Blood vesels supplying the brain

I'm a 19 year old college student and have been suffering from cognitive problems for a long time. I have seen a neurologist and have had an mri (only of the head) and an eeg done. The mri didn't indicate anything. The eeg showed "slowing of the left side" and indicated either left cerebral vascular disease or migraine. I don't think I have migraines and think that maybe I don't even have cerebral vascular disease. I think what might be the problem is the actual blood vessels going to the left side of my brain.

I've noticed that it was the left side and not the right side for a long time. My left eye is always aggravated, red, and sometimes watery independent of my right eye. My friends even ask all the time why my left eye is always red. I have also had persistent pain/discomfort in the [upper] left side of my neck that sometimes makes it hard to turn my neck or swallow. Also occasionally it seems like my lower left jaw and that whole area becomes slightly numb. My neurologist doesn't find this significant but I really think that there could be a problem there. It could be bleeding or my heart or maybe something like a tumour.

Aspirin and ginkgo biloba both aggravate my symptoms from what I've been able to tell, though I think I might try taking ginkgo again and seeing what happens (I'm not entirely sure if it's coincidence or a casual relationship). Also I have hypoglycaemia "technically" but my symptoms are independent of my blood sugar, and my blood sugar rarely drops very low. I'm always tired and week almost all the time and the tiredness does not seem limited to one side of the body. I'm also always sick and sometimes find it hard to eat anything.

I would like to get an mri of my neck but my neurologist suggested I get a second eeg before he try anything. It's pissing me off because I've been seeing doctors for 9+ months now and they haven't helped me any and wont listen to me when I complain about my neck.

Hi,

If you are in disagreement with your doctor about this, then you should ask him to refer you to someone else for a second opinion (or just go to someone else yourself). Anyway, you said that this has nothing to do with your hypoglycaemia, but I imagine that it actually does. One of the chief problems with hypoglycaemia is that not enough sugar reaches the head region. Plus, the fact remains that the left side of the head is supplied by a network of vessels that differ from the right side: The left side is supplied with blood through the left carotid artery; the right side is supplied through the Brachiocephalic Trunk, and THEN the right carotid.

I don't know... ...you need a second opinion. What's the name of the scan where they inject a radioactive dye into a blood vessel, and then monitorr how the dye flows through the vessels? Is it a PET scan?

Kevin

My blood sugar dropped 3 hours latter when they gave me some ridiculous amount of sugar during the test. I have a blood sugar monitor and have been testing my sugar, especially when I have the worst symptoms, and my blood sugar is almost always in the normal range, and at that never even bellow 60.

I'm going to see a regular doctor tomorrow. I just got back from a comedy event on campus and found it painful to laugh and got really dizzy so I'm going to make them listen to me. Also I think it's gotten worse like in the past week I think I've had persistent delirium whereas usually I just had off and on delirium and my neck has been bothering me more and more. It doesn't directly hurt 24/7 but it kind of "pulls." Like it just feels bad, but doesn't directly hurt. I think that was my problem last time I saw this doctor; I told him it didn't hurt but it bothered me so maybe he didn't realize how aggravating it is.

Hi again,

This problem seems to be very confusing for you, and it is for me too. It's just strange that your blood-sugar has come out normal, but that your symptoms all point to hypoglycaemia. How long ago did you first notice that things were not 'normal' for you?

Kevin

Chucky wrote:Hi again,

This problem seems to be very confusing for you, and it is for me too. It's just strange that your blood-sugar has come out normal, but that your symptoms all point to hypoglycaemia. How long ago did you first notice that things were not 'normal' for you?

Kevin

About 10 months ago I think. I think hypoglycaemia has caused a lot of my symptoms in the past. Like especially when I was trying to use ginseng (ginseng lowers blood sugar).

The EEG is what indicates a neurological problem. I assume it's treatable; I almost feel like I could be normal if they could fix whatever's wrong with me. Like I doubt I've ever had a stroke and I usually get better depending on the time of day.

I used to not get headaches though and my eye seemed normal. Recently I've been getting headaches on the left side and my eye has been irritated / red all the time and cognitively my symptoms have gotten consistently worse (like I don't periodically regain cognitive function like I used to).

Hmm, is there one of those places near you that offer a full body check? I'm not sure what they are called exactly, but there is a place near me called the Beacon Clinic and they offer people a whole range of different scans including, heart, brain, blood, etc; and all for a reasonable price. It's a private hospital or something

I doubt I can afford something like that. My insurance doesn't even like paying for doctor visits.

Maybe it is neurological. It just occurred to me that I've had a headache on the left side for about three weeks now and it has only rarely went away and always came back within a couple hours. The headache is very mild, hardly painful at all, but very annoying and it seems like it's blocking my thoughts (like if I could get rid of it I could think better). My left eye also doesn't work very well. I can see fine I think but it's like cloudy or glassy, like something's over it. I have not had any headaches at all on the right. Advil and Tylenol don't help. I have some aspirin but I read that haemorrhagic stroke can cause symptoms very similar to this. If I was confident I didn't have this I would try taking aspirin.

Other than cognitive problems and mild vertigo I don't have any other symptoms of something like a stroke. Also strokes tend to be temporary and I've had this headache / eye problem for a while now.

I also wont be able to see the neurologist for a while to ask him anything. I think it might be causing damage or something; the doctors need to not take forever to do anything. I went to a regular doctor something like 10 months ago, it's ridiculous that none of the doctors have started any treatment.

Hi again,

It's sad to hear that you're not getting treatment, but I imagine that what is happening is that they have placed your case at the bottom of the pile, simply because they can't figure out what is wrong with you. What do you reckon? I know it sounds unprofessional, but I wouldn't put it past them or anyone else to do such a thing. People like to do the familiar things in life, because that's what is easiest.

Have you by any chance searched the World Wide Web for your symptoms? You might get lucky in finding something that you can relate to.

Take care,
Kevin

So I think I might have this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_v ... thrombosis (Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis)

This would explain the recent headache, eye trouble, and accompanied decrease in cognitive function. I have been suspecting glaucoma in my left eye for a while because I can feel the pressure in my eye. I think this is partially because I've had a prolonged sinus / ear infection. I don't know if this condition would explain my entire history but I'd definitely feel better if I could return to my previous state (before I started having this headache I always felt really well in the evenings, like I could count on it to do homework and maybe do some programming).

About 20 minutes ago I took an aspirin and I do actually feel better. I had a couple weird sensations like things were clearing up but it could of just been the aspirin taking effect (aspirin is a very potent pain killer). I still feel pressure above my eye but I don't have a headache and cognitively I feel much better, but tired like I've been thinking a lot.

I had my second eeg today so I'm going to see if I can get an appointment soon to see what the doctor thinks. I also want another mri because I don't want to take any of those crazy drugs if there's a chance that I have a haemorrhage. Of course after reading the wikipedia about cerebral haemorrhage I think the risk of this is fairly low (a haemorrhage is a "medical emergency" etc etc like it's not a chronic condition at all). This problem plus the hypoglycaemia may be the end of it (I wonder if initially I just had hypoglycaemia and anxiety and then latter developed stroke-related issues).


Also thanks for all the advice my life has been turned upside down because of this. Like I just got sick and havn't been better sense.