strange question
 

Hey its been awhile since i posted anything but have a few new questions to ask. occassionally i get this thing where my heart starts racing really fast and it beats extremely hard to the point where it shakes my whole body if im leaning against anything. i also white out get very light headed have shortness or breath and sometimes pass out. i have no idea if this is related to the concussion or not but it never happened before i got it so im confused.

does anyone else get this ever or does anyone know what it could be it get me kinda worried when it happens and i dont want to pass out at practice again or its back to the doctor and no more basketball. anyone have any idea what this could be?:confused:

Whatever it is, it's way more important than basketball. Please talk to your doctor.

By the way, blood pressure issues are fairly common in TBI patients.

Take care of yourself!

Cheers

I agree with Hockey. You should talk to your doctor and parents. I understand that it is important to you to be able to play (my daughter would give anything to be back jumping her horse again) but your overall health is way more important. With the symptoms you describe here and in other threads, playing doesn't sound like a good idea. If you were to pass out, you could hit your head again and you could have a major set back.

this leads me to some other questions. i have been getting some new symptoms lately and wonder if anyone else gets them. one ive noticed that has been happening a lot lately is that every noise seems to be the same volume. where its like i cant filter out other noises. if im having a conversation with someone i cant focus on just that one because everything else around me seems to be at that same volume.

its very overwhelming especially in a lunch room or a loud class with lots of people does anyone else have this feeling?

soccer,

Like the others said, you need to put your health above basketball. You are having classic post concussion symptoms. You also may have a problem with your cervical vertebra. Have you been checked out by a chiropractor who specializes in upper cervical issues? NUCCA is a good place to start for a referral. Check out http://www.nucca.org/find_doctor.php

The sound issue is common. It is more an anxiety issue but it is caused by the concussion. It may be linked to your light headedness, too.

You need a good medical work-up with blood work. All of your hormones, B-12, folate, D3, Thyroid (T3, T4, TSH), fasting blood sugar, serum insulin. These can all effect how your brain works and reacts to daily events. D3 impact the hormones so it is very important. Most people, especially in northern areas, have chronic low D3. Our diets and lack of sun exposure cause low D3. My wife and I take 3-5000 IU's of D3 as our physician's recommendation. .

The anxiety like issues are from your body getting either over-stimulated or just out of whack with your adrenal system. You might be going through a fight or flight adrenal response. It causes you heart to race and your senses to become much more sensitive. These senses then pick-up your heart beat and also zero in on all of the sounds around you.

I have this problem. Once my brain has started to 'pay attention' to all of the ambient (background) sounds, I have to remove myself to another area with different sounds. For example, I could be in church during singing.

At first, I heard others singing as a group. Then, my brain would start picking out individual voices. First just one, then two and three. If I was not headed for the door by the third voice, I could crash badly when the fourth or fifth voice has become pronounced.

I am on a medication now that greatly reduces these symptoms. I do not recommend the medication route if you can avoid it. You need to learn to remove yourself from these situations. In my experience, each time it happens, it causes the next time to happen with less stimulation. Your brain develops a bad habit of doing this and it become a big problem.

Have you started a nutrition regimen yet? You really need to get going on this if you haven't. It will make a big difference but it takes weeks for your brain to get the benefits. I have listed my vitamin and other supplements on a thread with "Waste of Kaitlyn." You could lower the dosage a bit for your body weight. I am 180 pounds.

Your basketball could also be triggering some adrenaline response. This is what happens when you get 'psyched' for a game or from a game.

Are you staying away from caffeine? You should be. It can mess up your adrenal system.

Have you bought some foam ear plugs yet. You need them too. They will help in the lunch room and noisy classes. They do not make you deaf,. They just lower the volume, mostly by reducing the background noise. You also need to be sitting in the front row as close to the teacher as possible. Your visual focus on the teacher's lips will help your brain focus on his/her voice.

If you think these things are too embarrassing to do, consider this. Your brain needs to heal. Any time you get these overwhelming situations and reactions, you are delaying healing, and maybe even setting yourself back. Tell your friends that you need the ear plugs while your brain heals.

