Multiple concussions
 

Hi!

I'm a 26 years old girl from Norway. I've had multiple concussions in the past. Five years ago I fell off my horse and was unconscious for several minutes. I recovered completely. A year later I hit my head at the bathroom floor and the concussion symptoms was back. Two weeks after that I hit my head in the roof of my car. At that time I hadn't yet recovered from my second concussion, and I had post concussion syndrome symptoms for about 8 months after that - ringing in ears, loss of concentration, terrible headache, nausea, could not read books, computer etc. After this I almost completely recovered. However, I persisted to be extremely sensitive to any bumps when driving etc. I never hug anyone because I tend to get psc symptoms if they accidentally "hit" my head to hard. This may sound crazy, but my head is extremely sensitive. After these incidents I usually recover after about one or two weeks. But not this time.

One month ago I was driving with someone who drove on a hole in the road. This made me dizzy and all my symptoms came back. One week later I had a similar experience when an elevator I took had a hard "jerking" movement. After this I have been extremely annoyed with psc symptoms. I have ringing in my ears, dizziness, loss of concentration, irritability, terrible headache (impossible to describe) etc. I am so frustrated and afraid the symptoms will persist for monts or years. What do you think my prognosis is after these last incidents? I just finished my law degree with extremely good results and I want to work, but right now I can't even think. I am so afraid for my future, and I will rather die than have these symptoms. I don't know what to do and I am so depressed about how things have turned out. I will be extremely thankful for any advise. When can I expect my symptoms to cease after these two last incidents? Can I risk to have these symptoms for years? I know I will still be very sensitive and I try my best to avoid hitting my head, but I just want these symptoms to go away.

Sorry for my poor English skills. I hope someone could help because I'm so afraid and frustrated. Thank you in advance.

You have explained things very well.

However, what care have you received?

What testing have you received? What specialists have you seen or received care from, and what medications have they tried , or are you on (if any)?

Are you receiving any therapy?

Secondly, on these forums there are links for some very helpful sites for perusal to information that may help; as well as a link to a Vitamin/Supplement thread that Mark has started that is very helpful, providing nutrition support to the brain injured...... seems we all need quite a bit of this type of support which is not always provided through Allopathic physician recommendations - they aren't always into supplemental care, nor very aware of its usefulness for the most part.

One very good link for information, in my opinion is Brainline.Org , read through and see what you think.

Many others may post and offer other links and advice. We are all here to help each other..........

Best wishes........... :grouphug:

Your first step is this one, welcome.

Multiple concussions
 

Thank you so much for your reply and good tips. I haven't received any treatment or therapy (a little acupuncture which didn't help that much). I've visited many doctors (the health care system in Norway is free and usually pretty good), but they say they can't help me. All they can say is that I have to rest. However, I do nothing else than resting.

So sorry to hear it
 

Hello Girl from Norway,

Welcome to NeuroTalk -- this is a good place.

I don't know much about problems from multiple concussions. I've had about 2 in my life so far and the most recent one was 3 months away.

I've been learning from this board that though I may heal, it seems once we've had head trauma, we are more prone to it -- just like what you wrote about. And life may now be learning to live around the things that trigger it-- just as you did and do.

Someone else pointed out the vitamin stickie at the top and I am a believer in nutrition. I follow the regimin posted there and added supplements to it.

Tell us anything more you want about your symptoms etc and more people here will weigh in.

Sincerely

pm

I would recommend that you arrange an appointment with a Neurologist/ Physiatrist and a NeuroPyschologist for evaluation of your needs.

Neurologist/Physiatrist for ongoing care and medication needs, if any; and directed care to therapies; and NeuroPsychologist for thorough evaluation of any depression associated with the concussion/pcs and cogitive issues... and recommendations of follow-up for therapy.

These are the usual practical needs with your current concussion/pcs complaints.

