Hello Mark,
Thank you so much! It is nice to have someone who understands. You are correct it was November 2014 when she got hurt. She was put on the Zoloft in May2015. She is sleeping better. If she has a hard time I give your some melatonin to help her fall a sleep. After she was injured I took her several times to the chiropractor and he adjusted her. I was hoping this would help the headache but it did not go away. I have not had her evaluated by a behavioral optometrist but I will most defiantly do that. What do they do? What do they help with? I have spoke with her pediatrician and he agreed about the Zoloft. I have started the weaning process and started her on the vitamins you recommended and she is already making huge improvement. I have not had her assessment by a Neuro-Psychological or a neuro-endocrinologist but I am working on finding both of those right now. We are in the state of Oregon. We have done herbs, acupuncture, and chiropractic,Craniosacral therapy. Her depression is better. She has anxiety problems when she feels trapped or a lot of people but these are improving. She gets headaches very easy now. I had her tested and her short term memory is much better but she still struggles to remember stuff, she is on an IEP at school, she recently took a state test and was given additional time and could not complete it. It takes her longer to process. She is also dyslectic and was before her accident but she was very good at hiding it and masking it so no one really new but now it is not possible to hide it. I have made it where she does not have to read out loud if required with her IEP. All of the specialist I have seen tell me it takes 1-3 years for her to recover completely. Has this been most people's time line? Did everything improve? What are the most common symptoms that stay? Do you have any recommendations as far as Neuro psychologist or neuro-endocrinologist? Thank you so much for the advise it is such a blessing to have other people who truly understand.
Warm wishes,
Carrie
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho
Carrie,
Welcome to NeuroTalk. I am so sorry to hear your daughter is struggling so. I have a good idea what you are going through because my mother went through a similar experience with me 40 to 50 years ago.
Everything she is experiencing is not uncommon. The burden you are carrying is common, too.
I'm a little confused about the timeline. I guess you mean she suffered her concussion in 2014. Then, she was put on Zoloft about a year ago. ?
I have a number of concerns that may have not been addressed.
How is she sleeping ? Has anybody watched her sleep to see if she breaths consistently through the night ? Nightmares can be due to breathing struggles.
Has she had her vision assessed by a behavioral optometrist ?
Has she had any assessment of her neck ? A hit to the head causes trauma to the neck. Upper cervical injuries can be hard to diagnose and difficult to find good treatment for. More on that later.
I'm concerned about the high dose Zoloft. I also do not like to see psychologists getting so hard into meds, especially a single med. Many people need to try different meds to find the one that works best. Her mental health struggles are far more than garden variety anxiety, depression and moodiness. Her flat affect (no emotions) can be due to her concussion or due to the high doses she is taking. The Zoloft could be helping or hiding things. It will take months for her to reduce her dose.
Has she had an assessment of her hormones, all of them ? A neuro-endocrinologist's assessment could be helpful.
Has she had a Neuro-Psychological Assessment ? They are done by neuro-psychologists, not generic psychologists. Some are better than others. A neuro-psych affiliated with a neuro rehab hospital or clinic would be a good start.
You don't say what other symptoms she currently has beside the depression, etc. Is she back to school or still struggling ?
How much B-12 is she taking and what kind (methyl or cyano) ? The vitamins sticky at the top has lots of good information. Is she consuming a normal diet or doing anything special. An anti-inflammatory diet may be worth consideration. Google anti-inflammatory diet.
What state are you in ? Some states have access to treatments that others do not have.
What are the treatments you found online that you have tried ?
Regarding her neck. If it gets inflamed during sleep, it can cause sleep disturbances that can make her days miserable and prevent her brain from healing. And cause the nightmares as her brain get poor blood flow and poor oxygen. Gentle traction and mobilization by a skilled chiro, PT or such can help but the most important part is sleeping with good head and neck posture so the inflammation is not triggered. Too much pillow/lift, neck angles, and anything where the head is not straight with the spine can cause inflammation.
She needs proper quality sleep where she goes through all of the proper stages of sleep. The brain heals during REM sleep. It purges toxins during slow wave sleep. So, all the stages are important.
For me, I did best sleeping in a recliner so I stayed in good alignment. Adjustable beds like a hospital bed can help, too.
By now, I'm sure I have overwhelmed you. Sorry about that.
Feel free to ask any question or tell us anything. PCS like you daughter is experiencing is complex and stressful. You arw with people who understand.
My best to you both.
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