HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

question-icon

Can A Stroke Cause One-sided Increased Sensitivity To Cold In The Body?

default
Posted on Mon, 6 Feb 2017
Question: The video:
https://XXXX.be/TYYYz-N-YY

HAd a stroke before 2013, its age couldn’t be determined

after that, increased sensitivity to cold, seemingly on one side.

I had this problem, beginning in 2009, 4 and 1/2 years before my stroke. I'll fill you in on more details after your first answer.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Olsi Taka (15 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Read below

Detailed Answer:
I read your question as well as viewed your video and I am sorry for how you are feeling.

Judging from that video and the language you are using it is obvious that you are extremely frustrated and angry at what medicine has been able to offer you up till now. However please try to understand that no physician, good or bad, wants to see a patient suffer. We do our best but unfortunately we are not able to help everybody. That is not because we do not want to, especially in the case of someone as young as you, not of the usual age to have a stroke. Not being able to help many of our patients frustrates us as well, rest assured about that.

Now from what I was able to understand from the video your question concerns why you have an increased sensitivity to cold, seemingly on one side. One hypothesis I can provide for that is that it may be due to your old stroke. I do not mean the one in 2013, but to the small one about which doctors have said that its age couldn’t be determined. Now you do not provide the MRI reports for me to judge which area was affected, but a small stroke in certain areas like the thalamus, which is one a group of nuclei dealing with sensation, may lead to altered sensation, causing symptoms like pain, hot or cold sensation, increased sensitivity to outside stimuli. So if that previous small stroke was in such an area it can well justify those symptoms, it is not a question of peripheral nerves and muscles but of a distorted perception of the coming signals in the brain.

I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
default
Follow up: Dr. Olsi Taka (5 hours later)
Can adipose stem cells (as done by Dr. XXXXXXX, of University, XXXX) reverse this 50%

www.XXXX.com/I_Have_YYYY_Hope
XXXXXXX Stem Cells in XXXXXXX NC. I had a telephone consultation with him a year ago. Trying to raise the funds. Can you and your colleagues help me by donating 5 piss-poor bucks, and spreading my crowdfunding to your friends. I have been thinking about suicide as my only way out of this hellish world. If I cannot live life to the fullest, without being constantly beat over the head with the knowledge its getting worse, will never get better, WHY LIVE? Why not try a shot at spitting in God's face after I stand before Him for killing myself.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Olsi Taka (14 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Read below

Detailed Answer:
Stem cell therapy is still an experimental treatment. There is yet a lot unclear about how to use stem cells. Simply injecting these multipotential cells is not enough, we still have to find out how to make sure they develop into the type of nerve cells we want them to and create connections with the neurons we want them the way we want them. So they are still only an experimental therapy. I am all about research, stroke needs more adequate therapies, but they should be funded by governments, pharmaceutical companies or donators, which should identify the most promising projects, not by you the patient paying about them as there would be no way of distinguishing valid research projects from scams. Even a serious research project doesn't offer any guarantee of success.
As for your thoughts about ending your life .... I work mainly with stroke patients, I see at least five new cases a day. Many of them are left severely disabled, immobilized in their beds, unable to take care about themselves. I know that having a stroke, especially at your age is a dramatic, life changing event, but I see from that video that you still are able to function, able to be active in your life. So you should not go so far as to think about taking your life, we have only one life to live and as long as you are able to feel, move and make new experiences remember that tomorrow can be better. Looking at your past questions it seems to me that you are worrying too much about outer appearances and aging, instead of focusing in creating new relations and interacting with people. We all are going to age and change, myself included, that does not mean that we can't enjoy beutiful moments in our future. Statistically over 30% of post stroke patients suffer from depression, this could well be your case, it might be influencing you more than the stroke consequences themselves. So you should ask for help in that direction, either through medication or psychotherapy (or both), instead of investing all your money in experimental projects of uncertain outcomes should try to make the best of what you have.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
default
Follow up: Dr. Olsi Taka (10 hours later)
I am TERRIFIED of having another stroke in my future! Will be WORSE! On my blood thinners, why would I have another stroke n e way?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Olsi Taka (12 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Read below

Detailed Answer:
Being afraid of another stroke is a legitimate concern that is true. However if taking the appropriate blood thinners, treating blood pressure, not smoking and eating healthily the risk is really low.
In order to express an opinion on whether you are taking the correct blood thinners or not more information on the origin of your strokes is needed, whether they were due to a heart source, atherosclerotic plaques or some other less common cause. If you can provide some past reports (can snap a photo of them and upload in the reports section) I would be happy to review them in order to give a more informed opinion specific to your case.

Looking forward to hearing from you again.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
default
Follow up: Dr. Olsi Taka (8 hours later)
Symptoms, attributed to herniated bulging disks in neck, but WHICH NEVER BOTHERED ME until beginning two months AFTER MY STROKE...