I tell people I have an auditory processing disorder. If they ask further. I tell them that my brain cannot filter out the background sounds so my brain gets overwhelmed. You need to understand this physiological event so you can relate it to others.

My post mentioned above also has a link to Dr Shutz book. Here it is again: http://www.givebackorlando.com/hepusef/hepindex.html

He refers to these situations as Head Injured Moments. He has a complete system for learning to 'fix' them. The 'advanced techniques' section has some great information. Print the whole book out (150 pages) and put it in a three ring binder and read it with a highlighter. You mother needs to read it too. Some of it is aimed at more serious brain injuries but it has fantastic info for post concussion syndrome.

You need to understand that you have to work at recovery. It does not just happen over time.

And, about basketball. What if you fall and hit your head, or just bump heads with another player going up for a rebound? You will be in sorry shape. It is not worth messing up the rest of your life for a game of basketball. Later, you may be better able to tolerate the risks. Right now, your risk level is very high.

Print out this post and the others. Highlight the great advice you are getting.

My best to you.

I can't filter sounds. I hear everything and every sound is as important as every other sound. It's a profoundly disabling situation and, frankly, puts a real strain on one's sanity. My problem is not caused by anxiety (not that I don't suffer from that now too). I've been this way since the moment I woke up because of damage to my parietal lobe.

It is concerning that you've started to exhibit these sorts of symptoms. I hope Mark is right and this is a product of anxiety. However, with you insisting on bouncing your bruised brain around (read some of Mark's earlier posts on exercise to get an idea of how much force you're subjecting yourself to) to play basketball, you may have aggravated or even added to your existing damage.

Sorry to be so blunt, but you are putting yourself at enormous risk.

Please Take Care:hug:

hey thanks mark but i think i shouldve elaborated a little more and when the racing heart thing happens. it is always during practice after i have done some running for warmups or something like that and then we do an easier drill were we are jogging through plays or not doing very strenuous activities.

the last time it happened for example (because its hard to explain) we were doing a drill called shell were you stand on the outside of the 3 point line and the defense is in the middle. we were passing the ball around working on defensive movement not offense so we were literally just standing there.

then one pass from a teammate went over my head so i was running to get it thats when it started. it starts racing really fast and hard and about 5-10 sec later i start whiting out and getting lightheaded/dizzy. i then have shortness of breath for a while and a tightness in my chest and back if i ignore it for awhile.

probably one of the reasons this has me worried is that i have no way of knowing when it will happen. there is no pattern whatsoever. and every time this happens the symptoms tend to stay around longer than the last time. any advice on what it could be?
oh and i get exhausted once the "episode" is over and i return to normal (if you can even call it that)

Check your blood pressure before and during one of these episodes. I have to wear a monitor during exercise to make sure I keep my pulse rate in my PCS friendly zone. If I step over the line, my head feels likes its going to explode and I get dizzy.

how would you check your blood pressure?

You're going to need help from a health professional. In my case, I worked out with my PT wearing a monitor.

You could check your heart rate by counting your pulse. Unfortunately, during an episode you're too incapacitated to do that solo.

Please ask for the help you so clearly need.

soccer,

You can buy a blood pressure monitor that straps around your wrist. Walgreens.com has two different models for $49.99 each.

What would have happened if that high pass over your head had instead, hit your head? Think about it and save your brain. You can't grow a new one.

i thought of some other questions i wanted to ask. does anyone ever experience the feeling that you are falling asleep uncontrollably while working out usually during running. it is a weird feeling while were doing sprints i feel more awake then while walking i feel fine. but anytime were jogging the faster i run the closer i am to falling asleep. has anyone ever had that?

im sure i will think of more questions and will post them when i think of them.

Talk to you parents and get to the doctor ASAP. To me, it sounds like there could be other things going on other than PCS. You should get your heart and blood pressure checked out. This all sounds pretty scary to me. Please get check out and let us know how you are doing.

thought of another one does anyone get the kind of headache where it feels like your head is hot or burning. not to the touch more like inside your head. i have noticed a pattern that seems to go along with it.

first i will get very naseous then i will get dizzy like my balance is messed up and then these burning headaches come which usually go away after a few minutes and then i usually get the ice pick headaches.

does anyone else get this or know why this could be happening?

soccer,

Yes, your symptoms are very common with concussion. You need to get seen by a good doctor who understands concussion. At least a neurologist. Definitely someone better than a family doctor. A specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation might be helpful.

