Concussion
 

Hey guys, im 20 years old with concussion, on 24th of december 6 guys attacked me and left me knocked out, i was out for quit some time, of course i didnt remember how long, i was really drunk aswell, next few days i felt terrible cause of hangover, i was sleeping like first 3 days, when alcohol came out i started to feel all injured places, my body healed well, after 1 week i visited my neurologist, he immidiatly send me to magnetic resonanse, and told my injury is serious, at next day i got results and went to him again, so i have brain injury, i dont have hematoma but some 6x8mm big hyperintense subcortical thing from concussion in T2, im not a doctor and iv no idea how it sounds in english, he said 6x8mm is kinda big and serious and ill need to sleep 2 weeks till next visit, so i did, my body healed very well, but head not i still got huge headache, i went to him again he gaved me recipes for painkillers again checked coordination it was fine, i havent had amnesia i havent vomited either, i sometimes wake up in nights, he told you can start to walk again in room but dont go outside, its winter here like -25 every day, rest, sleep as much as you can, i think i have a whiplash to neck aswell it hurts a lot, since i didnt made a progress in 1 month i went to another neurologist in capital city, since i couldnt hear with right ear since accident i needed to visit an ear doctor, he sent me to audiogram, after couple of weeks i could hear with my right ear again, after audiogram he said iv lost like 20-40decibels in right ear for rest of my life, i cant hear whispers and things like that, so i was done with ear doctor, so after several tests, we noticed i dont have balance at all, my body is shaking all the time, especially neck, still shaking after month, my shoulders are shaking a lot, iv lost concentration, very emotional, close to breakdown, easy to annoy me, i can still think, i did couple of university works on good grades, havent been stupid, my eyes are fine now, my face wasnt injured at all, i was very sensitive at light for first 2 weeks, so i was done with ear doctor, i head straight away to make a heart cardiogram, my blood pressure was high - 140 pulse 97, my heart is beating fast all the time, my vegetative nerves system has been destroyed, and it kinda feels my heart is to low, ill have a stomach check in hospital at 9th february but i think its fine, after that i went to check my neck, i had computer tomography for neck - C1:C7, results - good, nothings wrong, so its the muscles, i did blood tests, i dont have anemia, iv lost some blood but its nothing serious, i have lack of motor coordination, diziness but rarely now, in first weeks i was waking up in nights a lot, havent happened lately, my head hurts in several places but skull isnt broken and damaged, my pupils have always been in same size, i was really sleeping a lot in first 2 weeks, sometimes like 16h pday, now i dont, im sleeping like +-10h pnight thats all, i can watch tv, sit at laptop in bed, in first 3 weeks i felt great when i was in warm rooms, but felt terrible outside even for couple of mins, now i feel terrible in worm rooms and great outside at - 25, im a none smoker, i tryd alcohol a bit, i drinked like 0,2l and was drunk, i kept taking couple of drinks, and then i partied till 6 o clock morning, i didnt needed much, i was able to speak and dance, i didnt had blackout, my brain didnt shutted down, i woke up next day at 1 o clock and felt terrible, dont try this at tome, wont drink again not even a bit, i got back power in arms, but neurologist told me not to work for next 3-4 months and i wont and havent done anything pysical, 1 of the doctors said my headache isnt caused from brain injury, so anyone i beg, with experience got some tips ? i cant live like this further, when it will stop ? i stopped taking painkillers for last 4 days i took em today and dont feel very well, i wont take em anymore, in last visit neurologist told me to try to get back in my life rhytm slowly to go out for small walks for fresh air, walk in home more and come back in a month for a visit. I got noises on head, ears, my brains are shaking, its way better then it was a month ago, i was like deadman but its still terrible at the moment.

Reposted for readability.
 

