[claritan]

I fell and hit the back left of my head right before the Superbowl in February. I had a CT scan and doctors appointments after and all was well they just said i had PCS and will recover. my PCS came about 10 days after the fall

the first month and a half sucked:
-dizzy
-fatigued
-anxiety like no other
-flashing light in my peripheral vision (really annoying and scary
-just overall mental fog

around the 2 month mark i felt great or at least that's what i thought. On the 2 month mark I decided to go out and party the night away like im used to doing on the weekends. im 26 and have been partying for years. I ended up staying up until 4am and drinking around 18 beers and doing cocaine and smoking marijuana.....VERY stupid i know.

2 days later after the binge my PCS came back x10 and this was exactly a month ago tonight. The last couple days Ive been feeling better but the last 3 weeks since my bender Ive had the worst fatigue and dizziness and when i walk it feels like my legs are wobbly and wanna go in other directions. i feel i set myself back a month at least

how bad did i set myself back partying like that? i can honestly say if i didn't party last month it would be my 3 month mark next weekend and i think i would be 100% but right now i feel like im 75%

and does anyone else get the wobbly leg sensation? its the worst when your feet and knees feel like they wanna give out

[Mark in Idaho]

Your partying days are over. Even just alcohol will cause you serious trouble. You need to spend some serious time detoxing. Vitamin supplements will help. B-12 (500 to 1000 mcgs), a B-50 or B-100 complex, Omega's, a strong multi-vitamin like GNC Mega brand and healthy eating. No caffeine, no alcohol or drugs, no MSG or artificial sweeteners (No diet Coke or Pepsi Zero, etc). It will take your brain a few weeks to start to get toxin free.

You also need to slow down your life. No late nights. You need good quality sleep with a quiet day time environment.

And, throw out the calendar for tracking your symptoms. You can be symptoms free for a month and just a little stressor can set you back to the beginning.

Most important, you need to start making decisions that take this experience into account. I was extremely luck when in 1971, I suffered my third concussion and started having more serious symptoms. My neurologist advised me to never drink alcohol. I tried drinking small amounts a few times. Once I had a large beer at a pizza restaurant. The next day I was a total mess. My brother called and noticed my struggles. He called later and asked if I was hung-over because I sounded very hung-over to him. I had consumed about 20 to 24 ounces of beer.

That was the last time I ever consumed alcohol.

You need to consider the same issue. Research shows that a single serving is not a serious problem.

My best to you.

[SpaceCadet]

Welcome to NT.

I agree with Mark. You need to take your recovery seriously. You'll need to be very good to your brain from now on. Start by getting on a good vitamin regimen. That will help detoxify your brain. Just like Mark said, your partying days are over. I thought everything was cool a month or two after the injury, so I went back to drinking heavily. That was the biggest mistake I've ever made...and now I'm at 10 months, still paying for that month of partying. I would stay away from anything that will negatively impact your recovery. That would be more than one serving of caffeine per day, too much sugar, alcohol and especially drugs.

Get plenty of rest. When I say rest, I mean total rest (little to no TV, no video games, limited computer time, etc.)...but don't sit around in a dark room doing nothing all day everyday. You will need a good mix of mild stimulation and total rest. It will take you awhile to find the right formula to keep your symptoms at bay.

Good luck and be good to your brain. You only get one of them.

Nick

[EsthersDoll]

There is no real way to know how far you may have set back your recovery. Just like there is no real way to know how long anyone's recovery will take in the first place, sans partying. (I've been recovering for more than 21 months now...)

I agree with Mark and Nick... you don't want to have to deal with a two year (or longer) recovery, and I don't think you want to make yourself worse either.

Much luck!

[claritan]

you guys seem to have had alot worse injuries than me though. i simply hit my head and didnt need hospitalization. as i post this im feeling much better

i think in 1 month ill be 100%

im not letting this summer suck for me and i plan to go back to drinking at a lower rate in June. If i feel good and dont feel bad the next day im basically back to normal

ive been pushing myself with exercise and other things and its the way to go. i noticed if you sit around and sulk about it your condition doesnt go away. trust me i had bad days but they are getting better

[roadrunner63]

I am afraid that with your plans your summer will really suck for you. Pushing yourself, drugs, alcohol, they will catch up with you if you really have PCS / TBI. Perhaps you are too messed up to realize it at this time. Hopefully you come to your senses... Reread your first post about how the partying affected you.

[camyam73]

Just an FYI - I didn't require hospitalization either. I am now nearing ten weeks and I am just now able to get through a day without a screaming headache.... I had several weeks like this though, and then I would have terrible setbacks....

give yourself a few months, or you may damage your brain to the point where you never truly recover.

Ask yourself. would it be worse for a summer to suck, or your entire lifetime.

Your choice man.

[jeromecon]

Hey claritan, I have been in a similar situation as you. I got a concussion and did yay and weed and drank a month after the initial brain trauma and after my trainer said I was cleared. How do you think you are feeling now and what have you been doing since you posted this comment? I didn't want to believe Mark saying that your partying days are over. Give me your feedback if you can. One last question, have you had a concussion before?

Thanks

[Mark in Idaho]

dubnugdave,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Your trainer's clearance is of limited meaning. Did you use the ImPACT test or some other computer test to determine your recovery?

The concussed brain will react to partying similar to how it will react to another concussion, if not worse. My doctor told me to avoid alcohol back in 1970. When I have had any alcohol, I get strange hang-overs from a single serving. There are still plenty of people who think they are knowledgeable about concussions who disregard alcohol issues as a problem post concussion. The research suggests limiting alcohol to a single serving per day but primarily as a way to relax at the end of a day. They compare the negatives of the alcohol to the positives of relaxation and can justify a single serving. Getting a buzz is too much.

The post concussion hang-over can be quite different. A normal hang-over is usually a sort of allergic reaction to the metabolites of the alcohol. After a concussion, the brain has weakened nerve fibers, axons, dendrites and their myelin sheath and the glymph system that drains away the toxins. It is like your brain's wires are corroded and the sewer system is clogged. Add a rush of chemicals and the whole system gets mucked up far beyond a normal hang-over.

If you are looking for an explanation of when you can party hard again, you have come to the wrong place. Any chemicals that effect neurological function need to be considered very carefully.

The neurological damage from 420 is documented. A compromised brain makes this risk worse. What did you mean by 'doing yay?' I am not familiar with the term. Or was it a typo/brain fart?

Fortunately, many don't use or rely on the full capability of their brain so they can get away with some of the hard partying.

Please let us know how your experiences with partying are going. We can say, I told you so.....

My best to you.

[jeromecon]

Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho

dubnugdave,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Your trainer's clearance is of limited meaning. Did you use the ImPACT test or some other computer test to determine your recovery?

I did take an impact test a day before I was cleared and the results came back better than my initial test I took before even getting a concussion. I was cleared this last Thursday, started up water polo practice again, and she gave me the okay to drink. I drank that weekend and regretfully did cocaine and starting getting symptoms of PCS again this Monday. I got a pretty uncomfortable migraine and an anxiety attack that Monday night and early that Tuesday but has worn off. Would it be okay to start up practice again this Thursday? I drank Friday night and felt fine Saturday and Sunday.