Help with my PCS please - Buffalo uni recovery ?
 

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Hi !
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Can I firstly say what a fantastic resource this forum is and how I take my hat off to many of you that are suffering from PCS and how you are trying to cope with it, I admire you. Sorry for the length of this post but it is my first and will not be my last as I intend to help other sufferers where I can.*
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My name is Marc I'm 31 I live in the UK and I am suffering with PCS - for 3 months now.
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I wont bore you too much with the details, but I was involved in an accident on my bicycle. I went through the back window of a stationary car head first. I was wearing a helmet - thank god.
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I received a closed head wound ( a*big nasty cut above my left eye half way up my head ) a broken nose and various other cuts and bruises. I also hurt my neck. I did not loose consciousness, I did not vomit, I can remember every detail of the accident. I was taken to hospital, X-rays were taken of my head/face and neck nothing was broken - apart from my nose. I was released from A+E a few hours later. I felt pretty ok all things considered. I was playing with my children and doing normal stuff* for the first day or so after the accident, then it hit me ! and I was sleeping all the time for the next two weeks. Then I*started to feel better again.*
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About 3/4 weeks after the accident,*I still felt concussed, dizzy/thick head/tired eyes/headaches/very tired/ feeling sick**I have also developed a slight tremor and the occasion muscle twitch.*This seems to be worse when I am extremely tired*mostly just before I go to sleep.* My blood pressure was also up. I went to see the Dr, My Dr phoned the on call neurologist while I was sat next to him and the neuro said my symptoms were typical of PCS, but advised my dr to treat the high blood pressure. My Dr also did some basic tests, reaction tests, pupil sizes, co-ordination tests etc which checked out fine.
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*So my GP did with beta blockers. I was very anxious and scared as I didn't know what was wrong or why I was feeling so ill. I have never been unwell in my life. I kept thinking the Dr's have missed something and any minute now I am going to collapse. I suspect* the BP rise is/was a combination of " white coat " syndrome caused my BP to rise. I monitor it now and its low... about 113/74 when I go to the dr's its 150/95 !!
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I went back to my Dr's a week later still feeling unwell ( I expected to be better*already*! ) he sent me to the hospital for a CT scan. That was fine no further action needed.
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Anyway, my main symptoms are**
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dizziness,*
tiredness.*
Feels like pressure in my eyes
Sore neck ( Dr's have said I have whiplash )
The occasional headache.
Occasional nausea ( about twice in last 4 weeks )
Feeling hung over when I wake up - I tend to get better as the day goes on.
Symptoms get worse when I try and exercise
Tremors - not all the time.
Small muscle twitches/spasms
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I am mentally as sharpe as a button, I am at work full time ( I work in IT ) my memory is very good and my eye*sight is fine ( albeit my eyes do get very tired ) , I had this checked by an optician, who also checked the health of my eyes, which are fine.
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I feel I am*slowly getting better and my wife and family have noticed I am doing more etc.
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But these symptoms still linger,**some days*are certainly better than others, alas, *today is not such a good day, woke up with a pounding headache*in the night* feel very dizzy and a bit of nausea.
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My questions are :-
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Has anyone*tried recovering using the "*Buffalo principle ? "*I.e. finding out what heart rate makes your symptoms worse then exercising at 80% of that and building it up ? to reduce the symptoms on PCS.

Are my symptoms typical of PCS ?

Any one else have a tremor or muscle spasms ?*What may be causing that ?

Thank you so much for reading my post,

Take it easy
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Mwiseman,

Welcome to NeuroTalk,

It sounds like you have classic PCS. The Buffalo protocol is not for recovery from the concussion. It is a system for returning to intense physical activity.

You need quiet rest. It does not sound like your brain has had time to heal.

There are many factors to consider when trying to recover. You anxiety level is of utmost importance. You need to find a way to slow down, especially your thought processes. It appears by your writing that your brain is going too fast for recovery.

Please, no more *'s.