Hey guys, Im 20 years old with concussion, on 24th of December 6 guys attacked me and left me knocked out, I was out for quit some time, of course I didn't remember how long, I was really drunk as well, next few days I felt terrible cause of hangover, I was sleeping like first 3 days, when alcohol came out i started to feel all injured places, my body healed well, after 1 week i visited my neurologist,

He immediately send me to magnetic resonance, and told my injury is serious, at next day I got results and went to him again, so I have brain injury, i don't have hematoma but some 6x8mm big hyperintense subcortical thing from concussion in T2, i'm not a doctor and I've no idea how it sounds in English, he said 6x8mm is kinda big and serious and I'll need to sleep 2 weeks till next visit, so I did, my body healed very well, but head not i still got huge headache,

I went to him again. He gave me recipes for painkillers again checked coordination it was fine, I haven't had amnesia I haven't vomited either, I sometimes wake up in nights, He told you can start to walk again in room but don't go outside, its winter here like -25 every day, rest, sleep as much as you can, I think I have a whiplash to neck as well.

It hurts a lot, since I didn't made a progress in 1 month I went to another neurologist in capital city, since I couldn't hear with right ear since accident I needed to visit an ear doctor, he sent me to audiogram, After couple of weeks I could hear with my right ear again, after audiogram.

He said I've lost like 20-40decibels in right ear for rest of my life, I cant hear whispers and things like that, so I was done with ear doctor, so after several tests, we noticed I don't have balance at all, my body is shaking all the time, especially neck. Still shaking after month, my shoulders are shaking a lot.

I've lost concentration, very emotional, close to breakdown, easy to annoy me, I can still think, I did couple of university works on good grades, haven't been stupid, my eyes are fine now, my face wasn't injured at all, I was very sensitive at light for first 2 weeks, so I was done with ear doctor.

I head straight away to make a heart cardiogram, my blood pressure was high - 140 pulse 97, my heart is beating fast all the time, my vegetative nerves system has been destroyed, and it kinda feels my heart is to low, I'll have a stomach check in hospital at 9th February but I think its fine, after that I went to check my neck, I had computed tomography for neck - C1:C7, results - good, nothings wrong,

So its the muscles, I did blood tests, I don't have anemia, I've lost some blood but its nothing serious, I have lack of motor coordination, dizziness but rarely now. In first weeks I was waking up in nights a lot. Haven't happened lately, my head hurts in several places but skull isn't broken and damaged, My pupils have always been in same size,

I was really sleeping a lot in first 2 weeks, sometimes like 16h per day, now I don't, I'm sleeping like +-10h per night that's all, I can watch TV, Sit at laptop in bed, In first 3 weeks I felt great when I was in warm rooms, but felt terrible outside even for couple of minutes. Now I feel terrible in warm rooms and great outside at - 25, I'm a none smoker.

I tried alcohol a bit, I drank like 0.2l and was drunk. I kept taking couple of drinks, and then I partied till 6 o clock morning, I didn't needed much, I was able to speak and dance, I didn't had blackout, my brain didn't shut down. I woke up next day at 1 o clock and felt terrible. Don't try this at home. Won't drink again not even a bit, I got back power in arms, but neurologist told me not to work for next 3-4 months and I wont and haven't done anything physical.

1 of the doctors said my headache isn't caused from brain injury, so anyone I beg, with experience got some tips ? I cant live like this further, when it will stop ? I stopped taking painkillers for last 4 days. I took em today and don't feel very well. I won't take em anymore.

At last visit neurologist told me to try to get back in my life rhythm slowly to go out for small walks for fresh air, walk in home more and come back in a month for a visit. I got noises in head, ears, my brains are shaking, its way better then it was a month ago, I was like deadman but its still terrible at the moment.

Ziggo

Reposted by

Reposted for readability.
 

Ziggo,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. I am sorry to hear of the ordeal you are going through. You have found a good place for support for your injury.

You are still very early in your recovery. Your brain will continue to need rest in a quiet place for quite some time. It is good you have learned to stay away from alcohol. The injured brain is very sensitive to alcohol and other toxins. You should also avoid caffeine except for maybe one cup of coffee per day. You need good nutrition for your brain to heal. To get the amino acids your brain needs, you should be sure to eat meat, especial something like pork if you can.

Your doctor is wrong about your head aches. It is caused by your head injury. many of us suffer head aches frequently. Doctors are not very good at helping us after such an injury. If the strong pain killer make you feel bad, you can try taking 1000mgs of aspirin and 1000 mgs of Tylenol (acetaminophen/paracetamol) 3 or 4 times a day. When taken together, they can provide very good pain relief.

