I'm sorry you guys - I tend to post so much about it that I assume others know what I'm talking about. I've put many links about this in the stickies at the top... I recommend that every single PCS and/or TBI patient get their hormones tested ASAP.
HRT is hormone replacement therapy.
I was very determined to get better and I could not understand why I wasn't getting better after the concussion.
What I learned from research conducted by the Defense Center of Excellence (DCOE) and other research groups is that even a single concussion can cause one or more neuroendocrine problems from damage to the hypothalamus, pituitary gland or the pituitary stalk that connects them.
The pituitary gland provides us all with hormones throughout the day that we need in order to function cognitively and physically. It is sometimes referred to as the master gland. When hypopituitarism is caused by a concussion then a patient will not heal... they will not recover... their prognosis turns from good to fair to poor.
The medical community has known about this condition for over 100 years, but they thought it was VERY RARE. The latest research has indicated that it's not that rare at all and could be what PCS is altogether.
Some experts believe that PCS
is a neuroendocrine disorder. And that it resolves itself in some patients within the first few weeks up to a year. And some patients's cases do not resolve themselves at all which necessitates HRT.
This is the latest research about it. Many Dr.'s aren't familiar with it and aren't familiar with the levels tested to indicate whether further testing is needed or what levels require treatment.
Once a PCS patient is diagnosed with hypopituitarism and they receive HRT, then their prognosis improves significantly. It takes about a year of HRT to reap the full benefits cognitively and physically but I have met other hypopit patients online who continued to improve after a year's time.
Some of the terms used for this condition are:
hypopituitarism
post traumatic hypopituitarism
neuroendocrine dysfunction
hormone imbalance
The symptoms for each PCS and Hypopituitarism overlap a great deal. The only way to know if a tbi patient is suffering from hypopituitarism is if their hormone levels are tested. TBI patients have different levels to indicate further testing or treatment than the "healthy" population and most Dr.'s aren't aware of that.
I had to see several endocrinologists in order to just receive the testing because three of them weren't familiar with it enough to order the testing and/or didn't agree that this could have been my problem.
My neurologist told me it was "impossible" and one endocrinologist I saw told me that hormones have nothing to do with cognitive functioning. My neuro has since told others that she sometimes learns from her patients (pointing to me) and the endo I saw who refused to even consider that might be my problem - well, I hope he's retiring soon....
http://www.dcoe.mil/content/navigati...mendations.pdf
http://www.dcoe.mil/content/Navigati...ing_Slides.pdf
http://www.dcoe.mil/content/Navigati...rence_Card.pdf