Hot, or chilling tingling in right hand, left arm, sometimes going down my left leg quickly. Tried fish oil it tore my stomach the fuck UP, so THAT'S pout of the question, I want to curse God for it! This is interfering oppressively with my fucking life! WORSE after I have gotten out of bed an hour later. Today, riding bicycle, the unpleasant tingling felt also across my chest. The activity in the woods made the tingling in left arm go away, which returned after I came home and got on computer. All fucking day long this god damned hot nerve sensation in my fucking right hand! Sry 4 the cursing. This is enough to make me want to kill myself and throw this fucking life in God's face!

I have to ask myself, are these ungodly nerve sensations starting to be felt in my left foot. Sometimes I bend my neck down to type and feel a quick wooziness - very unleasant, and I'd curse God for it, but... He might make ME worse if I DO. How unbearably qwill these sensations get, say, 10 years from now?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Olsi Taka (14 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Read below

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information. Again might have been helpful if you provided some reports as you hadn't said anything about these neck issues before, so to judge how much of the symptoms is due to past stroke and how much due to neck issues should know the affected areas according to MRI reports.

If symptoms are due to nerve root or spinal cord compression in the neck then as of course nobody gets younger over the years there is a possibility of of problems increasing. For that reason the only way to provide some lasting protection against that is physical therapy aimed at strengthening your core and neck muscles enabling you them to support the spine and lessen the load it has to endure. That way worsening in the future can be avoided. If symptoms on the other hand are due to stroke there is no reason they should worsen in 10 years time.

For the current symptoms medication to alleviate them can be used, like gabapentin or amitriptyline, it should help anyway whether the symptoms are due to the stroke or the spine.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
default
Follow up: Dr. Olsi Taka (10 hours later)
How effective would this pulsed electromagnetic field therapy be (in this video), or is Doctor Oz a QUACK?
https://XXXX.YYYY/XXXX-jXYYYw
doctor
Answered by Dr. Olsi Taka (20 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Read below

Detailed Answer:
I watched that video carefully and also reviewed the literature regarding electromagnetic field therapy.

Regarding the youtube video I don't think it's a scam, it is one of the many methods used to accelerate healing in joint and bone issues. However the video refers to issues such as back or knee pain which you do not mention to have.

When it comes to stroke recovery (I assume that is what you are interested in most), there are some studies indicating that transcranial magnetic stimulation can aid in stroke recovery. However it is still a field which needs to be developed. There are many unresolved issues such as the type of stimulation, stimulation parameters, areas which profit the most, time of benefit etc. Also when we speak of benefits one should have real expectations, it is a question of a partial benefit, things won't change from night to day, it is a question of around 10% of improvement when it comes to stroke. So if you find any programs which recruit patients for studies I would encourage them, but not spend big sums of money for clinics which make huge promises with minor benefits.

If you on the other hand are wondering about the use of these techniques for your neck, yes there can be some benefit, but remember that in the long term physical therapy is the one which offers more benefit as it will help your body cope better with age related spinal changes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
default
Follow up: Dr. Olsi Taka (26 hours later)
YES!

I heard about TMR!

WHEREEEEE do I go to get this, as I live in YYYY, NC. WHAT´S the closet hospital. I got Medicare.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Olsi Taka (20 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Read below

Detailed Answer:
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is not available in every center. One hospital which according to my research practices it and is also one of the best hospitals in NC would be the University of North XXXXXXX Hospitals in XXXX.

Regarding the insurance I am not sure how it works. I exercise in Europe which has a different health care system. Furthermore even in the US there are differences among states.

Let me know if I can further assist you.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Olsi Taka

Neurologist

Practicing since :2004

Answered : 3673 Questions

premium_optimized

The User accepted the expert's answer

Share on

Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties

159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM Blog Questions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction
Can A Stroke Cause One-sided Increased Sensitivity To Cold In The Body?

Brief Answer: Read below Detailed Answer: I read your question as well as viewed your video and I am sorry for how you are feeling. Judging from that video and the language you are using it is obvious that you are extremely frustrated and angry at what medicine has been able to offer you up till now. However please try to understand that no physician, good or bad, wants to see a patient suffer. We do our best but unfortunately we are not able to help everybody. That is not because we do not want to, especially in the case of someone as young as you, not of the usual age to have a stroke. Not being able to help many of our patients frustrates us as well, rest assured about that. Now from what I was able to understand from the video your question concerns why you have an increased sensitivity to cold, seemingly on one side. One hypothesis I can provide for that is that it may be due to your old stroke. I do not mean the one in 2013, but to the small one about which doctors have said that its age couldn’t be determined. Now you do not provide the MRI reports for me to judge which area was affected, but a small stroke in certain areas like the thalamus, which is one a group of nuclei dealing with sensation, may lead to altered sensation, causing symptoms like pain, hot or cold sensation, increased sensitivity to outside stimuli. So if that previous small stroke was in such an area it can well justify those symptoms, it is not a question of peripheral nerves and muscles but of a distorted perception of the coming signals in the brain. I remain at your disposal for other questions.