Rest and quiet walks are about all you can do for the time being.

Let us know how you are doing.

My best to you.

ty
 

Thank you for editing, im from eastern europe so...and not in good writing shape, i kinda lack patience.

....
 

Thank you, i forgot to mention im vegetarian, im not eating a lot meat for whole my life.

Even though im basketball player, this is my 1st concussion ever, im not drinking coffee, iv done it on rare ocassions in my life.

Do you know anything about shaking ?

Vegetarians can become B12 deficient, if they do not take supplements extra to make up for the loss of animal protein.

Low B12 will mean a slow if any recovery, since B12 is involved in
myelin repair of the nerves.

It would be revealing to have a B12 blood test to see if you are low already.

b12
 

I just did ordinary blood test, wasnt the best results but everything was kinda fine. Few things were low but not low enough.

I am able to eat pork not to much but i can, so i should eat more eggs, drink milk and things like that...

...
 

I forgot to mention that the last neurologist told me to get a good physical therapist, since my neck is hurting and im shaking, any thoughts ?

And anyone has had an experience with vegetative nervous system ?
Apparently it causes my heart to beat so fast.

The highest B12 is in animal meats and seafood.

Milk and eggs have some.

This is for 1 cup (8oz/ 240gm) of chopped hard boiled eggs:
This is quite a bit IMO..
only 1.5mcg of B12.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/...products/117/2

compared to only 3 oz(90gm)
of shrimp:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/...roducts/4174/2

So shrimp has about 4 times the B12 when you factor in the amounts tested.

8oz (240gm) whole milk:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/...-products/69/2
about the same as eggs

3 (90gm)oz beef chuck: small serving
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/...roducts/3803/2
B12= 2.7mcg

If you choose not to consume meat, I'd take a quality B12 supplement at least 1000mcg and take on an empty stomach.

An important substance in meat is Broken Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) These are considered Essential Amino Acids. The brain needs them for repair. The brain also needs a very good supply of B-6, B-12 and Folic acid. Without adequate B-6, B-12 and folic acid, the blood brain barrier becomes weak. This allow the blood to transmit toxins to the brain cells. This not only slows healing but can be detrimental to normal brain health.

You can get BCAA and B-6, B-12 and folic acid supplements if you desire to avoid meats. But, there is a more complete source of the various micro-nutrients the brain needs in meats.

Omega 3 fatty acids are also important. They are found in cold water fish like salmon.

You can ask for a blood test to measure your B-12 and folate levels. B-12 should be about 1000 pgm/mL and folate should be greater than 20 ng/mL. It is very worthwhile to be tested because many people do not absorb B-12 properly for good brain health.

Also, a diet without animal fats can leave you deficient in nutrition for the brain.

It is just difficult to heal an injured brain on a vegetarian diet. Supplements become very important.

You will find that a good supplement regimen will improve your attitude/depression and such. Stress uses up the nutrients so fast that the brain is left deficient.

btw, For someone who likely speaks English as a second or third language, you did great on your first post. The line spacing is important for those of us with visual processing problems. I also struggle with following/understanding sentence formation so I did some simple editing of punctuation and capitalization to make it easier for my damaged brain to read.

Hope we can be of help to you.

The testing ranges in Europe are mixed and may be different from
USA levels.

These tests are not done in routine blood work. They are added on upon request only.

In many countries the values are reported in pmol/L.
http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/sc...ical_data.html

In US they are reported as:
pg/ml

Taking a B12 supplement without testing is not dangerous so you could do this yourself. 1000mcg B12 has about 10mcg range for absorption. Take on an empty stomach for best absorption which is not high to begin with. This puts you in the range of eating meat twice a day.

...
 

Its my 2nd language, how lame is this from docs, none of em mentioned this, i told em numerous times im vegitarian.

Gonna buy all these products and B12. And start eating a lot, havent eated lately much either...

Still anything about shaking ? and physical therapist for neck ? my whole body is shaking, neurologist took off almost all my clothes and checked whole body, i still got power, and reflexes but most of my muscles are shaking.

