does this sound like tissue hypoxia?

Question

for the past 2 years on and off i have been experiencing a sensation of numbness in the lip area and the face. during the same few moments my left wrist will drop and my left hand becomes totally useless. for about 60 seconds, i am unable to do anything. occasionally (not every time) during this "episode" i will also need to slide to the floor to keep from falling because i see stars and kaledoscope type things and my legs start wobbling. the doc does not know but my friend says it has something to do with my pressure and raising my arms over my head. but in the market the other day, i was only opening the freezer door and reaching at waist length to get some boca burgers. i was not rising from a sitting to standing posistion either. i am on blood pressure meds for 5 years, in my 30s, 5'5" and 116 pounds and i'm not diabetic.

have already had carotid US and the other tests mentioned. other than going for yearly visits to cardiologist, docs have given me no answers. MRI shows demyelination only.

Answer 1

No, it doesn't sound like tissue hypoxia, which is just a fancy term for your tissues being deprived of oxygen. It sounds more like "pre-syncope," or a near faint. If you are on blood pressure medicine, it may make this more likely to happen. Other things that increase your chances include quick changes in your posture (going quickly from sitting to standing or lying to sitting), big changes in temperature (coming in from the cold to a warm room), dehyrdation, lack of sleep, hunger, and a many other things.

This is usually because your brain is not telling your blood vessels to tighten up and keep your blood pressure up when you change position, for example. Because of this, the blood rushes away from your head and makes you feel dizzy and wobbly. Usually the thing that makes you better is just lying flat for a couple minutes. Some people will also start to sweat and feel a bit sick to their stomachs when this happens. It is not generally dangerous unless you are sitting near a ledge or driving a car when it happens.

This does not sound like a TIA like some people have mentioned to you, but if it persists and does not get better after a few minutes each time, then you should go see a doctor.

Also, you should get your blood pressure checked, it may be a bit on the low side from your medicines. At your age, it is also a little uncommon to need to be on more than one medicine for high blood pressure, so you might want to have your doctor explain at some point whether there is a possible known cause for your high blood pressure (a problem with the arteries leading to your kidneys or a few other things).

Answer 2

It sounds like a "mini stroke" or a TIA

On the other hand it could be one of a number of things:

-migraine headaches can present with neurological complaints
-a small type of partial seizure could cause this, but classically you would notice a tremor in your hand and grimacing of the face
-anxiety
-subclavian steal syndrome
-postural hypotension

Go see your doctor and get (1) a check of your carotids - (s)he can listen with a stethoscope & order an ultrasound
(2) an ECG to see if you have an irregular heart beat. One type of irregularity can cause blood clots in the atria of the heart and they can fly off to give mini-strokes
(3) an ECHOcardiograph of your heart - an ultrasound picture to see that valves and heart muscle walls are doing the right thing
(4) a CT (CAT) scan of your brain to look for similar previous episodes

Do you have headaches? If so, mention these to your doctor too.


Usually paralysis or altered sensation from a bleed in the brain would not resolve promptly. TIA (transient ischaemic attack) can resolve quickly. It is a little odd that it only lasts 60sec. They usually go on for longer - some minutes to several hours sometimes.

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good point - antihypertensive medications can cause the BP to be lowered (DUH!) and so can give you a low blood pressure if you rise from lying down to a standing position, or from seated to standing - you may find that you have lightheadedness when this happens.

Your doctor should check a lying and standing BP

Answer 3

Demyelination can indicate a nerve supply that is easilly interrupted. Did they indicate where this is problem is located? And to what extent? Wonder why you would indicate or consider hypoxia, when discussing a neurological condition.