Have you been experiencing any vertigo, tinnitus, vision difficulties that seem to accompany you current complaints or are situational? Let your future care giver know about those also, even if they do not ask - many practitioners are not fully up-to-date about Concussions/PCS care and give those answers you have already received, and we as patients usually have to educate them as we go for care.

Best Wishes.......... :grouphug:

Thanks again. I will contact the specialists you mention. I feel so frustrated. I am so afraid my symptoms won't go away this time. Yes, I have tinnitus etc. I have vision issues, but mostly in the form of "slow" vision. I feel sleepy without any energy. I also have a hard time talking fast.

Thanks for all your help.

Poetrymom: Thanks a lot for your reply. Do you heal from your multiple concussions, in the form of being symptom free if you are careful so you don't get more traumas? I know me head will be extremely sensitive for traumas the rest of my life. However, I wonder if I ever will be symptom free this time? If not, I don't know what to do.

Healing
 

Hello again GirlfromNorway,

The first concussion I had was when I was 9 or 10. I hit concrete pavement from swinging on a rope swing in our garage. I healed completely from that. I had forgotten about it until the damage showed up on my MRI.

I am now 48 and got a mild concussion, tBi -- brain injury, from the car accident in Feb. I had bed rest for about a week after that, felt better, then all my symptoms -- dizziness, sound and light sensitivity, fatigue, came back. I had to let work go for the rest of the year and then I started to really rest and feel better.

I feel better, but I know I am not recovered. I still get tired, and have some issues with sound / noise, and being around a lot of people can be really tiring for me too.

As for work again, well, I want to, but I know that I have to handle stress differently and maybe I will have a career change. I don't like to think of that, but it may be a reality for me. It remains to be seen.

I have hope that I will continue to get better, but it takes time, as you know, and no one can say how much time is enough. I try not to let that aggravate me.

I know you are really upset about your symptoms coming back and I don't know why that happens either. I know there are other, really experienced people here who will weigh in with their insight.

In the meantime, really try to take care of yourself -- meditation, a hot bath, any healthy thing you can do to feel better is important.

Sincerely,

pm

Norway Girl,

I had a significant head injury back in November and had all the classic PCS symptoms and needed 4 months off work and a phased return to work.

I am now back working 33.5 hours a week, but need an SNRI medication called Cymbalta to prevent headaches which I am plagued with, and it also acts as an antidepresant.

It doesn't work for everyone, but having recently gone off Cymbalta, I know I need it to function and to do my job properly. There are other SNRI's or SSRI's which can help some people, but you would need to discuss the advantages and disadvantages (and there are a few) with a doctor first.

Depression and pain are common symptoms of PCS and there are some medications out there which can cure both in one pill.

Before your Dr visits try to objectively list your symptoms. Categorize them as follows physical: I.E. headaches, vertigo, ... Cognitive: language issues, slow thinking, confusion... Psychiatric; any issues like anger, anxiety, fear of re-injury. Frequently whiplash accompanies concussion injuries and can be overlooked. Be sure to ask your Drs about this. Unresolved C-spine issues can cause ongoing symptoms.

Similar issues
 

Hi Norway Girl,


I am dealing with very similar issues after suffering my 5th sports related concussion playing hockey on December 9 th. I keep aggravating the PCS symptoms when i feel like they are starting to ease and I don't think that I am getting any better. I have a 16 month old son who is constantly lightly head butting and hitting my head when I play with him. Even when I sneeze I feel my head rattle.
I started a new job this year as a high school administrator and I have not been able to take much time off.
I have been to three neurologists including two concussion specialists but i feel like i havent had much luck with any of them. I just started taking desipramine last week to help with the headaches and insomnia. It takes three weeks to work so I haven't seen any results yet.
Over the past six months I have realized that sleep and rest (not getting enough of either due to new job and baby)are the only things that seems to make a difference.
I wish I had more advice for you. If you figure out something that works, please let me know.

