Anne Fleming

Hi Donna I think you're doing really well. When I used to have panic attacks, I did a couple of sessions with the nurse at my local practice on breathing properly and I found that helped so maybe you could ask your counsellor about this as breathing properly can stop it turning into a fullblown panic attack and you feel a bit more in control. I hope your course goes well. You are doing well thinking about attending it only 3 months post SAH. It was 6 months before I started back at work on a staged return, I'm now in week 8 of being back and the last 2 weeks have been easier but the first 6 were horrendous and I felt ill with exhaustion. I think it's quite unusual to go back to work after 3 months so I wouldn't use 3 months as a measure. I've found improvement so slow and that seems to be the norm and I don't see it on a day-to-day basis or week-to-week but maybe a wee bit on month-to-month. Best wishes Anne x

Yes I broke my little toe on my left foot last week through not noticing the leg of the bed and catching my toe on it. I also stepped on an exhibition in an art gallery; it was placed on the floor to my left and I didn't see it & suddenly I could hear a crunch. I'll have to be more careful though when I'm tired, I'm much worse.

Yes I had a seizure in the time between the SAH happening and the coiling procedure taking place. I was told that it was due to blood irritating my brain. I was put on Phenytoin to prevent any further seizures but when I left hospital I had taken so much medication that my liver was a bit poisoned and so a couple of months later my GP and neurologist agreed to take me off the Phenytoin. I've not had any more seizures. My GP has told me to avoid bright flashing light as a precaution but it is not something I generally worry about as I'm hoping it was a one off.

Graham - thanks for the advice on the visual fields as that may well be something to do with my problem. I've had my eyes tested since my SAH and there was no change in my vision but they didn't look at visual fields as far as I know. At first after my SAH I would sometimes drop things from my left hand if the thing I was carrying was light and I wasn't concentrating but I've not done that for a while. So I think it may involve loss of sensation too in my case. But it's one of my more minor problems as long as I'm careful crossing roads!

Since my SAH I have a lack of awareness on my left side. I bump into things on my left and I always look twice to the left when I'm crossing the road. It's not that there is anything wrong with my eyes but just that things I see don't always register with my brain unless I am really concentrating. Has anyone else experienced this? I find it really strange. Anne

Thanks Tina. Yes you're right I maybe should at least try out a few hearing aids to see if one helps. Is your hearing back to normal after your treatment? Anne x

I've just seen the ENT consultant today again - I got my hearing tested 3 months ago but it's not improved. The ENTconsultant says the loss of hearing in my right ear is due to the vasospasm I had and there's nothing they can do. I'm disappointed as I can't listen to music anymore as it just sounds like noise as I miss out on some of the frequencies and they think a hearing aids won't help as I can hear well at other frequencies. Am bit disappointed about this as thought I would be offered a hearing aid.

Hi Shiree I was told it takes longer to recover from a big bleed. I think if the vasospasm responds well to treatment then it shouldn't have too much impact on your long term recovery but I'm not sure about this. I blame the vasospasm on my loss of hearing but no one really seems to know for sure. I suppose it's all part of the syndrome after having a SAH. Headaches seem to be common after SAH. I haven't had any myself but I think that's quite rare but I've had other problems. Anne x

I was reading the new book The Dented Image and several people featured in it had more than one SAH. I was told at the hospital after my coiling that statistically it would be very unlikely for someone who has had one SAH to go on to have another one and that the problem was dealt with. I found the book really good and could identify with a lot in it but this one thing worried me a bit. Anne x

Hi Shiree I'm nearly 8 months post SAH. I think I have improved a lot but I'm always tempted to compare myself with how I was pre-SAH. I started back at work on phased return 6 weeks ago and am finding it very difficult as so tired (now doing 30 hours a week but not physical job). I was told it would take at least a year or more before I could expect to feel more like normal due to having big bleed. I find it difficult to eat as sense of taste so skewed, I think if that improved I would feel more like old self. Anne x

Hi Shiree Yes I had 2 vasospasms, one on day 3 and one on day 7 post coiling. The first one was a big one and I remember I lost feeling on my left side and my speech was slurred. I was immediately taken down to be scanned again as they suspected another bleed but fortunately it wasn't. Luckily both times I responded well to treatment for vasospasm- I was put on a "fast drip" and had an injection. I think you are more at risk from vasospasm if you still have quite a lot of blood in the site of the rupture, post coiling. I had quite a big bleed. I have tinnitus and loss of hearing in my right ear and I suspect it's because of the vasospasm but no one seems sure. Anne x

Hi Cal I've experienced what Jim is feeling. I think it's to do with overdoing it. I just have to stop and have a cup of tea and put feet up or whatever or have a lie-down if I can. I'm 7 months post SAH but I'm hoping it will be less frequent in time. Best wishes to Jim Anne x

Hi Donna I used to work fulltime pre SAH (10-6 and often longer). I started back at work a month ago doing 2-5 on Mon, Wed and Fri and have built it up to 20 hours, 12.30-5.30 on Mon, Tues, Thur and Fri. I'm going to stick at that for a while as finding it quite tough. My GP suggested increasing over a 3 month period though I'm not sure if I will be able to get back to full time again but will see. It was very difficult going back but I visited work a few times before I started. It meant I got over all the conversations with colleagues about my health. Due to lack of space a colleague had taken over my desk and all my stuff was packed away so I had to reclaim my desk and try to sort out all my stuff but once that was done, I felt better. Best wishes Anne x

Thanks everyone. I've thought it through and I don't think I am less tolerant post-SAH. I think his friend's behaviour would have upset me pre-SAH but I probably wouldn't have said anything. Now I'm less good at "putting up and shutting up".

