frustrated w/ PCS
 

I was in a car accident in mid October and sustained a concussion. Don't really remember much at all about that day, and I've lost months of memory prior to the accident.

Very frustrated right now with my recovery. I feel mostly normal on most days, but I still have trouble concentrating, daily headaches of varying severity, extreme sound sensitivity and insomnia. And I'm not doing as well in school as I normally do. Studying the same amount like normal, though I do get severe headaches when I study.

Just bloody want my life back to normal! I have stuff I want and need to do, and I get extremely frustrated when there are obstacles in my way.

I saw my doctor again about a month ago, and he thinks I definitely have PCS. His suggestion was to keep trying to do things like normal, and eventually it should get better.

I'm usually an A student, and the last 2 exams I had were 88 and 86. Am so angry about that, since I put in the same hard work I always do but I'm not getting the same results.

Is there anything I can do to heal faster?

Hi welcome
 

I wish there was something you could do to heal faster. We would all be doing it. Unfortunately, doing nothing is the best thing for recovery.
Just wanted to say welcome and your not alone.
:hug:
Brain

arina,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Your struggles sound common to Post Concussion Syndrome.

Continued study makes it very difficult to recover from a concussion. Concussions need quiet rest and good nutrition.

Please tell us more about yourself, your injury, and what you have been doing to try to heal. What has your doctor said ? Is he just a PCP or GP ?

There are lots of good people here to help you. Please feel free share your struggles.

My best to you.

I am coming upto 4 months PCS with similar problems to yourself. This is a useful article http://www.disabilitysanctuary.com/f...reatment.5167/get lots of quiet rest and avoid too much physical activity, also keep a diary of your difficulties. I am getting better, but its very slow and frustrating, especially as symptoms keep coming back. If your symptoms are coming and going/reducing its a good sign. Good luck.

Arina,

Here is a very useful guide to PCS http://www.cdhb.govt.nz/bur/brochure...info_guide.pdf

I sustained a concussion in a car accident on my way home from school. I honestly don't remember the accident. What I remember is getting in my car and leaving class, and then waking up with an airbag in my face. I was told that there was road work and there was a hole in the ground where they were doing work on a culvert. Must have been a heck of a hole, since it totally destroyed the bottom of the front end and part of the undercarriage of my Mini Cooper. I've been on the same route many times since the accident, and I have absolutely no clue where it happened.

I did go to the hospital, but from what I was told they only did xrays of my neck and pelvis.

I felt pretty normal after, but severe brain fog and difficulty concentrating set in soon after. Things were really bad, so I sent my PCP an email. He said it sounded like a concussion and that I should rest. So, I spent a week after pretty much doing nothing. I felt better at the end of the week, but still not back to normal. I had to go back to class about 2 weeks after the accident, since one of my professors was refusing to answer my emails and wouldn't give me the assignments so I could do them at my own pace. I really wasn't feeling well enough and could have done with more rest. So, I went to class and he yelled at me for missing classes, despite having a valid medical condition. The stress of this made me feel awful, head swimming, nausea, but I stayed for the whole class since I didn't want to get yelled at again. And this professor downgraded my work, which was of very good quality and understanding, because of this. Am currently fighting with the university to see if I can get the grade changed. And I know the stress of this incident, and the ongoing stress of having to complete this class didn't help me.

I did still manage to get As in the other 2 courses I was taking last semester, physics & sociology.

I'm 29 and nearly finished with my BA in biology. I had been studying nursing, but I fractured a vertebra falling off a horse and had to quit nursing school. I live at home and help run the family farm. Feeding and caring for nearly 50 animals. Then I'm back in school taking biochemistry, physics 2 and immunology. Then just 3-4 classes left and I'm done! I'm typically an A student in science, and I'm kind of mad that I got an 86 on the biochemistry exam. I thought I understood everything well. Not happy about the 88 in physics, but it was a hard exam. Have my first immunology exam next week, but its an online course so there's no pressure to complete it.

I didn't really have much trouble studying for physics, but I was plagued by migraine-like headaches when studying for biochemistry. I wasn't able to do as much studying as I wanted to, but I tried.

I'm having daily headaches now, of varying severity. Some are mild and some are like migraines. Only thing I can do when they're bad is go into a dark room, put sunglasses on and sleep or watch tv. I was prone to migraines before the concussion, but I had been down to 1 or 2 a year. Also some short term and long term memory problems. Like I go the another room and forget why I was going there. And I almost forgot my weekly medication today.