-Noland


I'm a 26 years old girl from Norway. I've had multiple concussions in the past. Five years ago I fell off my horse and was unconscious for several minutes. I recovered completely. A year later I hit my head at the bathroom floor and the concussion symptoms was back. Two weeks after that I hit my head in the roof of my car. At that time I hadn't yet recovered from my second concussion, and I had post concussion syndrome symptoms for about 8 months after that - ringing in ears, loss of concentration, terrible headache, nausea, could not read books, computer etc. After this I almost completely recovered. However, I persisted to be extremely sensitive to any bumps when driving etc. I never hug anyone because I tend to get psc symptoms if they accidentally "hit" my head to hard. This may sound crazy, but my head is extremely sensitive. After these incidents I usually recover after about one or two weeks. But not this time.

One month ago I was driving with someone who drove on a hole in the road. This made me dizzy and all my symptoms came back. One week later I had a similar experience when an elevator I took had a hard "jerking" movement. After this I have been extremely annoyed with psc symptoms. I have ringing in my ears, dizziness, loss of concentration, irritability, terrible headache (impossible to describe) etc. I am so frustrated and afraid the symptoms will persist for monts or years. What do you think my prognosis is after these last incidents? I just finished my law degree with extremely good results and I want to work, but right now I can't even think. I am so afraid for my future, and I will rather die than have these symptoms. I don't know what to do and I am so depressed about how things have turned out. I will be extremely thankful for any advise. When can I expect my symptoms to cease after these two last incidents? Can I risk to have these symptoms for years? I know I will still be very sensitive and I try my best to avoid hitting my head, but I just want these symptoms to go away.

Sorry for my poor English skills. I hope someone could help because I'm so afraid and frustrated. Thank you in advance.[/QUOTE]

Hi,

I can relate to the worry about having further injury. I have found since my accident I am paranoid about myself and my family having accidents. It is almost like PTSD. This can be addressed by a therapist. It is really important to take the time it takes to get better. If you do not recover properly you will keep getting bouts of psc. I just recently discovered that my concussion caused a condition call post traumatic vision syndrome (I can not read, watch t.v. or be on the computer long without getting really sick). I have now got prism glasses to correct my vision and am undergoing vision therapy. It is really important to get as much information about your condition as possible because there is help out there, but you have to find the right individual. I went to an eye doctor twice to be told there is nothing wrong with my eyes, but needed to go to a neuro opthamologist to find out what was going on.

You are your best advocate, you need to go out and seek help.

Good luck.

GirlFromNorway,

You have been very fortunate with your recovery from your previous concussions. Keep in mind that you never recovered completely. Each time, you brain was left with hidden damage that makes a subsequent concussion more damaging. You likely have hit a point where the cumulative damage has left your brain struggling to recover. This is known as Multiple Impact Syndrome.

In order to recover and move on with your life, you most likely need to make changes to how you live each day. The biggest issue is learning how to lower your stress load. You mentioned that you can not talk fast. This suggests that you live a high energy lifestyle in the past. You may never return to this high energy life style. Nobody can say. If you try to live a high energy lifestyle, you will likely ride a roller coaster of Post Concussion Syndrome symptoms.

This does not mean you can not life a full and active life. You will need to plan your activity levels and stress loads. There are many life skills you can learn to help you manage your symptoms. There are many of us here on NT who have lived with Post Concussion Syndrome for years or even decades. We have learned many work-arounds and accommodations that allow us to go forward with our lives.

Please tell us about your current life style/living situation and the symptoms you are struggling with. Most likely, there are trigger that cause your symptoms to increase. Recognizing these triggers is the first step to learning how to move forward.

My best to you.

You WILL improve
 

There are treatments and medications that can help, if your symptoms aren't resolving on their own. If you look at my signature, you will see that it is entirely possible to get better. Am I 100% better? No, but I'm about 90% better after about 9 months since I started the recovery process of rest and therapy. My bothersome symptoms are vision-related, and i expect they will resolve after further therapy.