You should not be putting yourself at risk. One of the symptoms of concussion is the tendency to minimize your symptoms. This results in making very poor judgments about your ability to tell when you are at greatest risk. Part of your brain is just not working.

You are risking the rest of your life, not just next year or next season.

The body and brain is very good at telling you that something is wrong. Yours is screaming at you.

Please, get some good medical help. If you don't do it for yourself, do it for those you love and who love you. They will be the ones who will have to care for you if you get hurt again or if your condition deteriorates.

You are still young. Now is the time to let your brain heal. It will not heal very well as you get older.

Please........

Soccer14: I have to agree with everyone else here with respect to sports. After a really sucessful start in high school sports, my daughter has missed volleyball, basketball, and now track her sophomore year. I know missing out on your sports seems unbearable. When you define yourself as an "athlete" it's hard to lose your place. It's hard for kids like you to tame that competitive nature. However, this is not something you can "tough out" and get better.

The more you push it, the slower your brain is going to heal. I'm sure you've had team mates lose an entire season due to an ACL injury or something similar, right? Nobody thinks less of them if they quit that sport altogether or take off a whole year. This is no different. In fact if there was any way to actually see a concussion, as you can see a broken bone or torn ACL, people would probably be locking you in your room to keep you from doing any further irritation or harm.

I've spent more hours than I can count in high school gyms. There is no denying that basketball is risky. Be kind to your future self!!!!

yea i can understan that. i have one thing that troubles me though. one game i was playing in i hadnt been doing well at all you know just working to stand up but i didnt want to say anything so i kept playing.

about half way through the 3 quarter all of a sudden it was like my head totally cleared and i felt the most calm i ever had in my life. i went on to score 15 points in the 4 quarter and felt great for about an hour after the game.

its happened a couple more times since then so i always second guess myself on whether i should keep playing or not. i know i should stop but if it gets better all of a sudden like that it just feels like a waste then.

what could this be?

soccer14
 

Hi Soccer14

I have been worried about ya. :)

You are getting some good advice above.

Sorry you're still struggling with these things.

It's time to be reevaluated. That's just part of being injured/not healthy for whatever reason. You probably are not going to be happy about the results. :hug:

Your new concerns can be related to PCS or it may be unrelated. but either way, a combination of or a result of or something else doesn't matter. I don't think you can escape the necessary medical attention any longer.

You're very stong-willed, which is a good thing. Use it wisely. Put your health first.

I like to look 5 years ahead for a short-term plan/goal and then see 10 years down the road as more of a goal. Where will you be soccer14?

Chances are, your coach already knows something's not right too. Your eyes would tell the tale too. dilated pupils, constricted pupils. You may be exhibiting a dazed looked or gaze and you're the only that don't know that. You could have a cold, clamy look, sweaty... :confused:

You blood pressure needs to be monitored for sure.

It sounds like you're experiencing episodes of syncope, for whatever reason, and in addition to all the PCS symptoms you're still dealing with.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/811669-overview -

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...S338&q=syncope

Take care.

Keep in touch... :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

My concern is not about how well you can play. We all have moments of high function compared to our normal symptoms. My concern is the risk you put yourself in.

I wonder if you have an adrenal system malfunctioning. When it finally kicks into gear, your head could be clearing up enough for you to feel great. This also could relate to your other intermittent symptoms.

Do you ever have times where you get REAL frustrated, either at a person or study struggle? Do you have times where you think you want to strangle someone for their comment or action?

Do you have times when you just can't sit still? Or have a leg that twitches? Or you have racing thoughts?

Do you have times when you say to yourself, "I just don't care"? Or you have a hard time getting motivated to do what you know you need to do?

These are all symptoms of your brain not functioning properly. They can come and go due to a myriad of reasons, blood sugar levels, stress, sleep, allergens, immune responses, hormone imbalances, etc. These are all symptoms that should be journaled with the circumstances before these symptoms appeared.

Then, you need to present them to a doctor who understands PCS.

