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Old 09-10-2007, 05:55 PM
wildcard wildcard is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Western PA
Posts: 12
15 yr Member
wildcard wildcard is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Western PA
Posts: 12
15 yr Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mint View Post
How long have you had PCS symptoms and how bad was your original injury?

Are things getting better for you?
I've had the most recent bout of PCS symptoms since 2004. I also had an shorter bout where most of the symptoms went away where the injury was in 1998 and the symptoms faded dramatically on their own in a few years.

The most recent concussion would probably be termed 'moderate', with only a few seconds of greying or blacking out after impact. However, the symptoms from this concussion are more dramatic, with the following symptoms

*Concentration issues
*Dyslexia when writing or typing
*Issues forming coherent sentences or speaking verbally (loss of vocabulary, etc.)
*Headaches (these are fortunately getting a lot better and are few/far between)
*Feeling of pressure/'congestion' in the back of my head, at the base of the skull/beginning of spinal column (nothing has shown up on any x-rays or MRI about vertebrae being out of alignment or any soft tissue issues. This also tends to occur more with headaches. I also have borderline-to-high blood pressure, which I'm sure ties into this symptom somewhere)
*Inability to deal with being in large groups of people-I'm almost agoraphobic
*Depression and anxiety issues
*Radical mood swings
*Easily irritated/extremely short temper
*Extreme inability to deal with stressful situations-at some point where the stress level reaches a certain point, all sorts of things begin misfiring. Something seems to take over on a fight-or-flight-instinct level and I just physically leave the situation. Naturally, this has caused a lot of problems, and has cost me one job, one relationship, and has repeatedly strained friendships.

Overall, I've had some symptoms improve, but overall things have been steadily declining.

I share a lot of the frustration that the other posters have with the medical community's reaction and treatment- I remember doing a lot of online research and took a bunch of printouts to the doctor when I first got treated, and the doctor actually TOLD me to my face that I was more well informed and knowledgeable about PCS than she was. Her treatment, rather than refer me to a neurologist, was to tell me that I'd have these symptoms for the rest of my life and to prescribe anti-depressants (Xoloft, which did absolutely nothing and I have since stopped taking them).
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