3rd ct scan - is there any need?
 

hi,

2 weeks ago, unfortunately i was assaulted and got hit quite intensively in the head a couple of times (mostly on my left cheek). I din´t lose my conciousness and i didn´t pass out. After the assault i was relatively ok (i was shocked a little bit but i din´t esperience any physical symptoms). Nevertheless i went to the hospital and they performed a skull and a cervical spine x-rays, both came out ok. At that time i still didn´t experience any physical symptoms so they sent me home, telling me to rest and to drink a lot of water. About 10 hours after the assault very bothersome physical symptoms strated to appear (confusion, anxiety, horrible panic attacks, desorientation, face numbness, memory loss, dizziness, etc., nothing felt ok). So i went to the hospital the following morning (about 30 hours after the accident) and they performed a CT scan of my brain. Fortunately, it came out ok, so they sent me back home. I wasn´t getting any better, din´t go to work and was barely able to get out of my bed. About 4,5 days after the accident i was feeling really awful so i decided to talk to my doctor again. Eye specialist saw me, throat/nose/ear specilaist saw me and din´t find anything wrong. Nontheless they performed another CT scan of my brain and fortunately it came out ok. So they sent me home again telling me to rest more. Now it´s about 2 weeks after the accident and although fortunately i feel better (good enough to be able to type this message) i was wondering weather there is any need for another ct (i stil have symptoms, they aren´t as intensive as they used to be, but mainly nausea is still intensive and it bothers me a lot), just to be on the safe side. My doctor don´t think it´s necessary but i decided to try to ask here too, because there are a lot of people that have a lot of real experince with concussions. So do you think there is any possibility for bleeding or swelling to occur despite the 4,5 days negative CT scan? thank you for your opinions!

I cannot comment as to the concussive need for another CT scan.

But I'd like to point out that CT scans can expose you to alot of radiation, depending on how good the facility is that is giving it.

That is something to think about.

You can Google "CT scan radiation risk" to learn more.

thanks for the answer. i am aware of the ct scan risks (scares mee too). but on the other side if i understood good it´s the best method to reveal the internal injures (was told that even better than mri). so it´s a hard choice. something has to be triggering the unpleasant feelings and symptoms, it really bothers me. thanks anyway.

Welcome to neurotalk.

A CT scan would show clotting, hematoma, and the like, so unless you have a history of clotting issues or bumped you head again I'd go with your doctor's advice here and avoid having another one. Brain injuries take time to heal, and since you state you are feeling better I wouldn't see any reason to subject myself to the added radiation.

Best to you as you recover.

You are still very early in your recovery. At CT will be a waste of bad radiation. Unless you have extreme symptoms such as loss of motor function on one side or extreme head ache, a CT will not show anything. I would expect your recovery to take a few more weeks minimum. Your symptoms sound like classic concussion symptoms.

A CT is statistically most indicative at 72 hours. The 30 hr CT would be the one most likely to show any bleed. The later CT would show if there is anything still bleeding later after the assault. Statistically, it is very unlikely.

You need to stop worrying and get some quiet rest. No anxiety or cognitive effort. No caffeine or alcohol.

thanx every1 for the words of support. if it wasn´t for this horrible nausea i wouldn´t be so scared. hope i will continue to get better. maybe stress is causing this nausea, because i had been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder before the assault.

mark: thanks for your words of support. i have had 2 ct´s, 30 and 100 hours after the accident. fortunately neither scan show any abnormalities. So far i was lucky and have not been experiencing any headaches.

Hi,
Sorry to be picky but you refer to being "assaulted" and then to being in "an accident". Maybe there is something you are not saying.

You could be traumatized from your exp. This would show up with the kind of symptoms you are having. I hope you are safe now.

hello,

excuse me but due to my bad english i thought the word "assault" and "accident" can be used as substitutes. it was an assault, not an accident. multiple intensive hits to the left side of my head while i was sitting behind the table. i already found out who did this, a former boxer. police investigates this.
as far as my symptoms, it´s been almost 27 days after the assault and some days are better some are worse. I experience mainly:
- lingering nausea,
- sometimes i am a bit confused and desorientated,
- i lost 10 pounds during a 2 week period (i don´t eat because i feel nauseous),
- sometimes i experience diziness (but this used to be worse),
- i feel slow, slow reactions, slow moves,
- lights bother me, have to wear sunglasses almost all the time,
- i have wierd, irrational thoughts, wierd thoughts, it feels like i am going crazy, losing my mind,
- have memory problems (this used to be worse),
- feel deperonalized and derealized, almost spaced out, very often
- i am sad, antisocial, have strong depressions, very anxious, panic attacks, attacks of irrational fear (these symptoms are the most intense, scary, and hardly manageable),
- have no energy, and i am physically weak.