Hi Cal How are Jim's twitches now? Mine have returned and I've had a big one before I fall asleep for the past few nights. I was seeing my GP today about something else and mentioned them and she thought that because I am anxious in general that I am noticing things more but doesn't think the twitches are anything sinister. I am going to try to forget about them! I remember having them years ago and they went away eventually. Hope Jim continuing to improve. Anne xxxx

Hi all This week I fell out with someone who's been a close friend for the past 15 years. This is very unusual for me as I've never fallen out with a friend in my life and am quite easy going. I think normally I would have been more tolerant of her behaviour though still wouldn't have liked it. Has anyone else experience of falling out with friends post SAH? It's the last thing I need right now as have enough to cope with. It's almost as if post-SAH I feel very certain of my values and what I find acceptable - maybe I'm becoming intolerant? Anne x

Hi Donna I think the anaesthetic only stays in the system for about 3 weeks so don't think it will be that. I get shakes and it especially happens when I'm tired so I sit down for a while with a cup of tea. I think it's all part of the trauma to the brain and I hope it will go in time for both of us. Anne xx

Hi Donna I started back at work 3 weeks ago (on a phased return basis) 6 months after my SAH. I plan to phase my return over 3 months and work has been understanding. I've found it difficult - in fact on my second day I wanted to throw in the towel and never go back but I saw my GP the following day and she prescribed betablockers and they helped a lot with my buzzing head. I thought when I had my SAH that I would return to work only when I felt as good as I did before my SAH but that hasn't been the case. I am still a long way off that but can just about manage the tiredness. Anne xxx

I find post-SAH that I start things but don't finish them. Maybe I find it difficult to concentrate for long periods. I recently started back at work part-time and I find having a bit of structure to my week helps my motivation. Anne x

Hi Myratas I had a 30 minute follow up appointment with neurologist three months after my SAH. I made out a list of questions but really I didn't get specific answers as he didn't know whether my symptoms would improve. He seemed to be a man of very few words so it was a bit of a non-event. I then went on to have my check angiogram a few weeks later. Hope yours goes well. Best wishes Anne

Hi Donna I had my SAH Nov 07 and I do often have a funny feeling in my head. I wouldn't call it a headache, more like pressure and feeling like my head is going to explode. It definitely gets worse when I am in a busy environment and stressed. I've never had anything like it before my SAH, it's like tension in my head. My GP started me on betablockers tablets last week and they seem to be helping to decrease this feeling in my head. I think it's because the brain is healing and has to work hard to deal with everyday things we used to take for granted like listening and chatting and I think it will get better in time. My GP also said that when I get stressed, my heart races and blood pressure goes up and so that increases this "swelling" feeling in my head. You're very very early days post-SAH so don't expect too much of yourself just now. Love Anne x

Hi Donna Welcome to BTG. I don't know Citalopram but I think it's similiar to Sertraline, which I was perscribed a few months ago for anxiety. After my SAH 6 months ago I had extreme taste and smell distortion and even a cup of tea tasted sewage like and I got very down about it. Sertraline helped me cope with it a bit better and fortunately the sewage taste has decreased a bit and I'm hoping it continues to improve. I'm a very experienced worrier and have dedicated years to worrying when I've had nothing to worrry about. In the hospital post-SAH the neurologist stressed that I mustn't worry about another SAH as once the rupture is fixed, it's secure and also any coil movement would show up on check angiograms. For some reason his words really sunk it and haven't been worrying about having another SAH though I do worry about how much I'll improve. At least doctors are familiar with the insides of heads of people who've had SAH and so we are probably safer than the general population who never get their brains scanned. Best wishes Anne x

I work as a theatre producer in a small-scale theatre. It's v varied, have just started back on reduced hours but think will have to try to focus on one aspect of job for now.

Hi Myra I remember reading somewhere that hair loss can happen after coiling but it does return to normal in time. My hair feels different on the side of the head where I was coiled, almost more wiry, definitely different texture though don't think I've had hair loss. Best Anne x

Thanks everyone for your words of wisdom. I returned to work yesterday, am doing three afternoons per week to begin with. It felt really odd being back - as if the past 6 months had happened to someone else. I found it hard to reconcile the person I was back in November with the person I am now, sitting at my desk. It is odd being at work and not being able to hear very well what people are saying but if my hearing doesn't improve, I am really hoping a hearing aid may help down the line a bit. I'm back at ENT in a couple of months. Yes I think I will have to be patient. I did have quite a big bleed so have been told my brain will definitely still be healing at this stage. I think I'm going to try to focus on other things and let the healing take place without me monitoring it closely every day and not seeing much difference on a day-to-day basis. Yasmin, I would agree with you re CBT. I had a couple of sessions a few months ago specifically to help me cope with taste and smell problem. I found it helped so I will try to keep it up. A friend is reading CBT for Dummies which she says is very good. Best Anne x