I am also a vegetarian. I do eat eggs and dairy, and since my concussion, I have been trying to eat more nuts like almonds and walnuts. For my supplements, I take

B-Complex 100
Vitamin D3 (2000 IU)
MegaFoods Blood Builder: 15 mg Vitamin C, 30 mcg B12, 400 mcg Folate, 26 mg Iron
Acetyl-l-carnitine 500 mg
Algal DHA (900 mg) - this has the same nutrients as fish oil but comes from algae instead of fish

These help supply some of the nutrition that others may get from meat products.

As far as the headaches go, I don't know if the meds you have available there are the same as what's available here. Here amitriptyline (Elavil) is commonly used for headache prevention. It's a medication you take every day, not just when a headache is coming on. It can make you feel very sleepy.

Also, if you are still getting headaches, this could be a sign that you are overstimulating your brain with things like watching TV and using the computer. Sometimes the headache doesn't come on right away -- you do too much and then get a headache a few hours later or even the next day. So try to pay attention to what you've been doing before you get a headache and try reducing those activities.

Once you have a headache, you can also use ice packs on your head and/or neck to help relieve them.

Your doctor's advice to get back to things slowly is very good advice. Light activity for your body and your brain is good, but don't do anything that increases your symptoms.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

Ziggo,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. My name is Nick and as you can see in my signature, I was also assaulted. I was coming back from hanging out with a friend at Fremont St Experience in Las Vegas, we took the bus home. On the way home, we decided to stop at a McDonalds...I have no memory of what happened but according to the police report, as we walked in to McDonalds we both got hit in the back of the head. It was completely random. I was also under the influence of alcohol.

I'm sorry to hear your injury was under similar circumstances as mine. I'm not sure why you were attacked, but mine was random...and it's frustrating to know that I had no control over the incident. My life changed that day.

It sounds like your having trouble dealing with incompetent doctors. Don't feel bad, that seems to be the case with 90% of people here (maybe more). You will come to realize that head injuries and very misunderstood. Your going to hear something different from every doctor you see. The only way you'll get some "decent" help from anyone is if you see someone that specializes in head injuries.

Your going to find a lot of help and incite here on this forum. I've said this before, but I've got more help on this forum than I have from any doctor I've seen. It looks like some people have already responded to your thread with some help...listen to them....follow their advice. It's the best information you will probably find anywhere. There is also a lot of other threads on here with useful information, like therapies and vitamin regimens. Have a search through the forum and see what you can find.

You mentioned that your right ear was damaged. Mine was too...after the assault, I had a decent bruise behind my right ear. I can hardly hear out of it and I have a constant ringing on that side.

DON'T DRINK ALCOHOL!!! It will make you worse. Trust me, I thought I was healed up and ready to go. I had little to no symptoms left...I started to drink heavily....one morning I woke up with a whole slew of new symptoms. Even after I stopped drinking, more and more symptoms would pop up everyday until I was left with what you see in my signature. Don't....drink.

Your gonna hear this from everyone. Sleep...get plenty of rest. Don't do much of anything. If you feel like your starting to get overwhelmed, go lay down until you feel better. Sometimes I have to lay in bed for days before I have one good day where I can actually leave the house to run an errand. Go for small walks. Eat healthy, start taking vitamins. There are tons of threads on vitamins that you can search for on here. Don't do anything that makes you feel worse, you will set yourself back in your recovery.

That's all I can think of right now...Welcome to the forum, stick around and keep us up to date on your recovery.

Nick

....
 

Thanks for vitamins !

First few weeks i was only sleeping, i wasnt able to look at light, those guys used my head as a football ball, it was a random attack aswell, im able to watch tv now, can sit at pc a bit.

I was able to sleep a lot, now im not able to sleep in days, just lay down and rest.

Well about doctors, i already heard several opinions, thats why im here.

Since you got attacked, maybe you know anything about huge shaking ? or its just im stressed out cause i couldnt do anything about it

Are you experiencing any anxiety type symptoms?

