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Wow, i'm just loaded with questions this morning.. That's what a 2 hour school delay gets me!!

I've posted previously how my DH had a stroke last year.. He is still dealing with a lot of side effects & symptoms from the stroke... He has odd 'stroke like' symptoms where his body goes numb, his speech slurs & he is dizzy.. this lasts about 10 minutes then it's gone but it leaves him drained & tired.

After 3 hospitalizations & numerous PCP doctor visits with all tests coming back fine, his neurologist said the 'episodes' were mainly caused by all of the meds he is on ( for diabetes,stroke etc) & his brain will simply never be the same, due to the stroke..

Well, yesterday he got to add a new symptom.. He & DS2 were driving DS1 back to college from Spring break ( appx 1½ hrs away) DS's do the driving for the most part.. DH might take the wheel for a little bit but even driving to Wal Mart ( which is right down the street) can be a struggle. The furthest DH drives is to take DS2 to his college which is literally in our back yard ( the woods behind my house run directly into the woods behind the college)

Anyway, they are driving home & DS2 looks over & DH is crying & sobbing uncontrollably... He asks if DH is okay & DH can't really talk, he's just sobbing & crying. DS asks if he should pull over but DH tells him no.. he cried for about 20 minutes...

Later that evening he had several more crying/sobbing episodes.. he said they come on for no reason..

I did some googling & he has all of the symptoms of PBA- pseudobulbar affect.. where people have uncontrollable fits of laughing & crying..

We are going to be calling his neurologist this morning when they open to see what he says but would like to know if anyone has any first hand knowledge of this condition??

It saddens me that DH is only 43YO & has all of these health problems.. in addition to the stroke, his torn rotator cuff isn't healed after 2 surgeries & his otho doc said that there is really nothing more that can be done

(((philly and DH)))

Sorry - I'm not at all familiar with pba. I hope you get answers and help for him. ((((Philly & H)))))

((Philly & H))

I went to a presentation on PBA last year at a conference, and we've had 2 residents at the SNF where I work who were diagnosed with it.

One treatment that has apparently shown a lot of promise is a combination of dextromethorphan (yep, the cough suppressant) and quinidine, which is a heart medication. I don't know how/why it works but there was some pretty strong research presented.

The one lady we had who was most severely affected seems to have moved through that stage and is now much more even in her temperament.

(((philly and family)))