scans without contrast will show bleeding in the brain. My husband had CT scans after his major stroke and also his TIA - these were emergencies and, as Sue mentioned also - he did not have contrast. For my husband it confirmed that there was no bleeding, but he did of course have blockages, which it detected. He also had MRI of his brain the next morning after his stroke.

Contrast is needed with a CT scan to detect aneurysm in the blood vessels. So you might want to talk with your doctors and the technicians to understand what they are looking for specifically with this test. I know of a situation where they were looking for aneurysm, but did not use contrast - so missed the aneurysm. Fortunately, a second opinion did the right test and found it.

Neurological symptoms can be confusing. Have they considered some sort of seizure as a possibility? Have you had an EEG mapping of your brain?

I do hope they get to the source of what is happening to you. Take good care.

Arlyss

 

[kerri73]

Ok, so my CT scan came back normal - my cardio said I could have still had a clot in there that just dissolved by the time the CT scan was taken (2 days after the symptoms)... He has no real answers for me as to *why* I have these episodes every now and then. He's also concerned that one of my pacemaker leads may not be taking (by the the atrium, I think) - he doesn't see a real distinct "bump" for lack of better word on the EKGs... (he is bringing in a Medtronic rep to look at it, or he might send me back to my original pacemaker doctor who specializes in that)... *or* it could be my artif. mitral valve because it's at an angle, or they think there's a subaortic membrane in there and it could be that...

I hate not having answers... And I feel like I've made my rounds to cardiologists in the past couple of years and I'm really not impressed by any of them (or their nurses!)... the only place I haven't exhausted in Omaha is a "Joint Division of Pediatric Cardiologists" - they specialize in congenital defects (I was born this way )... But as an adult, you have to be qualified to get in to see them... when I called, they wanted me to send in a copy of my latest echo to one of their doctors... (which I may try to do now - back then I decided to go to one of our big med centers instead... but that's where I had the nurse who hinted that I could be having a stroke, and then never called me back!)

I'm just frustrated... any ideas?

Thanks!
Kerri

 

[Phyllis]

Kerri, trying to get into the Omaha "Joint Division of Pediatric Cardiologists" sounds like a good idea. Maybe you could fax them the echo today. Best wishes that you get this resolved soon!