Originally Posted by leonardevens

I am a 77 year old man who cycles two or three time a week. About a month ago, another cyclist cut in front of me and I collided with her. I was found unconscious on the ground and taken to the local emergency room. My helmet was cracked. Initially I was coherent; I called my son and was able to tell him some important things to do. But I started developing symptoms of concussion, which were confirmed by scans. I became somewhat incoherent and was unable to remember some things.

The doctors decided surgery was not necessary but started me on keppra, 500 mg, per day, in addition to my usual medications---mainly an ACE inhibitor for blood pressure and Ultram for pain associated with spinal stenosis.

After four or five days I improved enough to be transferred to an extended care facility where I was given physical and occupational therapy. I never had much physical disability and my memory and other mental abilities started returning. I was discharged from the extended care facility about three weeks after the accident with instructions to continue with the medication, to avoid strenuous exercise, and to follow up with my physicians. Now about a month after the accident I don't seem to have any problems with balance, and most of my memory and other mental abilities have returned. (My test is whether or not I can do the NY Times crossword puzzles, and while not quite back to normal in that respect, I am pretty close.)

But I am still suffering some effects either from the concussion or from the medication, keppra. I find it hard to concentrate for long periods of time, and I have various feelings of pressure---like from sinusitis---in my head. I am tired a lot of the time.
I assume some of this will improve as the concussion heals, but that some of it is from the keppra.

Does anyone have any advice to help me cope. In particular, I would like some ways to safely counteract the keppra side effects, so I can get more done. I didn't do anything with my routine business for three weeks, and I am just catching up. (Fortunately, most of my routine bills are paid automatically, but things aren't set up to run entirely without my attention). The vagueness and head symptoms make that much harder. There isn't anything momentous involved, just the routine stuff any retiree my age would have, but things can get messy if they aren't dealt with.