so basically i feel like a mess. this definitely not used to be me. i feel like a totally different person. my doctpr doesn´t think a 3rd CT is necessary, he doesn´t even want to perform a MRI because he thinks that would reveal nothing. so i don´t know. i don´t take any medication and since the assault i haven ´t hit or got hit my head again. after the assault i was at home for like 2 weeks not really being able to even talk or walk. then i started working and i am able to manage the work somehow, but it´s difficult. i don´t drink any alcohol or caffeine.

so to sum it up, something is wrong with me but i don´t know what it is. i go to many doctors (eye specialists, neurologists, ear/nose/throat specialists, ...) they believe i am not feeling ok, but they can´t find the cause. they told my these may be psycho-logicals problems that take some time to go away (or get used to live with). i will continue visiting doctors hoping that i get better soon.

stay safe

i forget to mention that i also feel disconnected from everything. from the reality, surroundings, my mind, my body. very wierd feling. almost like you live in some wierd world that´s only in your brain, all alone. it´s scary and anxious. i have some good moments when i forget about my symptoms and feel good but than i relapse again and again. thight stomach, nausea, and above described symptoms. is there any way out? :confused:

Oh my goodness. Your assault sounds horrific. I wouldn't be surprised if you're suffering from Post Traumatic Stress which will only make everything worse.

Have you been able to speak to a therapist about what happened?

hello,

yes, it´s horiffic. definitely the worst thing i have experienced in my life so far (i am 30 yr old male). still can´t even believe that it happened to me. unfortunately i haven´t been able to talk to a therapist yet, but i have been already diagnosed with PTSD by a neurologist.

Your symptoms sound like Post Concussion Syndrome made worse by the PTSD. The neuro was a bit out of his specialty diagnosing PTSD. I am surprised he did not suggest a concussion injury.

A therapist may be able to help you understand some of your symptoms but treating them all as PTSD will likely be a problem.

My best to you.

hi Mark,

when you refer to a concussion injury do you mean just a concussion or a post concussion syndrome or something else?

the neuro said it could be a concussion but i din´t throw up, din´t lose my conciousness and remember everything quite vividly before, during and after the assault. so he´s not sure whether this was a concussion or not.

also, but that is probably irrelevant, i got hit "only" on my left cheek and the chin, i din´t receive any hits on the upper side of my head.

There is really no reason to try to differentiate between a simple concussion, Post Concussion Syndrome or something else. It is the symptoms that need to be addressed. The no loss of consciousness, no amnesia, no immediate nausea, are all meaningless. Very few concussions have those symptoms, especially immediately after the impact (s).

You took a blow or two to the head. Many boxers can get knocked out by a strong blow to the side of the face.

The question should be about how to treat your symptoms. You said they are:

- lingering nausea,
- sometimes i am a bit confused and desorientated,
- i lost 10 pounds during a 2 week period (i don´t eat because i feel nauseous),
- sometimes i experience diziness (but this used to be worse),
- i feel slow, slow reactions, slow moves,
- lights bother me, have to wear sunglasses almost all the time,
- i have wierd, irrational thoughts, wierd thoughts, it feels like i am going crazy, losing my mind,
- have memory problems (this used to be worse),
- feel deperonalized and derealized, almost spaced out, very often
- i am sad, antisocial, have strong depressions, very anxious, panic attacks, attacks of irrational fear (these symptoms are the most intense, scary, and hardly manageable),
- have no energy, and i am physically weak.

These are all common to a concussion. Your brain needs an extended period of quiet rest. No caffeine or alcohol. Not cognitive stress. No sensory stress like lights and sounds.

A specific diagnosis will not change your symptoms. Your brain got messed up. Give it a rest so it can heal.


My best to you.

thanks for the advice.

the problem is that if i rest i have too much time to think about what happened and about my symptoms. i am unable to stop obssesing about it. that makes me freak out and depressed. when i work i don´t have to much time to worry about my health and i am feeling better. i told it to the doctor he said start living your normal life like you used to before the (probably) concussion as soon as possible. it´s hard. i guess these things need a lot of time to resolve.