Hi All,

I am a 25 y.o. male that recently was diagnosed with a concussion and MTBI. I hit my head two weeks ago (day before Christmas) and am going through the usual symptoms of headache, annoyance in talking and speaking my mind, difficulty processing cognitive equations, and a lot of anxiety.

One of the main reasons I have anxiety is the way in which I obtained this injury. I would really appreciate any advice and/or reassurance and I will keep the story as brief as possible:

Someone fell on top of me after jumping very high playing basketball and I hit the front of my head on the wooden floor after breaking the fall with my forearms, shoulder and knee. I felt fine after the blow, didn't get knocked out, and continued to play the rest of the game.

Afterwards to be safe I went to the Urgent Care and did some neurological tests. After passing them with flying colors, I was given the advice that I was fine and to take it easy.

Seeing as though we had an Alumni get together that night, I probably ended up having about five or six drinks. This occured maybe 6 hours after the concussion. I noticed my tolerance was significantly weaker to the point of getting drunk, and I got so scared that I took .5 MG of Alprazolam (Xanax) to help myself sleep that night.

The next day I woke up and had a few beers throughout the day watching football games. Felt fine this day, just tired, and thought I was fine.

Immediately after that day (starting the 28th), I started developing PCS headaches and other side effects listed above.

Since then, I have been very cautious and have tried to rest as much as possible. It has been two weeks and I am still feeling very off.

My biggest concern is: Is there cause to be concerned for permanent/irreversible brain damage from drinking alcohol or taking Alprazolam within 6 hours of the incident? I am worried to death that I impeded (perhaps permanently) my brain's ability to heal by making the decision to have some drinks at my Alumni event. It should be noted that the Urgent Care determined I was fine and most likely 'did not have a concussion'. Since then, I have been diagnosed as having a concussion.

Any thoughts or reassurance would be greatly appreciated. I am currently taking Amantadine to speed the recovery up. Thanks for your time.