TIA or drug interaction?
Hi. I would like to describe an event that happened two nights ago which could have been an episode of TIA, and value your opinion.
BARE FACTS AS I CAN RECALL THEM.
My husband & I each have an upstairs and downstairs apartment. They are not inter-joined. You get from 1 apartment to the other by means of an outside staircase. I went to sleep upstairs and he was immediately below me, downstairs. I was in a highly stressed state & to help me sleep I took 1x10mg Adco-Zolpidem Hemitartrate & 1x 0.5mg Adco-Alzam (benzodiazepine). I soon went to sleep.
I think I "woke up" falling down the outside staircase (not sure) but our night guard found me lying prone on the outside pavement. He tried to help me up but my whole body was trembling violently, including my arms and legs. I was reeling, unable to walk, and crashing against the surrounding walls & fences. He called another guard and, together they helped me up a short staircase to the doorway belonging to my husbands apartment. He could not rouse my deeply sleeping husband so left me propped up against his door while he went off to phone an ambulance. He returned to find me asleep against the door. The two guards helped me up the outside staircase to my apartment where the door was wide open, and put me to bed. I slept for two hours and was awakened by two paramedics & the 2 guards. (4 people, but I "saw" about 7 people in my room! ) Nevertheless I was more coherent and declined their offer to transport me to hospital. They took my blood pressure which was fine and I was able to stand and walk. They left me to sleep.
The next morning I woke up full of bruises & abrasions and my whole body was extremely stiff. I have been fine, though tender for two days.
I had thought that my episode was the result of the interaction between the two tablets. (although I had taken a similar dose twice very recently). It was only last night that a friend suggested I could have experienced a TIA, and that the reason I was wandering around outside was that I was seeking help. I have been surfing the net and have learned that there is a high correlation between stress and TIA. I have been in an exceptionally high level of acute stress and anxiety for 4 months.
I also smoke.
Being Christmas time, doctors are scarce, and so I would value your opinion: was it the drug interaction, or could I have experienced TIA?
Thank you very much.
Fran Lawrence.