I'm sure you think we are worry warts & fuddy duddy's:cool:

But we have been there and done that - and are paying the price of head injuries or previous head injuries.

Please see an expert chiropractor that will do a full evaluation of your spine & body posture.
An upper cervical/Nucca trained DC that specializes in PCS/TBI injuries would really be good.

I went off my horse at age 15 and the repercussions of it showed up 25 yrs later, plus 15 yrs of repetitive work added to that.

My fall was only a minor concussion, but age & work, life took a toll.

We are all just trying to make sure you are fully healthy and recovered before you return to sports.

explore this website to learn more-
http://www.upcspine.com/self.htm

here is one Drs website that has highlighted portions that explain more about it - but you can find many more by doing a simple search on upper cervical.
http://www.necksecret.com/The_Atlas_Vertebra.html

Image showing what part of the body is affected by spinal column -
http://www.omealyspineandposture.com...ctic_small.jpg
might have to hit CTRL+ to make it larger

hey thanks this sounds like it could be happening. its hard to tell though because i cant really keep track of all the symptoms i experience during the day because there are so many.

do you think you could explain what an episode might feel like? or what i posted that made you think i was having these episodes? thanks that would help. :)

mark now that you mention this yes i have these feelings all the time! :eek: in fact just today at practice i all of a sudden changed moods and during a drill someone just knocked the ball playfully out of my hand and i actually hit them because of it. i just couldnt help it.

and then we were going through plays and i was just thinking i dont give a s*** about this at all. which is unusual because i normally concentrate very hard while we do plays because if i dont i just forget them.

yesterday all day i couldnt sit still or concentrate in any of my classes i was moving constantly and felt like i had to get up and move around or i was literally lose my mind. i hate that feeling.

and yes my thoughts race a lot. from one thing to another all the time. im pretty sure my friends think i have ADD because of it. i just cant help it and its not very good for homework either.

well because of all this now what?

hey thanks i looked at the websites and i do have some of those symptoms mostly in the first one. its hard to tell though because i think a lot of them are related to the concussions.

then again they do think i messed up my neck when i got it because first i dove for it and hit my head then somebody landed on my head so that definitely could have done something to it. i went to a chiropractor but it didnt help at all so i stopped going to see him.

he gave me some exercises to help my posture but then didnt do anthing either my back muscles are just too tight for them to help. since i have some of those symptoms what does that mean? what should i do about them? how could they affect everything?

It is a medical term that is used when a patient has an episode of "loss of time" or "zoning out" or "nonresponsive" or "a blank space in your day" or "mini strokes" or better medically described as "TIA" (transit ischemia attacks." But the patient is awake and functioning. It is a brain related thing. many causes.

You would not feel the earth shake with this. You just kind'a know that wasn't right. You may think "what happened?" or "what?" or "What did you say?" or "What was I doing" or "How long was I out for?"

http://www.healthblurbs.com/concussi...st-concussion/

physically, you just feel like you were out for a second and nobody but you knows.

http://www.google.com/search?source=...-p2g8&oq=trans

There's lots of info on this.

Keep in touch soccer14

i read that first article and its seems to me like most of those symptoms are definitely what im feeling. is there any way to tell when these things could happen do they follow a pattern at all? what would happen if i was getting this?

I think chiropractors are just like Drs, PTs & any service person.. there are really good one s and there are not so good ones.

Mine does other treatments beside adjustments - for my tight muscles, the trigger points & any muscles spasms I may have.
Like a DC & PT rolled in to one.
He uses ultrasound, manual TrP work, low level laser{aka cold laser}, Inferential electric stimulation {IF stim}.

There are DCs out there than can & will do all of this , but finding a good one will take time, calling around and asking if multiple modalities are used for treatment might be a good way to find one.

Same goes for finding an advanced PT person , there are some that take advanced classes & spine care, calling and asking about PTs w/advanced training would be how to find one.

The tight & possibly spasmed back muscles need to be addressed - that could be a part of your problem also.

I don't have much faith in any Dc or MD or PT that sees very tight muscles and doesn't treat or at least refer patient to further care & tx for those.:(

A big circle of effects - muscle spasms can keep pulling the various vertebra out of alignment, poor alignment can affect the vertebra and around it goes.

