Woman suffers stroke after quitting medication to follow strange 'cult'

Doctor Pham Van Cuong, Stroke Center, 108 Military Central Hospital, said the patient was brought to the emergency room on June 19 due to a stroke, a history of atrial fibrillation, mechanical mitral valve replacement 5 years ago, and was taking oral anticoagulants. The family said that for the past 3 months she followed a group of people calling themselves a "cult" to practice and stopped taking medication for about a week because she believed that "practicing according to this method does not require any medication".

The patient was admitted to the hospital within the second hour of showing signs of stroke, with lethargy, complete paralysis of the right side of the body, and speech disorder. A CT scan revealed that she had a left middle cerebral artery occlusion, a diagnosis of acute cerebral infarction due to a thrombosis from the heart within the first three hours.

The doctor gave the patient intravenous thrombolytic drugs (rTPA), then continued with "bridging" treatment, re-opening the blood vessels with mechanical devices. After the intervention, the patient recovered well, gradually regained consciousness, was able to speak, understand words, and had good mobility on the right side of his body.

"The patient had a stroke due to stopping anticoagulant medication, leading to a stuck heart valve and a blood clot forming from the heart moving to the brain," said Dr. Cuong.

The patient was fortunate to be taken early to a medical facility fully equipped with emergency equipment and stroke treatment. If not treated early, the patient could have died or suffered severe disability.

Doctors advise people not to stop taking medication on their own to follow unscientific exercise and treatment methods. "Exercise is necessary but requires the advice of experts and medical staff," said Dr. Cuong.