Did I have a TIA?

[GetOffMyDoorJack]

I woke up in the early hours of this morning and felt my mouth drooping on the left side. My left arm was numb. I remember thinking "Am I having a stroke?" but fell asleep again pretty quickly. When I woke up this morning I remembered it vividly, I'm sure it wasn't a dream. But I felt fine. My arm was fine, my face was fine, no aches or pains. I spoke to DP (who has had a TIA in the past) and he said that he was in some pain and struggled to grip after and that the hospital didn't send him for an MRI for a couple of weeks. Much googling today and I don't know what to do about it, if anything. I'm fine. But bothered about it. I don't know if it's worth making a GP appointment tomorrow if I have no after-effects - if it really happened at all! I've taken an aspirin tonight and will do so for the next week or two as a precautionary measure. What would you do if this was you please?

If you were genuinely awake during that episode, and not having a vivid dream, then yes it could have been a TIA - essentially if symptoms resolve within 25 hours of onset it is considered a TIA not a stroke.

To ease your mind, have a phone appointment with your HP; they may want to do blood pressure monitoring, or put you on a daily aspirin as a preventative. But they may want a blood test prior to meds - depending on your medical history.

The person best placed to advise will be your GP as they know your past/current meds/medical history etc.

Speak to the GP Surgery first thing in the morning

Please, please speak to your GP first thing in the morning. Best wishes

Do you suffer with migraines? I suddenly started having stroke symptoms after years of your normal bog standard migraines. Turned out I was suffering with hemiplegic migraines! I get numbness down one side, slurred speech etc, but no pain.

Get checked out.

Definitely worth checking. Don’t let them blow you off, especially if you feel over-tired, emotional or head-achey. You need your BP checked, your stress levels looked at, and ideally some blood tests and an MRI.

Thank you all for giving my head a wobble. I spoke to my GP this morning and have been referred to the stroke clinic. I'm so glad I posted.