I started having massive anxiety attacks starting in September...they were horrible. I would shake uncontrollably for hours, sometimes days. It could be a number of things though...what kind of shaking is it? Chills? Muscle spasms? Once I started taking medicine to control my anxiety, the shaking went away.

....
 

I have it from 1st week, im shaking every day all the time constantly, you can actually see when im sitting on chair how my neck and head is shaking, my legs, knees, literally everything. It hasnt stopped. Im concerned and scared.

Neurologist told i need physical therapist cause of muscles.
Other docter told me i have it cause im worried and concerned, thinking a lot about it. My neck is even sometimes shaking when i sleep.

Sometimes its warm in house, but i still get cold and my body shakes.

We got a different medicine here.

Depending where on your brain you were injured, I wonder if the shaking could be related directly to the injury. My grandfather has Friedreichs ataxia which affects his motor functions, and he shakes a lot. If your cerebellum was damaged, perhaps that could cause the shaking?

....
 

the damage is at the back of my head, on the top right side T2

my motor functions are pretty bad, first weeks i wasnt even able to walk 50m
my balance is awful

the back of my neck hurts, the skull wasnt broken, but i dont know why and none else does but when i touch top left side it hurts like it would be broken

Well, you said you got beat up pretty badly. It could be nerve damage...the nerves that supply your muscles could have been traumatized. Your body could still be in shock from the incident.

...or like I said, it could be anxiety. Do you think about it a lot? Are you in a constant worry? This was my problem. I would have anxiety attacks that would leave me traumatized for days/weeks. I got so bad that I wouldn't leave the house, I wasn't eating, I'd take showers every 3-4 days, wasn't shaving...yeah, it was bad. My mom would ask what was wrong with me because my body would be shaking so bad it was visible.

It's gotten a lot better, especially since I'm on something to control it (Mirtazapine). I don't know about the medicine in your country...but if the physical therapist thing doesn't work, I would see about getting to a psychiatrist and getting on some kind of medication to control your anxiety.

...
 

if my cerebellum is damaged wouldnt i see it in CT or MRI ?

thats what the docs said, cause my vegetative nerves system has been destroyed and im thinking a lot about it, it could be shock, yeah i wasnt eating at start aswell, yeh the same visible shaking

Other nutrients you need if:

If you have soft tissue damage..from your attack:

Zinc and protein are necessary to tissue healing. This is separate
from brain healing. People who have trauma in general, or surgical recovery need zinc and protein.
Zinc is found mostly in seafood and meat.
Zinc can be complexed out of your food by high veggie consumption. Vegetarians often become low in zinc for this reason. (the phytates in veggies remove the zinc and prevent its absorption.)

Tremors
 

Hi Ziggo,

I am sorry to hear of what happened to you.
Regarding your shaking or tremors: I think that you should see a doctor to get a proper diagnosis if possible. There are multiple causes of tremors, including alcohol withdrawal, damage to the brainstem, and shortage of magnesium (which can be lost from the brain when it is injured), and other reasons. It would be good to find out what is causing yours.

As you seem to have been a heavy drinker and now you have stopped you might want to try to remember whether your symptoms got worse or better when you had a drink.

It might be worth taking a magnesium supplement and seeing whether that makes any difference. I have taken 450 mg of Magnesium a day for a while to see whether it makes a difference. You could try something like that for a week or so and then see if it makes the tremors any better. I know that you said that your blood nutrient levels were a bit low but not that low. However, if you are a bit low in blood magnesium and then had a brain trauma, the levels in the brain could perhaps be too low. (This is just a suggestion. I do not have tremors myself and I have no medical qualifications.)

However, in the end I return to my original comment that you should see a doctor for a proper diagnosis, particularly as there are a number of possible causes of tremors.

Good luck.
Concussed Scientist

Ziggo,

I am sorry to hear about your injury.

I just wanted to tell you that I have experienced some similar things.

Headache- My headaches were so bad I couldn't move my head and neck for months because of the pain. You need to rest, it can take a long time before they get better. You need to take some pain pills so that you can rest. I had a hard time sleeping because of the pain.

Dark, quiet bedroom to rest in is best.