:Poke::Poke:
You'll more than likely fall down and go boom!!!!!!!!!

Don't know where or when, but "NORMAL" don't feel that way, OK?

The etiology/cause is for a doctor to investigate, and I do mean INESTIGATE, so this "NEW" or a "WORSENING" condition can be properly diagnosed and a plan for you to get fixed ---- Highly probable they can fix it at this stage. Could be as simple as taking a Bayer aspirin a day. dahhhh!!!!! could be a side effect from a drug/vitamin/herb you're taking.

There are many things that can be done depending on why these episodes are happening to a VERY young person.

They can medicate/treat/cut/repair/laser/inject/stent/replace/untrasound/doppler/angio/nuck/radiate/eradicate/sonogram/somanytests and procedures can be done, if necessary, to hopefully find the true cause, and it can be a combination of something too.

Don't put it off. Things can get worse for a number of reasons.

You've proved your point, OK? U get the TOUGHMAN'S prize. :winner_first_h4h: I really mean that. You are tough. You'll need that in life, to get through life. I'm vey proud of your spirit.

U NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION!!!!!! :hug: :( :hug: :( :hug: :( :hug: :(:hug:

The same exact thing happened to me. Very weird.

well want back to the doctor on trainers request it was totally pointless. i still get to finish the basketball season :D i just have to keep a symptom log or something i dont know its dumb anyway.

hey i was thinking about the syncope thing and one more thing i think that would really help me know if im getting it is can it be brought on more by over-stimulation or physical exertion. i do just get it randomly sometimes but it seems to happen more in an overwhelming environment or at basketball practice.

just though of this today cause i was getting them at a basketball game. it would help if you knew thanks. :)

Because that's when you're saying you're experiencing this episode, for you it definitely is brought on by by "over-stimulation or physical exertion," unless you like "zone out" at the dinner table too sometimes. do you?

Another component here could be anxiety/panic attacks.

(scroll down "panic attack symptoms")

http://www.panic-anxiety.com/panic-a...toms/#symptoms

Panic attacks can shake your tree.

If you've never been around someone with a mild to severe panic attack you would not recognize your symptoms as that. It can fool the patient. They're usually the most shocked with the diagnosis of panic attack disorder.

Just thinking for you, since the doc didn't seem to be alarmed. I hope he took blood pressure, your vitals, and blood and urine.

The quick fix for a panic attack is to breath into a small brown paper bag about 4-5 long breaths, (mouth and nose inside the bag with hands sealing around face, gives you more oxygen. There are others here that could explain that better, but just to get the gist of it.

Having "chronic" (6 months or longer) injuries/pain/conditions can cause one to develop other problems. :(

Hang in there!!!! We're here for you. :grouphug:

yea i do sometimes just zone out at random times for no reason its just usually under the other circumstances more.

wow maybe i am having panic attacks.:confused: some of the symptoms match up and literally as im typing this im getting really hot for no reason at all. what can usually bring on panic attacks because i get these symptoms but im almost always calm before during and after anytime i can remember this happenig? could it be they just arent very severe? because if i am having them they difinitely arent that bad.

when we went back to the neuro a long time ago they thought i was having anxiety but nobody in my family really believed her. what are some signs of anxiety why would she think this? what can cause panic attacks?

Yes, you probably do have some merited anxiety, due to head injury and being on the injured side of life. then untreated, and still suffering, it can lead to panic attacks.

mild is not too bad, but untreated, can interfer with life, for sure.

It's not something you can get a quick fix for. You need understanding. Here's the anxiety and OCD forum link:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum50.html

You know there's caring people there, with lots of info.

Google anxiety and panic attacks. Read what you think is related to what you're wanting to know right now. Knowledge and understanding is half the battle. relaxation techniques and yoga or ti chi are things to think about.

You can have more than one problem to have to deal with, unfortunately.

Keep asking questions if you need to.

I'll look for you over on the anxiety and OCD forum for a while.

You don't need a family history of anxiety to have problems with it after a TBI - you just need a TBI.

I had nerves of steel before my accident; now I get panic attacks. Fortunately, my parents didn't raise any stupid children, so I'm getting professional help for this potentially debilitating problem.

