Posted on 04/07/2018 9:46:14 PM PDT by Kevin in California
Hi all, just a follow-up on a post I made here about 3 weeks regarding a MRI I had attempted and bailed/panic buttoned on.
Well, without issue, I ended up doing the MRI in the open type machine this past Easter morning to try to find out why I've been experiencing bad headaches for the last 2-3 weeks. I get into work the next morning(Monday) and my Dr calls me with the results and tells me to go to the emergency room. "I say, when?" He says, "now!"
Turns out I have a partial tear in my right neck artery...better known as Right Carotid Artery Dissection. I asked the radiologist how I got the tear but she really couldn't tell me. Me, I think I got in during one of my many violent coughing fits which was one of the reasons for the MRI in the first place.
I am now on a 6-wk daily Aspirin regimen before I have to go back for a follow-up MRI in the hopes it has healed itself.
I am feeling a lot better 6 days later today.
Anyone else experience this and/or know anyone who has?
Prayers.
Glad to hear you’re getting better.
Glad it wasn’t something seriously. At least you had the MRI.
And they tell you “Take some aspirin and come back in 6 weeks.” (I'm guessing with other precautions as well. “Oh - and don't cough!”) Good luck as you mend.
IIRC, coughing can cause it. And I think the aspirin is to prevent blood clots.
I hate the MRI machines and I think I'll have to have conscious sedation next time..
although they gave me a Xanax 1.5 for a bx and I slept thru the entire thing....
Wow! Never heard of that before. I’m glad you went for the MRI, and they found out what was causing the problem. Get well quick...and stay well!
Yes, I am petrified every time I cough now. But, thank god, I am not having anymore of those violent “wake up at 3AM” coughing fits. And, I can turn on the kitchen/bedroom light and go outside again in the sunlight without my right eye throbbing in pain.
Don’t panic
Carotid dissection unless ominous is not life threatening
It can be repaired if it doesn’t self heal
Usually by a stent coated with platelet inhibitors
It’s really not a big deal in expert hands
You may need to be on plavix or something like that for a while
After repair to a dissection or stent placement it’s routine to offset stroke risk
Prayers up for full and speedy recovery. Glad you got the right treatment when you needed it. :)
Glad you are on the mend.That could have been it.
Prayers for your speedy recovery.
Hurrah! Get better quickly!
Have they found the cause for the coughing? I’ve been coughing since November.
What did the ER do? Give you an aspirin?
Jes jerkin' yer chain of course.
Sounds very scary. I will endeavor to never cough or sneeze again.
My dad’s didn’t turn out so well. Glad you made it!
Interesting that it is a middle-age problem. Are you in that age bracket? Sounds like an excellent prognosis.
- The goal of treatment is to prevent the development or continuation of neurologic deficits. Treatments include observation, anticoagulation, stent implantation and carotid artery ligation.
- 70% of patients with carotid arterial dissection are between the ages of 35 and 50, with a mean age of 47 years.
The coughing has subsided as I’m on Amoxicillin (sp?) now......was an infection.
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