Sorry about your TIA. That must have been scary. Are you taking an anticoagulant? Have you been tested for APS antibodies.

Aspirin 325mg daily. I was tested for the antibodies at my request and they were negative.
Hope you are doing well.
Mary Ann

That's scary. I'm glad that you're doing OK and didn't have to spend any more time in the hospital!

Crap, I've been trying to find a minute to respond to this message for over a week, and just haven't been finding the time. So sorry you had a TIA, really glad they got right on top of it.

How are you feeling now? Anything they recommended other than the Aspirin?

How do they diagnose a TIA anyway? Do they do a brain scan or MRI or something?

The impact of MCTD on blood chemistry is a great unknown. I think I mentioned how my rheumatologist asked me, "Why do you get blood clots?"

Anyway, hit us back and let us know how you're doing.

--Cat

Had a CAT scan, MRI, MRA, EKG, chest x ray, Echocardiogram and over 30 blood tests. All were OK. So they figured from the symptoms that I had a TIA which will not necessarily show up. Especially if the cause of the event had passed. One thing they really looked at was inflammation in the arteries of the head and neck---nothing. They insisted I also take a low dose statin as well as the aspirin and lose weight. I am finding my thought processes are not as clear. Hope that passes.
Mary Ann

Cat-- I find it really scary that your rheumy is asking YOU, why your blood clots.

MT--there are secondary antibodies that cause APS and blood clots, but good luck finding anyone who understands that. I've been taking cinnamon. It has the same ingredient as warfarin in a low dose. It also lowers your blood pressure and blood sugar. (I actually see that my BP has gone down.) I feel slightly clearer that with just aspirin. I'm thinking of upping my dose, but I'm trying to get into to see an APS specialist, and also there is some kind of birth abnormality in my heart which may require treatment.

(There is a version of APS that causes mimics MS, and that is why I want to try the treatment and see if it helps.)

Maybe I need to look at APS more carefully!
Mary Ann

This is the website of the Hughes Foundation:

http://www.hughes-syndrome.org/

The secondary antibodies are not mentioned there, but an APS doctor told me that.

There is also a forum attached to it. You can ask people questions there.

But having TIAs is definitely a symptom.

I'm sorry to hear you had a TIA MaryAnn..I'm glad to hear things are improving. I haven't been around in a while but I have checked in now and then.

How scary. I hope you have no more of these and that your thought processes are already back to normal.

Jules

wow that is scary. I have had those sx's for the last 2 weeks and they didn't do a scan on brain just chest. but i am on eliquis blood thinner so they just assume that i am protected.

How have you been doing since the TIA?

Just what I want to do for the most part. I have made 3 quilts and continue to do my volunteer work. I was put on a Blood pressure pill recently and another pill for my arrhythmia. Wore a holter monitor for a month which showed atrial tachycardia, so I have to see another cardiac interventionist. Not going back to the last one! I know that they will want to do another electrophysiologic study. I am not happy bout that. Have had another UTI for about 6 weeks and took 3 rounds of antibiotics. I am not conviced it is gone. I had a lot of bleeding with this one. I have an appointment with a urologist in June! I had one for mid May but the office cancelled it. But I am OK. Took a trip to see my son and his family in N.C. But really, life goes on and I am making plans. With all this going on, if I live the average life span it will be a miracle so I plan to make the best of the time I have and not revel in my problems. Thanks for asking. As they say, you might not have really wanted to know that much but at least on here we can be honest!
Mar Ann