TIA

The lead up to the TIA went like this:
2/8 settings changed as my pulse wasnt going over 100 and with activity I was very SOF.
6/8 had fall, didnt trip/slip. Became aware I was falling forward when half way down.
9/8 was aware arms were heavy and not lifting well
10/8 woke with high pulse, ie 80-90 (my settings are 60-130), and it stayed up every time I checked throughout the day.
5 pm, confusion had set in
7 pm, got taken to local hospital and proved very confused at interview. BP was 165, normally low. diagnosed probably TIA. Will get results of brain scan and internal carotid arteries this PM. Doctor thought cause was either blockage or pacemaker problem.
I am now wondering if the stroke volume was inadequate to cope with higher heartbeat, resulting in lesser cardiac output and therefore insufficient blood to brain.

Anyone who can help here would be appreciated.

2 Comments

Was TIA from poor output?

by Selwyn - 2013-08-12 08:08:27

For the cardiac output to fall due to a fast heart rate, the heart would have to be in quite poor condition and I would have thought you would have experienced some symptoms of heart failure prior to the TIA. In any event, your blood pressure seems to have been maintained at the time of the interview- this rather goes against the idea of low output (as blood pressure cannot be maintained).
It seems to me you were experiencing some symptoms of a mild TIA prior to the confusion ( 9/8 arms were heavy and not lifting well). It is very unlikely that this was due to poor cardiac output as you would otherwise have had symptoms of heart failure.

In short, I think poor stroke volume is not a likely cause of your TIA. See what the tests show. Sometimes a TIA may be from a cardiac arrhythmia ( such as atrial fibrillation and flutter, and sometimes this is intermittent and missed during a check up).

I hope this is of help. Wishing you some good health,
Kind regards

TIA

by Tracey_E - 2013-08-12 10:08:16

I had one a few (3) years ago. The echo, brain ct and carotid u/s were all normal. No clots, no bleeds, no definitive cause found. Also no lasting effects and it hasn't happened again so I assume it was a fluke. I was due for a battery change that next week but was not in EOL mode so the pm was still fully functional. The neurologist and gp both said that must be why I had the tia, blamed it on the pm. My cardio and ep both rolled their eyes and said no way.

I agree with Selwyn, you don't have any signs of low cardiac output.

Nerves can make your hr stay elevated. Did they give you any meds that could have raised it?

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