Since I started an antidepressant, I am no longer depressed or lethargic, and I seem to have regained my stamina as well, or at least it's improved a lot. It sounds like an antidepressant might be in order, if you are feeling as despondent as you seem. Being depressed and anxious can negatively impact your recovery, so I would definitely talk to a doctor about how your feeling.

Don't lose hope! You can live a full, rich life. It just takes time and patience to recover.

Thank you all for a lot of good advises. I felt extremely frustrated and started crying for a short while on Monday - this has caused my symptoms to increase a lot. Is this normal for pcs? I will contact my doctor and post more when I'm a bit better. Right now I'm not able to watch the computer because of my headache. Thanks again. I really appreciate your support and kind advises.

I'm having a bad day too:( Take Care.

GirlfromNorway,

Yes, it is a very exasperating experience. We all have our moments. The inner turmoils pile on sometimes.

Come and vent. Let go. We are here. At the least for each other.

Best Wishes................ :grouphug:

Crying doesn't help!
 

Earlier in my recovery, if I started crying, I learned to immediately take an Imigran to ward off a migraine. The stress of crying and the anxiety or sadness that caused the crying were just too much for my brain at the time. I had to avoid certain people who upset me because they did not understand my injury. I feel that it damaged some of my relationships to not directly confront the problems, but I was just not capable of handling it.

It will get better with time. I cried last night--my husband and I got into an argument, which we resolved--and I was tired this morning because we stayed up late talking, but otherwise, I was fine!

When I read your post I thought that I was reading one of my own posts. I am two years younger than you and my first concussion was also from falling off of a horse. I lost consciousness for a few seconds. I was 19 and in my second semester of my freshman year in college. The difference is that I never healed. Two weeks after my first concussion I hit my head again. Since that time I have hit my head about 12 significant times and 4 of those were certainly concussions and I have bumped my head so many other times that I can't even count and this is all in the past 4 years.

The first couple concussions, I could hardly read or concentrate. But as time went on and I made the decision to return to school I began to find ways to cope.

I have now been a year and three months since my last concussion. I have had a headache every day for 4 years and three months. I have a intense 3 or 4 day migraine every couple weeks which is much better than 3 or 4 days out of every week. My concentration is still weak, but that directly relates to how much sleep I have had, too much sleep or too little. Light hurts my eyes like daggers, and certain sounds are like daggers to my brain. My neck muscles are always tight.

Nausea hasn't bothered me since February. Dizziness is only a problem now and then, another thing that has begun to get better. I still can't do any sort of activity beyond walking from one end of the house to the other without paying for it for hours, but at least it is hours instead of days now.

I can't deal with people very well. I get very irritable and grouchy.

But, 4 years in and 1 year since my last concussion, I can see a little improvement and it gives me hope that over time I might be able to go to a concert or go sunbathe without pain. Even to go a couple days without pain would just be an unimaginable joy.

Anyways, I wish you the best! I hope that you can learn to cope and then to be surprised by your healing as I have been and I hope that unlike me it happens very quickly. Don't ride any more horses and beware the bumps! (I refuse to ride in cars with bad shocks).
Live Long and Prosper!
In Christ,
Margarite

You will get better!
 

Hello GirlFromNorway, and everyone else too.

I am new to this forum but have blogged about PCS and brain injury in general for a few years *admin edit*

GirlFromNorway, I wanted to make sure that you understood the doctors that someone else recommended. The most important doctor to find is a Physiatrist. Using Babylon to translate that into Norwegian I get "s. fysioterapaut". A Physiatrist is a person who specializes in Rehabilitation Medicine. You want to find a s. fysioterapaut who further specializes in Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation. Finding that specific specialist is your first big step to actually getting help. Neurologists and other doctors mean well but they usually are not terribly knowledgable about how to really recover from even one brain injury; never mind multiple ones.

