I recently had a virus that for a couple of weeks gave me terrible headaches and all sorts of strange stabbing pains all over my body - ibuprofen relieved the symptoms entirely. However, right at the end of the illness I had a strange experience waking up in the morning - I realised half of my face had gone numb!

Of course, I was rather frightened about this and went straight to my GP. She did some tests on me, involving following her finger with my eyes and various other physical instructions. In the end she told me to go to the general hospital and book in for a brain scan and that I may have suffered a mild stroke.

I was very frightened at this point and made my way to the hospital at the other end of town. When I got there a nurse did virtually the same tests as the GP and told me it was Bell's Palsy and I was cured after just over a week's course of steroids.

After reading up on Bell's Palsy I realised it was quite common and I now suspect that it was a terrible diagnosis of the GP to not pick up on this. Any opinions, comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to the NeuroTalk Support Groups, mark75

Gotta give that nurse a lot of credit!

Did you ever find out which virus you had prior to the Bell's Palsy?

I guess the Doctor was working on the worst case scenario.

I'm glad you were able to get a correct diagnosis and that your treatment helped.

Welcome mark75.

Mark 75

I hope you are doing well, Mark.
I read your story and have another remark regarding your primary care doctor.
If she thought you had had a stroke, how in Gods name could she have just told you to make your way through town by yourself and book into the hospital?? Just like that??? Did she not think you should be transported by ambulance?? Was anyone with you? And did she order a consult with neurologist to see you in the hospital?? And did she not know that a ct of head can only possibly diagnose a stroke caused by a bleed? A proper protocol for stroke is a MRI of brain.

Mark I am so glad you did not have a stroke.

And, do you still have the same doctor?

I am telling all this because I was in a situation very similar to you!! I too, drove home in my car alone from the ER dept in hospital. Only difference is that I had actually had a small stroke, and the ER had not fallowed protocol, and I was probably not thinking straight ( having had a small stroke caused by a blood cloth) I was later called back, days later by my neurologist when he heard of it, and I had a MRI that confirmed stroke. I am OK now. no effects left.

Stay well Mark

Perhaps this episode Mark has entered could fit well in the thread " what is wrong with doctors"



Synnove

Bells' Palsy can present very similar to a mild stroke.
I don't see that the GP/PCP did anything inappropriate. On the contrary, IMO she did exactly the appropriate thing sending Mark to have it checked out.

That the ER nurse was more quickly able to make the distinction only suggests (to me) that being an ER nurse, she probably sees a multitude more Bell's cases than than the typical GP. In both cases of folks I know personally who've had Bell's Palsy, both woke up with it, freaked out, and headed straight for the ER, thinking they may have had a stroke.

Doc