Speaking of help, if you were totally candid about your symptoms, and the powers that be are still letting you play basketball, you are in the hands of people who are shockingly incompetent and/or recklessly irresponsible.

Deep down even you know you shouldn't be on the court. Otherwise, you wouldn't continue to post here only to be showered with replies expessing sincere and unequivocal concern for your safety.

If you don't take care of yourself and get some serious medical help, I can all but promise that your adult years will be filled with remorse.

Get help!!!!!!!!!!!!!:hug:

actually the everyone is trying to help me i just refuse it. we went to the doctor yesterday and i just lied about everything. you could tell they were really surprised i was back if i was saying everything was fine. they want me to keep a symptom log now or something. i dont know. you are right htough i dont know why i keep posting here its not helping at all.

soccer,

I think you visit to the doctor the other day is a BIG sign. You said you just lied about everything being OK. Why did you do that?

The recommendation of journalism your symptoms is exactly what I told you some time ago. The biggest problem with PCS is trying to deny the problems. If yiou deny and ignore the problems, you will never learn how to fix them.

Your mother needs to get involved in your recovery. maybe she needs to post onto this forum. Invite her to do it. She could be SoccersMom.

You will never get better on your own. You need her help.

Unless you start taking this more seriously, you will end up with another concussion from a very minor bump and your world will change so that you do not recognize yourself.

Your zone-out moments could be absence seizures. I have them. It will be helpful if your mother knows to watch for these. If she see you eyes going blank, she need to note it down. She should see if you respond to her voice or waving hands. If it takes a few moments to 'come out of it,' it is a symptoms that needs investigating.

You will want to drive a car soon. If you have not resolved these issues, you may be denied a license. Or worse, you may get your license and then have a serious accident. When I was sixteen, I had to put off getting my drivers license because of my 'zoning out' problems. My doctor finally cleared me about nine months later.

After my thirteenth concussion ( most were very minor bumps) at 46, I had to stop driving.

You have a long life ahead that is worth protecting.

Talk to your mom. Have her post here so she can become more involved. It may just save your life. Your lies and denial are putting you at risk.

Sorry if I sound harsh. I am just a old grandpa with vast experience with concussion. I hate to see others going through what I went through the past 40 years.

There is an old saying.

Fools refuse to learn from their own mistakes.
Smart people learn from their own mistakes.
Wise people learn from others mistakes.

You have a chance to be a wise person.

It's good that you keep posting here. It's a sign that you know you need medical help and sooner or later you'll accept that.

Denial is a big symptom of a TBI. Like you, I spent months convinced that first, I was perfectly fine and then that I could just will my way through all the symptoms. While I was doing this, I was way less functional than you are. It's part of the injury.

You're lucky because you've got people here who understand what's happening to you and won't stop encouraging you to get help until you finally do. I went through the denial stage alone. I had no idea what was happening and half the time I thought I was losing my mind.

Please don't write us off as a bunch of old nags - we're just trying to spare you a lot of the agony we've already been through.

The truth will set you free.

im pretty sure ive had at least 3 more concussions since the first one. one time i woke up on my kitchen floor with a nice bump i got hit in the face at a soccer practice i was elbowed in the head at basketball recently which made everything worse oh wait no 4 now because i woke up about a week ago to discover another nice bump. i already have my license too and continue to drive.

im pretty sure thats why i keep posting here so that i know im not losing my mind becsue no one else knows what im going through. even my assistant basketball coach who had to quit since she had 3 concussions doesnt know all the stuff im going through. i just want someone to understand i guess. i know im not in denial i just dont want to stop playing which is stupid because i have my whole life ahead of me i just like it too much.

i just like knowing someone else understands what im going through i couldnt imagine trying to go throguh this alone. and i want to find out if my new symptoms are very severe or not thats probably the biggest reason.

i know why i post here now. i just need support. my best friend that got me through everything to first time was a senior and is in college now. we used to talk but not really anymore. she was the only one that really knew what i was going through and now i dont even talk to her or see her anymore. i miss her more than i could have thought possible. now that i dont talk to her i dont have anyone that understands what im dealing with so i put it all down here. im just lonely. :Sob: