Hello!

I posted some links in at least two of the stickies at the top of the forum - look towards the end of the useful links and research and useful links threads.

I have read literally hundreds of research articles and layman articles and medical publications about hormone deficiency caused by concussion.

I myself am getting significantly better now that I am receiving HRT (hormone replacement therapy).

You are very lucky that your Dr. is aware of this condition and that you are getting testing. I went to several Dr.'s who had never even heard of this sort of thing happening and eventually paid a specialist out of pocket for the testing.

The testing proved that the concussion I suffered caused my pituitary gland to malfunction and my HMO pays for all the hormones I need. (Which has made all my out of pocket costs well worth it!)

Some of the symptoms you have listed makes me think that you may also suffer from a hormonal imbalance: in particular, the extreme fatigue, dizziness, light sensitivity, brain fog, cognitive impairments and emotional states you are suffering from.

Is your Dr. testing your IGF-1 level? Please ask them to include it in the panel you are getting because it will determine whether you could need growth hormone which has a lot to do with how our bodies metabolize the other hormones we have and so it affects everything including our cognitive functioning. AND experts believe it is typically the first hormone that becomes deficient in cases of post-traumatic hypopituitarism.

The levels that are supposed to indicate further testing in a healthy person are a little different than the ones that someone needs to have to indicate that further testing is needed in a patient with a history of brain injury - and this includes results that indicate whether someone needs treatment too and your Dr. may know that this condition is happening to people but may not be aware of the different details to look for...

Did your thyroid panel include TPO? These are thyroid antibodies. Sometimes an autoimmune disease can be triggered after a car accident, like Hashimoto's Disease. It may be causing symptoms but hasn't thrown your TSH or T4 or T3 into a state of needing treatment yet.

You are more than welcome to PM me with the results of your tests if you would like ... and I can comment further. (If you feel comfy doing that... or you could post them publicly too, if you want and I'll do the same.)

Some experts are beginning to publish that they suspect that ALL cases of PCS are actually hormone imbalances caused by concussions but that most of the cases resolve themselves and that if someone is still having PCS symptoms for over a year after their concussion that they need this kind of testing in order to receive treatment to get better.

Some very legitimate research, like more than one independent study over the course of several years, has indicated that upwards of 30% of all cases of PCS that lasts for over a year is actually a hormone imbalance or deficiency.

I am SIGNIFICANTLY better than I was before I started the HRT. It's like being 2 different people!

You and anyone else is welcome to PM me about any of this stuff.