Hey AJ87,

I know I mentioned this before, but I've had very similar symptoms in terms of vertigo/dizziness triggered by sudden movements, and after getting treated at a sport concussion clinic and being told I had BPPV, vestibular neuritis, that all my symptoms were the result of anxiety, etc., I got a second (and third and fourth) opinion from some top neurologists. All of them diagnosed me with vestibular migraine (or migraine associated vertigo).

increase in migraine activity is SUPER common after concussion, but not all migraine symptoms are the traditional headache (though it does seem like you've had that at least once), so it seems to confuse most run-of-the-mill concussion doctors when various sensory stimuli trigger symptoms that feel really similar to your initial concussion symptoms (and maybe lack the splitting headache or zig-zag aura that most people associate with migraine). They might think you are just not "healed" yet or that you are just a head case (because not only does migraine pathology cause and exacerbate anxiety, but unhelpful doctors can perpetuate it!).

The turning point for me was when i did a telehealth appointment here: **/ and then the subsequent two opinions corroborated Dr. Kutcher's.

The document below is one that I've found to be particularly helpful in regard to explaining the mechanisms and symptoms of migraine in a concise way:

**

Kind of the hallmark of migraine is a hypersensitive nervous system (the lights are too bright, the sounds are too loud, or motion is difficult to tolerate). These stimuli can feel so strong that its physically painful. I think being, for example, light sensitive, is an easy concept to understand, but "motion sensitivity" is more than just getting sick in the car. Quick movements can feel like you're slamming your head against the wall. If you didn't know any better, you'd think you were causing brain damage--YOU'RE NOT! You are just sensitive to vestibular inputs, and the strong stimuli are exacerbating your migraine symptoms.

Some people also have a sensitivity to pain or to bumping their head. I know you've mentioned feeling pain while brushing your hair or touching your head. That is textbook migraine. It felt for months like my scalp was sunburnt. Didnt like to wear my hair up because it was so painful. I think the medical term for it is allodynia.

From what I've been told (which is consistent with what I've experienced so far), vestibular PT can be helpful, but the progress is usually slow and the results are usually incomplete. Migraine preventative medication is often the best bet. I'm on a common preventative, and it does seem to be helping some (too early to tell for sure), but it took a while to work up to a therapeutic dose and some real patience to tolerate the side effects.

Another interesting thing to note...another user posted recently that his issues with motion sensitivity started to resolve when he received treatment for low levels of testosterone. Hormone fluctuation is one of the biggest culprits behind change in migraine symptoms (for better or for worse). I though it was interesting. It did not seem like he had been diagnosed with migraine, and there's no way to know for sure, but his experience would certainly be consistent with what the medical community understands about migraine.

Sorry for rambling! Obviously no one really understands what you're going through or has all of the answers, but in case there is any overlap in what we're both dealing with, I figured I'd let you know what I've learned. Good luck!