The only doctor I've seen has been my PCP. I do like him, and he really listens to me. If he's not confident handling something, he'll refer me out to the appropriate specialist. He thinks I'm doing well, all things considered.

In addition to the PCS now, I also have Sjogren's syndrome and gastroparesis due to the Sjogrens's. Sjogren's is an autoimmune disease that attacks moisture production (imaging feeling like you're dehydrated and have laryngitis all the time, and you can't ever get hydrated enough). It also causes severe joint pain and neuropathy. The gastoparesis basically means the Sjogren's has damaged the nerves in my GI tract so things are very slow.

I'm pretty much doing the same thing, as far as supplements, as I was before.

250mg of ginger every meal
5000IU vitamin D3 1x a day
1 multivitamin 1x a day
1000mg of flax oil 1x a day
700mg elderberry 1x a day
1 calcium/magnesium/D/K 2x a day
1 400mg whole turmeric 2x a day
200mg CoQ10 2x a day

30mg Evoxac up to 3 times a day as needed
1mg folic acid 1x a day
200mg plaquinel 1x a day
15mg methotrexate 1x a week

The calcium/magnesium/D/K is (770mg calcium, 58mg magnesium, 1000IU D3, 35mcg K1, 45mcg K2).

The multivitamin is (2500IU retinyl palmitate, 30mg ascorbic acid, 150IU D3, 15IU E, 2.5mg niacin, 1mg B6, 200mcg folic acid, 3mcg B12, 70mg biotin, 5mg pantothenic acid, calcium 9.2mg, 75mcg iodine, 7.5mg zinc, 8mg magnesium, 40mcg choline, 40mcg, inositol).

I'm eating pretty much the same as before. Natural, organic, non-processed foods. Mostly vegetarian, though I do eat fish, dairy and eggs. Have to keep it fairly low in fiber and fat because of the gastroparesis.

Then every single day, I have a chocolate Orgain shake for breakfast. Its the only thing I can tolerate without vomiting (again due to the gastroparesis). And I sip fruit juice sweetened water all day long. Again, real fruit juice no added sugar or HFCS. And I'm allowed 1 glass per week of wine, if I want.

This is what's in the Orgain. 7g fat, 20mg cholesterol, 260mg sodium, 320mg potassium, 32g carbohydrate, 16g protein, vitamin A 25%, calcium 3%, vitamin D 25%, riboflavin 25%, vitamin E 25%, pantothenic acid 25%, phosphorus 50%, magnesium 25%, copper 25%, vitamin C 25%, iron 25%, thiamine 25%, niacin 25%, selenium 25%, B12 25%, folate 25%, iodine 25%, zinc 25%, molybdenum 25%. Its all organic, no HFCS and has veggie and fruit in it too.

Yesterday, which was fairly typical, I had an Orgain for breakfast. Orange veggie "chicken", and rice with hijiki seaweed, edamame and carrots for lunch. Then baked haddock with onions, italian bread crumbs, sweet corn and tartar sauce for dinner, with my weekly glass of wine (currently a 7% alcohol Riesling).

Forgot to add that things felt like they were going well for the past couple of months. But now it seems like things are getting worse, especially the headaches. Is it normal to feel like things are getting better and then to get worse again (and hopefully get better)?

Yes, that was my life for 1 year. It seems like a dream now looking back on it and it's almost like I've blocked it out of my memory since I've finally starting to do better with help of my neuro-opthamologist(the only Dr. That helped with my recovery) please dont wait a year like I did. It may not be the solution, but you need to make sure it isnt a Vision issue causing all your symptoms.

arina,

Your gastroparesis may have a different cause. Your horse fall may be the source of many of your current struggles. I have a different problem with gastro functions. Mine are related to a chronic injury at C-5 to T-3. I have cervical ribs and TOS (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome) that get inflamed and cause gastric and bowel dysfunction. Rather than the nerves being damages by the Sjogren's, they may be impinged at your spinal column.

MD's tend to dismiss this. A Stanford professor Gastroenterologist told me as much. Chiro and Physical Therapy resolved my severe problems and now I live with a much lesser chronic problem. Occasionally, I get the stomach dysfunction but know how to self-treat. I have chronic ilea-cecal valve paralysis/paralytic ileum and slow large bowel due to this injury. Fortunately, they are now at a manageable state since my health insurance provides poor coverage for the physical therapy and chiro that helps so much.

Your MultiVitamin is extremely low dose. The brain needs far more nutrition than the RDA system comes close to recognizing.