I have been to a physical therapist for a neck injury also. This is what they do:
Stretch your neck to loosen the muscles.
Massage to loosen the muscles.
Traction- involves pressure to release tightness of muscles.
Neck exercises- side to side, roll head in circles to loosen the muscles.

The doctors believe that the neck injury can make the headaches worse.

I did not go to physical therapy until I had months of healing first for my brain. You should wait until you are ready. It can hurt when you first go. Do not go if your brain is moving because they will move your neck all over.This will help you later.

Use a heating pad for your neck. Can you take a hot bath to relax? You should try not to hold your neck too tight. Try it gently rub it.

This article explains why you have headaches. I hope that you can read it.
http://www.brainline.org/content/200...an-zasler.html

My neurologist did not explain my headaches to me either.


I have also had my brain moving. I could hear sloshing liquid. If I jumped or moved fast I could feel it move. Every step it would be loud. This got better but took months. Be gentle.
My neurologist says this is normal after brain injury.


I also had anxiety and panic attacks. When I would be worried my body, arms and legs would shake. I could not control it. But, it would stop after about 15 minutes. I would be very scared and feel claustrophobic.

Do you still feel scared from your assault?

I had nightmares and would be scream if someone scared me or sneaked up on me. Do you have this?

My balance was bad and I would almost fall all the time.

I could not walk 50 meters for about 1 month also. Do not try to hard, When you are ready you will be able to walk more. I could only walk around my house too. I would need someone to hold me up.

I was vegetarian before my accident. Now I eat meat everyday. You do not have to eat meat but you have to eat a lot!

I notice that I need to eat all the time. I have to eat protein at every meal. My brain uses up the calories quickly. Also drink tons of water. Not enough water makes the headaches worse.

Make sure that you eat foods that are a complete protein. They need to have the essential nine amino acids.


I also had a hard time if the weather was too hot or too cold. I know about the cold weather in eastern europe, it is all over the news. It takes your brain energy to warm you body. Do everything you can to help your brain so it can rest.

I was irritable because of pain and foggy feeling and would get angry fast. I would have breakdowns. This all gets better.

You should see a doctor because of your shaking. Like the other people on here said it could be anxiety, another problem due to your injury, or could be alcohol withdrawl. I did not completely understand your description of your injury. It sounds very serious.

When people have alcohol withdrawl sometimes they go into the hospital for supervision. The main thing they get is vitamins through IV because they can have folic acid and thiamin deficiency. This is called a banana bag. You can google it. IV Fluids and concern for seizures is another issue.

Another person mentioned that damage to your cerebellum can cause shakiness. You should ask about this. It may be your issue because the tremors have lasted so long.

I agree that you should start taking the vitamins soon. I did not take them until later and wish I started earlier.

I think you may have major stress also from your attack. Did your doctor ask you about these symptoms? Do you have someone to help take care of you?

There are many nice people here that can help. Ask any questions. I hope that you get better soon.

Please explain to your doctor about the shaking. I did not have that type of experience and have not read about it here on this forum, I can only guess.

Best wishes.

.....
 

One of the injuries was my elbow, when i received hits and felt down i smashed my elbow to the ground, for the next week my whole hand was hurting, it was blue ashell, when i touched veins it hurted. In next week it was fine, veins didnt hurt, hand either, elbow was red but fine, docs had nothing to add about elbow. Arm feels great now.

I have had a nightmares, i do wake up a lot in nights, im talking while sleeping, breathing very fast, and lately its hard to fall asleep.

I was pretty heavy drinker, i consumed a lot in that night.

If you are breathing very fast when you wake up, that is often a sign of sleep apnea. Concussions and neck injuries can interrupt the body's sleep breathing mechanism. The low oxygen can be the cause of the nightmares.

A sleep specialist may have some ideas for you.

Concussion
 

Hi everyone,

I suffered a concussion after a bad car accident. just learning about all the symptoms and how to deal with them...did ppl experience body shakes and some timgly feelings...any advice on how to recover??
Thanks

JR,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Your question is too vague. Please tell us more about your symptoms. Feel free to start your own thread. This thread is old and was dormant. Use the New Thread link at the top left of the Forum index page.