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what just happened to me

FoodFood Registered User regular
edited August 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
hey so about a half hour ago I was watching a stand up comedian and I feel absolutely fine. all of a sudden I start feeling pins and needles in my right and left arms. the numbness spread up to my face and I started to feel super light-headed and was afraid I might pass out (but I didn't). I got up and walked around and splashed some water on my face but it didn't help. It faded away after about 15 minutes but I still feel a little strange. WebMD says I had a minor stroke. please provide a less terrifying diagnosis.

Food on

Posts

  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited August 2010
    Call your doctor? Because everything about that just sounds really bad. I mean, my first thought was "heart attack", not "stroke", but I doubt that's less terrifying and also I'm not even close to a doctor. So you should DEFINITELY call your doctor. If he has an emergency line, do that.

    edit: I lie, I can think of something else: panic attack. Those also sound very much like the symptoms of a panic attack. Less bad, but still not good.

    ceres on
    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Food wrote: »
    hey so about a half hour ago I was watching a stand up comedian and I feel absolutely fine. all of a sudden I start feeling pins and needles in my right and left arms. the numbness spread up to my face and I started to feel super light-headed and was afraid I might pass out (but I didn't). I got up and walked around and splashed some water on my face but it didn't help. It faded away after about 15 minutes but I still feel a little strange. WebMD says I had a minor stroke. please provide a less terrifying diagnosis.

    Have you eaten much today?

    Esh on
  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    ceres wrote: »
    Call your doctor? Because everything about that just sounds really bad. I mean, my first thought was "heart attack", not "stroke", but I doubt that's less terrifying and also I'm not even close to a doctor. So you should DEFINITELY call your doctor. If he has an emergency line, do that.

    edit: I lie, I can think of something else: panic attack. Those also sound very much like the symptoms of a panic attack. Less bad, but still not good.

    There are probably hundreds of things that could cause what happened to him. Tingling and faintness are not exactly uncommon.

    Esh on
  • FoodFood Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    i probably ate slightly less than usual today but it was still a reasonable amount. i did not, however, get much sleep last night. maybe that has something to do with it.

    Food on
  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Food wrote: »
    i probably ate slightly less than usual today but it was still a reasonable amount. i did not, however, get much sleep last night. maybe that has something to do with it.

    It's probably just fatigue and light headedness. If you're really concerned, go see a doctor. There's nothing that anyone on this board is going to be able to diagnose you with from the hundreds of possible causes of tingly arms and faintness.

    Esh on
  • WalterWalter Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Since it was bilateral and involved the arms plus the face, there's a good chance it wasn't a stroke. Do you have high blood pressure or smoke? Clotting diseases? Any trouble walking or reaching for items during the event? No? Then you're probably good on the stroke front.

    Did you turn red/get hot? It could have been an acute/brief allergic reaction or a niacin rush if you were drinking an energy drink. Those are the two paresthesias I can think of offhand besides light headedness that follow the pattern you described. Go to your doctor though.

    Walter on
  • oncelingonceling Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Yeah sounds like you almost fainted. Could be low blood sugar, could have been low blood pressure even. The best way to stop from passing out is to lie down, and have someone get you a glass of water and something small to snack on.

    Were you laughing at the comedian? Sometimes this can interfere with your breathing even if its not *hilarious* laughter.

    If you are feeling fine going forward don't worry too much but see a doctor if it happens again.

    onceling on
  • SliderSlider Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Yes, possibly low blood sugar. Take some liquids, eat something, and if you start to feel better, I wouldn't worry about it. Start worrying if this feeling persists. Then go see a doctor.

    Slider on
  • PheezerPheezer Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2010
    I've gotten similar symptoms late at night on days where I haven't had coffee (I drink a LOT of coffee during the week).

    I'd see if it repeats a few times before paying to see a doctor.

    Pheezer on
    IT'S GOT ME REACHING IN MY POCKET IT'S GOT ME FORKING OVER CASH
    CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
  • FoodFood Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    ok thanks guys. a few weeks ago I passed out after watching a video of lasik surgery someone posed in se++ and since then I've been feeling light headed every once in a while although the numbness was something completely new. we'll see if it happens again.

    Food on
  • WootloopsWootloops Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    You never mentioned that you passed out BEFORE. That's important information to with hold. Now you've started feeling light headed at random points there after?

    Bottom line: Get your ass to the doctor.

    Wootloops on
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  • FoodFood Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    well it was a while ago and there was a clear trigger for it. the other times there were also clear triggers, like I was watching a documentary about a guy who broke his spine sky diving or my friend accidentally ran a red light.

    Food on
  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited August 2010
    That really does kind of sound like panic attacks, but yeah, you're going to have to see a doctor.

    ceres on
    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • Bionic MonkeyBionic Monkey Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2010
    Food wrote: »
    hey so about a half hour ago I was watching a stand up comedian and I feel absolutely fine. all of a sudden I start feeling pins and needles in my right and left arms. the numbness spread up to my face and I started to feel super light-headed and was afraid I might pass out (but I didn't). I got up and walked around and splashed some water on my face but it didn't help. It faded away after about 15 minutes but I still feel a little strange. WebMD says I had a minor stroke. please provide a less terrifying diagnosis.

    It does sound a bit like a transient ischemic attack (ie: temporary stroke you recover completely from within 24 hours), but it could also be something completely benign. Regardless, if it was a TIA or not, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.

    There shouldn't be any long lasting damage from the TIA itself, but it could signal a deeper problem that caused it, which could cause more severe problems in the future if left untreated.

    Edit: Previous history of syncope too? Yeah, definitely get your ass to a doctor.

    Bionic Monkey on
    sig_megas_armed.jpg
  • DaMoonRulzDaMoonRulz Mare ImbriumRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Were you standing or sitting? And if standing, were your knees locked?

    DaMoonRulz on
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  • PeccaviPeccavi Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Hyperventilation, maybe.

    Happened to me one time, I was in a car (feeling carsick), and started take shallow breaths to avoid puking. Pins and needles, body goes numb, even lost feeling in my tongue, which made it hard to describe what was happening. Pull over, my sister gets on the phone with my mom (a doctor), and I start feeling better after a few minutes.

    Peccavi on
  • FoodFood Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    yeah it seems like maybe I'm suffering from panic attacks for whatever reason. I just moved into college 2 days ago so finding time to see a doctor might be tough but I'm going to the school nurse in a few minutes to see if she can shed any light on the situation. thanks again guys.

    Food on
  • FoodFood Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    yeah the nurses first reaction was also that I'd had a panic attack so things are looking okay.

    Food on
  • RaneadosRaneados police apologist you shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    just so you know, these sort of things can occur more often around a fainting episode

    they'll go away as you get further and further away from the initial episode, but if you ever have another one, you'll recognize it, so find a place to sit and take some breaths

    when I passed out from blood circulation interruption and wanged my head and had my "seizure", I got a couple of them shortly after, getting less and less severe as time went on

    Raneados on
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