Check out the Vitamins thread. A Mega Women multi by GNC or similar high potency multi plus a B-50 Complex will go far toward your brain's needs.

Your school should have a disabilities services department to serve the needs of ADA qualified students and others with needs.

Your brain needs proper animal fats for health and repair. Pork has the highest ratio of BCAA's (Broken Chain Amino Acids) Research shows that lack of unprocessed animal fats in the diet leads to less brain mass.

It also appears you struggle with anxiety. Upping your B's may help. Anxiety is counter to brain health and concussion recovery.

You posted a lot of information. very good job. Some of us need more double paragraph spacing. 5 lines is my limit for following written text. More and I get lost trying to find the start of the next line. You made a great start, though.

Feel free to tell us anything. Lots of good people here.

My best to you.

I understand what you mean about the spinal impingement. Totally makes physiological sense. But I've been through chiropractic treatment and that hasn't helped the gastroparesis.

Would doubling the multi I'm on be a good start? I went with the one I chose, since I wasn't absorbing the tablet I was taking.

This is a B complex I have taken in the past.
One Capsule Contains:
Thiamin 40 mg.
Riboflavin 28.6 mg.
Niacin 80 mg.
Vitamin B6 206.8 mg.
Folate 200 mcg.
Vitamin B12 100 mcg.
Biotin 80 mcg.
Pantothenic Acid 45 mg.
Choline Citrate 40 mg.


I am eating fish. Mostly fresh salmon, haddock and smoked salmon. That's what's available freshest and local. Will not eat pork as it is not kosher.

I kind of got on a role typing and didn't want to stop. I also have issues reading text on a screen. So, I kind of couldn't go back and read what I had written!

I've worked with the disability services at school before. They've given me a pretty hard time. Won't do more than give me a more comfortable chair at the front of the room. I am going to ask my professors directly if I can take my tests in a quiet room, and if I might have some extra credit assignments (like more math problems for physics or writing a review of some research articles for biochem).

Don't feel like anxiety is an issue. Am having issues staying organized, which has never been a problem before. So, I think organizing issues plus a lot to do plus sensory over sensitivity could come across online as anxiety.

I wish I could do all my course work like the online class I'm taking. Being able to do things on my terms is so much easier.

Your B Complex looks good. Compare your multi to a GNC Mega Men/Women. You can check it online at http://www.gnc.com/search/index.jsp?.../13200328&sr=1 You will see a good cross-section of dosages.

Whenever I recommend pork, I always keep the Kosher issue in the back of my mind. Google BCAA's (Broken Chain Amino Acids) to find good sources in Kosher meats.

What part of the world do you live ?

It may help to get a blood test for B-12, folate, D3, magnesium, calcium, and even Thyroid levels. This can help you understand what your body needs.

Sjogren's can interfere with B-12 absorption.

A generic chiro will not necessarily fix the gastric neuropathy/radiculopathy. My regular chiro had to refer me to a physiatrist (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) who did some x-rays and referred me to a myofacial release Physical Therapist who is easily 1 in 100 in skill sets. I found a kinesiologist Chiro who was helpful. Keep looking. I have two problems, the TOS and a rib that gets dislocated around T-3 to T-5 or so. The rib does not cause any pain but it does cause the gastric problems.

I am not saying this is your problem but when I find the doctors are unsuccessful, I look for help in other areas. Sometimes, An DO (osteopath) has skills at finding spinal problems.

My best to you.

Hey Arina,

I'm also suffering from PCS and it's been about 10 months for me. My doctors that I saw were useless and didn't recommend anything useful to me. From my experience it is NOT wise to go back right away and try to live life normally. I've had 10 months to figure out what triggers my symptoms and you should try to do the same. I used to get headaches but they have subsided. The dizziness and sensitivity to light are what gets me. I avoid driving at night ad recently stopped work completely as these are things that cause my dizziness. TV and screens also can cause symptoms so Ive had to limit myself to an hour or so. I'm also a student and I know that 1 hour on the laptop is near impossible. Take breaks and close your eyes for 20 minutes.

Somebody else mentioned seeing a neuro optometrist which I have yet to do myself. Im about to start vestibular rehabilitation which focuses on physio for dizziness. Maybe have a look into both of these things. Don't wait!

I continued for nearly 9 months trying to live normally. I went back to physical activity (hockey and gym) almost immediately and I strongly believe that I would have been 100% better if I had rested right away. Ive been focusing on my recovery for the past 3 weeks (resting, no work, avoiding anything that causes symptoms) and it's helped a lot.

I apologize for the rant but take the time your body needs and rest properly!