Cerebellar Stroke - experience/treatment/recovery

I am now 62 yrs old. Had my stroke in 2011. Had the same symptoms, except for the vomiting part. I had major headache (11:45 pm, ??) and had a hard time figuring out how to dial ph no.'s, could not stand enough to change clothes, hardly. Fell into a chair when got to lower level in house and watched the walls bounce up and down for a few minutes (this was the strangest part for some reason and not sure why I remember it). My son took me to ER, was told also that I had Vertigo and sent home. Next 2 days I still had major headache, felt slightly dizzy, so when to local clinic and just happened to have traveling MRI truck there that day and did a scan, just to rule out a possible stroke. It did show a Cerebellar Stroke did happen. Then of course everything changes and we tried to figure out the cause, which we never were able to confirm.
I suffered with headaches everyday for over a year I think, as soon as I opened my eyes in am, they would start. Does anyone else suffer from this?
Until a one day I thought maybe I was having a TIA, that spooked me alittle and stopped at a different clinic for fear it was happening again. After telling him the whole story, he prescribed propranolol. Which really helped, in my case.

Hello @livetheday. Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! What a scary thing to experience. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Do you find yourself constantly worried that you are having another Cerebellar stroke?

Are you still having the headaches? or has the propranolol helping with that?

No. Not really. Yes I still have some headache, like yesterday and part of today. Even with Propranolol I still get those sharp jabbing pains. I wish someone could tell me why this BP drug works for this? What are long term effects?I just get frustrated it never goes away, one doesn't even realize what normal is anymore, unless one I was real lucky to have a good day, close to what it used to be like, before the stroke.That being said, we all still have to figure out how to cope and make best of it.I think most people that were never diagnosed with a cause, just want answers or at least a likely cause.

I had my stroke three years ago. We’d been making love. ( I’m telling you that because I didn’t mention it at the hospital and I think that might have somewhat misled them - I think it was something about constricting my neck arteries, as has also happened with chiropractors.). I got up and 10 minutes later crashed with vertigo and vomiting. No headache. An ambulance came and did ECGs etc and apparently I talked to them but remember nothing till I was in the hospital. I was tested for stroke but no MRI - a professor came by and decided I had middle ear infection. I went home the next morning and was treated as ear problem for my balance problems and tinnitus, despite the fact I had double vision for two weeks afterwards. A surgeon I went to recently for my very stiff neck said ‘I’m no expert, but you seem to have a cerebellum stroke!’ Thank goodness for him. Now I’m about to see a stroke expert - a bit late. I found it so helpful for a post to say that stiff neck and shoulder were to do with holding my balance. That made so much sense. Thanks everyone.

Hello @atthewall and welcome to Mayo Connect

I am so glad to hear that someone has an understanding of the combination of the neck stiffness with the possibility of a cerebellum stroke. Even though it has been several years since this incident you must be relieved as the possibility of a diagnosis and treatment might be on the horizon.

When you will be seeing the stroke specialist? Will you post again and provide an update?

Teresa

Paid to see a doc so I could have a half hour conversation. Came out less wise than before! He says it’s very unclear that I had a stroke (no MRIs done at the time and only thing now is my wobbling). But he’s saying I need blood thinners, up my statins, and ACE inhibitors. I don’t like the idea of that. Seeing an NHS doc next month so I’ll see what he says. Brains are still such a mystery and not just to the owners!

@atthewall

Thanks for your update! I can certainly agree with you that brains are a mystery. I'm sorry that you did not get a more definitive answer to your question about the stroke. The fact that he is upping blood thinners, statins, ACE inhibitors might indicate that he is leaning toward the stroke possibility.

You mentioned seeing an NHS doc next month. What does NHS stand for?

The wonderful National Health Service!

@atthewall

Ah, so you must be from the UK?

I'm here. Cerebellar stroke 2013 after a visit to chiropractor. What info you want?