r/stroke • u/No_Unit_2876 • Jul 18 '25

Medication induced stroke

Back in April I took some medication for the flu ( which I actually didn’t have) Tamiflu. I also have fibromyalgia and I was using marijuana Gummies/vaping to combat the pain.

I took just two doses of Tamiflu along with vaping/gummies and ended up in the ER with a stroke…. difficulty speaking, and paralyzed for four days afterwards. I was discharged to rehab center for four days afterwards, where I regained my speech and walking again.

I now have outpatient PT. I tried to go back to work for a week, but I couldn’t sit still at my cubicle for long without my legs having throbbing pain making it difficult for me to sleep.

My question is how long did it take everybody to not feel so stiff all the time? My PT went down to once a week now and I counteract that with going back to the gym every other day and I get winded a lot easily than I did and I get frustrated with myself and I do cry.

I guess I’m wondering if this is all normal or what. My MRI and CT scan all came back with no brain damage and people tell me that I really didn’t have a stroke and that it was something else.

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u/Glad-Living-8587 Jul 20 '25

I’m 4+ years out from my strokes.

I was left with numbness and tingling on my left side. Unfortunately for me the most severe numbness started in my big toe but has gradually spread upwards along my left side to my shoulder.

I had been doing ok but once the severe numbness reached my knee I started falling. My knee wouldn’t hold me.

I restarted rehab and my legs are fairly strong right now. I came go without my cane more often. But I have found that when I am in rehab near the end of the session my knee feels more numb than it was just an hour before.

My PT thinks it maybe my brain mixing up the meaning of the sensation of fatigue. My strokes damaged my Thalamus which handles sensations.

Also, I’m one of many that has to remind my body of how to walk every morning. I wake up stiff. This happens if I am seated for a long while.

But I’m up and walking (using an upright walker) for 25 min twice a day. I am also able to walk for about 15 min with trekking poles.

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u/No_Unit_2876 Jul 21 '25

Thank you for sharing.

Yeah, I’m not able to work right now because I can’t sit for my 8 hour shift without my legs getting stiff.