Have you checked to see if there is a Headway clinic available to you?

I'm having a lousy day so I'll try to comment more later.

My best to you.

Thanks for taking the time to reply
 

Thanks for replying Mark, really appreciate it. I hope your feeling brighter soon mate.

Sorry about the *s i have no idea how they got there !

When you are feeling brighter, no rush, could you please explain what you mean by my brain is going to fast for recovery, im not sure i understand, but then i have had a bump on the head :)

Without a doubt i have been very anxious and worried, rather emotional too, really until a couple of weeks ago. I think the beta blockers have kicked in and calmed me down and i have a better understanding of what i am suffering from.

I realise it will take time.

Out of interest, i seem to get better as the day goes on. For example i wake up feeling really rough, hung over etc. not every day though.

Then by the evening most days i feel a lot brighter. Is that normal ? Is that a silly question ?

Thanks again for your reply and yout time i hope your feeling a bi brighter soon.

Cheers, marc

I will also investigate going to a headway clinic, my wife has just read your post, she says i need to slow things down...relax...

Thanks again.

Listen to your wife. They usually see things accurately.

There are two ways a brain can go too fast. One is anxiety. The beta blockers can help with this. The other is a ADD/ADHD like personality. Being overly connected to every event and feeling the need to respond to every little thing can be taxing on your brain plus it can be taxing on those around you.

Have you stopped all caffeine?

Does anybody ever complain that when you talk, you tend to say too much and too fast for others to follow and understand?

I have that exact problem. I don't have any suggestion or solution. I find sunlight helpful for shorting the amount of time I feel really rough but I have no idea if its a coincidence or not.

No such thing as a silly question on this forum

Welcome to NueroTalk - I hope your recovery continues to progress

Oh thats the golden rule..... To listen to my wife !

I see, thanks for that info.

No, people haven said i talk to fast and for too long, but now yu mention it, i have myself. I was discussing a tech problem with my boss and i was very particular about getting all the detail into the conversation. I almost test myself to make sure i remember stuff, silly really.

Regarding the caffeine, the past two days is the only time i have had a cup of coffee for simce the accident, i had the coffee to try and perk me up in the afternoon. I have noticed that although the coffee is weak it really does stimulate my mind...... I'm assuming thats not rest and that not helping my recovery ?

Thanks again for your time and replys

How odd,

It seems some days are worse than others, but its very strange that you and i progress during the day. Anyone else have that at all ?

I will be relaxing in the sun at the weekend fingers crossed so hoping this will help

Thanks, and thanks for the welcome

All the best

Marc,

Ask you wife to observe your sleeping. You may be not sleeping fully. The brain only heals during REM sleep. You may also have some breathing stoppages. This can be the cause of fogginess in the morning.

Do you have bouts of sleepiness during the day, especially about noon?

If she can watch your breathing as you sleep, she may notice you slowing down, quietly stopping breathing, then start up again with almost a huffing style of breathing. If you do this without snoring, it is usually Central Sleep Apnea where the brain/brain stem stops directing your diaphragm to take breaths. There are other symptoms of less than adequate breathing such as body jerks, etc.

Hope this helps you figure out your slow mornings.

My best to you.

I also have the hungover feeling in the morning, which subsides during the evening. I have no clue as to why this is, but i know that this is also the case for about 50% of the people suffering depression.

In their case it is called "diurnal mood variation". The reason for this is still unknown, but somehow the circadian clock must be involved.

I wonder if I actually have depression and don't know it or something else is behind this effect.

diurnal mood variation:
http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?link_id=89.1196

-GlassHead

Thanks for your post glass head.

I will have a look at the article you posted the link too.

Anything is possible, but like yourself i could be depressed without knowing it ? I dont know enough about depression to recognise it, if you know what i mean.

I am a happy person and positive, i feel angry and annoyed about the pcs and the accident to be fair.

I am going to the dr's on monday and will again tell him about the hung over feeling in the morning, will feedback to the forum on what he said.

Cheers, marc