Hi, I know I'm late coming into this thread, and I apologize.

Mark is good with his input. Its very informative and trustworthy.

You have not told us where you are from: US, Elsewhere?

You have noted that you have stayed within the employer's system; what about having them setup care for you - a provder taking care of your interests, not theirs - it is their responsibility you know..... OR, since you have insurance, finding your own Neurologist / Physiatrist AND attorney, to direct your care.

Sorry to bring in the Attorney angle here, however, you employer and those practitioners only have one interest at heart - theirs, the employer, not yours - thats a fact...(no matter how 'kind' they seem)....ask anyone here or elsewhere who has been involved in a worker's comp situation....there are statutes of limitations.

You have noted many things that are indicative of PCS, so yes you have been experiencing it... you need rest; you have need of therapy and interventions and unbiased testing to help evaluated what actually needs to be addressed to help you receive therapies to direct recovery.

As to the Caffeine, like many , you like it, we all do, but it is a bad thing for our injured brains, and since you can't totally let go, could you work toward decreasing it - for every can of soda, have a similar amount of water as the next drink , instead of another can of soda?

Smoking, could you put yourself on a timer, to decrease your intake, reducing it, to cut back 1/2 the amount per week or per 2 weeks, until better able to reduce to zero in a given period of time?

Those 2 items would eventually save you quite a bit of money down the road - I know as I was a 2 pack a day smoker, and a 2 case a week diet drink drinker at the time of my injury - now, 3 years later , pretty much only an occasional cigarette and diet soda. And, I used to work in the Medical Field, and should have known better.

OK, the next Issue: Your brain is hurt, injured, and no one here will disagree about that. It comes out with your responses , about the reports, about the retorts to the input you have received, etc.

We are not attacking you. Its just observation. We have done it, we have seen it. We are here to help.

And we agree, like you say, but you probably do have some sort of depression, but its not Depression as that NPA is saying that is your problem ( because that just gives them something to say was "pre-existing" to get them off the hook from the injury causing you your problem..........back to my point above which is => where is your own protection and care giver input (NOT THEIRS).

The Vitamins: Your brain is hurt. They are useful. There are many resources to obtain them. When you are ready to explore purchases, besides Costco (if a member), you could look at Puritan's Pride (online) they offer very good deals, and I'm sure other members here have connections elsewhere.

- To avoid the MSG worries and other additive worries many have, its best to avoid boxed foods, and just keep spices on the table such as salt (if you must), pepper, cayenne, tumeric, and/or others that you like to flavor your foods with.... I personnaly premix tumeric, cayenne and black pepper on all my foods to taste and my wife and I cook together to keep me involved around the house, besides the 'honey-do' list that she oversees me doing - so I don't stagnate.

While you are still having problems with those you note, please continue getting as much rest without outside stimuli as you can. Please take the time to find caregivers for your needs as I noted.

I hope others will chime in with more advice, and we can all give you more support, and you can more forward with Best Wishes ,



Sorry for the last minute Eidt:

When I was in practice, I would never use Propanolol for one reason - the depression it caused in most folks was so overwhelming that the Migraine sufferers would ask to change their meds because they already had enough depression from the migraines and didn't like the extra depression the drug gave them...... Most of these patients were long term Migraine patients who had been changed from older medications to Propanolol by their new physicians when Propanolol received its clearance for Migraine use by the FDA and all the new Internists began using the new guidelines.