The other specialist that was recommended is a Neuropsychologist (s. nevropsykolog, psykolog som spesialiserer seg på forholdet mellom nervesystemet og psykisk oppførsel) I hope Babylon is translating that right but it looks right from what I can recognize. A Neuropsychologist will most likely give you a Neuropsych Evaluation. The Physiatrist may be the doctor that orders the test. The Neuropsych evaluation is a day long series of games, puzzels, and tests that are able to quantify and qualify your brain function. The results are very useful. They will help the Physiatrist to design a rehab program that will address your symptoms and your brain deficits.

To give you an idea of why it is so important to find doctors who specialize in traumatic brain injury (TBI), I will tell you a little of what happened to me. My car was T-boned when a woman red light in 1987 (T-boned in English means the hitting car hits the other one on the side.) Then I had additional concussions starting in 2002. I had all the PCS symptoms you described for years and years. Especially constant nausea, head aches, and balance problems. When I finally got to a TBI Physiatrist, he sent me to a physical therapist who specializes on the brain. She tested me and found that my left eye tracks slower than my right eye. So she had me do a series of exercises - some in the clinic at appointments with her and some that I had to do a few times a day at home. The exercises were not fun! But they worked. Poof! No more headaches and nausea! And my balance has greatly improved too.

The other doctor that greatly helped me was an Osteopathic Doctor who specializes in Osteopathic Manual Medicine. I would assume that you have Osteopathic doctors in Norway. In the US they have a D.O. after their name instead of a M.D.

Hope this all helps. If you want to read about my head injury here is the link:*edit* There is a translate widget in the sidebar on that page.

I am sorry that I cannot post the hyperlinks for you because I know that would make it much easier. But I am a new member so therefore not trusted.

Thanks!
 

Emersonjanebrown: Thank you so much for all the information you have provided for me (even in perfect Norwegian). I'm sorry to hear what happened to you, but so happy you have responded positively on the treatment. I will definitely try this!

The strange thing about my symptoms is that they are mainly physical (not cognitive) and usually go away after a few weeks (but not this time). I wrote that I had some problems with talking fast - I think this was because of my pain. When I'm not in pain I have no problems with concentration - I can work extremely much and long days without noticing anything wrong. My doctor therefore thought that there might be my neck that cause my problems now (he does not deny that I've had several concussions in the past). He said it is likely that everytime I (slightly) "bump" my head, some signals remember how it was the last time, and "create" the headache and other concussion symptoms, even though my head probably is not "concussed". What do you other guys think of this? How much force is required to cause a concussion?

GFN,

You doctor appears to not understand the impact of sub-concussive impacts. He is correct when he comments about neck issues. They can cause an interrupt in blood flow or muscle spams.

Sub-concussive impacts are those impacts that do not cause immediate concussive symptoms. They often accumulate to cause problems. In some of us, they will cause a relapse of concussion symptoms. For me, I have learned how to notice subtle symptoms such as a metallic taste or slight sense of vertigo (dizziness) or visual struggles. They may only last a few seconds. Different challenges to the brain can cause processing speed to change. This can cause the speaking speed problem.

The struggles you have when you are in pain could be a result of the pain stimuli overwhelming your brain's ability to process information. Or, the cause of the pain may also be the cause of the processing struggles such as, a spike in blood pressure can cause head aches. It can also cause changes to capillary blood flow resulting in functional difficulties.

I hope this makes sense to you. Learning to moderate your activity level can smooth out this roller coaster of symptoms.

My best to you.

Too many Concussions
 

I would guess you're sitting in my boat and we're both floating down poopy creek with nary a paddle between us.

I was diagnosed a little over a year ago with TBI from multiple concussions. The Neurologist figures I've had between 12-15 in my lifetime.

In all my reading on the subject, there seems to be a consensus that each concussion, no matter how inconsequential, does damage to the brain. The good news is that with proper care and plenty of non-brain activity rest, most people will recover as the brain has ways of re-routing signals. Some people, however, have a lifetime of minor symptoms from just one.

Unfortunately, once you get to about the 3rd, your brain starts to lose the ability to re-route. At some point, the symptoms do become more permanent.

I read a study about an MRI technique called DTI. This imaging tracks the movement of the brain fluid or white matter. The testing is still in a research mode but the conclusion of one particular study I read talked about people, like me and you, with multiple concussions, having recurring symptoms. Meaning that symptoms will vary and will come and go.

For me, last year, my memory was so bad that my wife would cry because I had no memory of a trip we had taken the year before. We spent one entire week in So California in a condo right on the beach. No matter what she said to help me remember, my mind could not reach back and find a memory.

Well, my memory is much better now but other symptoms that I have had before are back. Dizziness, balance issues, headaches, etc. that were much more mild are back.

The study indicated that the white matter will actually move about the affected areas of the brain and help restore some of the damaged functions. But at some point, it will move to a different damaged area causing a different symptom to get better but the other symptoms will return.

I hope I'm making sense. I read the article online and haven't been able to find it since. I was looking again tonight when I came across this forum. If I find the link, I'll post it.

Good luck.

Jazzy,

I know articles similar, and have been in similar situations as you.

Have found articles of interest like that one, and have remembered to go back because I forgot to bookmark it and could not find it again. That is one reason I am forever online re - searching tbi, mtbi, Brain injury, concussion, pcs, etc.

I dig and dig into anything from NIH, BMJ, and anywhere else I might find bibliographies for information.

Docs on my side of the fence agree that my history is full of the Multiple Injury Syndrome picture, as why my issues are dragging along as long as they are at my age, but the Insurance folks don't want to believe there is even one concussion/pcs issue here...

I feel for all folks facing Multiple Injury issues.....

Best wishes.............. :grouphug:

Jazzy,

DTI, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, is beyond the research level. The problem is that it can give a diagnosis but does not change the fact that there are limited treatments. It is also difficult to find an imaging center with a radiologist and neuro who understand the technology.

Multiple Impact Syndrome can be a struggle. After each successive impact, less recovery is possible. In time, the brain has used up all of its 'reserve' ability to recover. I am in the 'reserve is used up' state. My neuro was shocked to see how dysfunctional my brain is.

There are plenty of work-arounds to go on with a full life. It may be a different full life than originally planned but it can be full never-the-less.

Clarification
 

The research part I was talking about, and I have to rely on my faulty memory, was the part about the recurring symptoms and the movement of the fluid. If I remember right, it was still being researched because a new DTI had to be done in 6 month intervals and the study was only about 18 months old. I believe they said they wanted about 5 years worth of data on the same subjects to be conclusive.

I wish I could find the article. I'm pretty feisty so I'm sure I will.

dont despair
 

Hi, this head injury thing really is hard to deal with, i have broken both shoulders, one in 7 pieces, torn ligaments in both knees, had kidney stones several times, had appendicitis, got impaled on a dirt bike handelbar which crushed femoral artery ripped open abdominal an caused hernia, 44 staples in groin, 22 staples in shoulder, crashed skiing n heard glass breaking, gues that was brain rattle, and all along banging my head like a dope. No injury has been harder to deal with than the day to day symptoms of this tbi, Ive had 6 concussions and multiple impacts. Yes I am an idiot.
Now even slight bump on head causes symptoms of dizziness, extreme fatigue, blurry vision, confusion, etc (hey I dont even have to drink to feel drunk saves money on the beck)
so what encouragement can i offer?..........we just have to face the reality that if you play, u pay.
Im not trying to be glib, just real. I feel like an old person now.
So what can I say positively? That I have a tremendous amount of empathy that I never had before, being so active and able to physically endure and excell most my life had left me without understanding of others weaknesses. Especially older folks. Now I really understand what many many people are going through in their lives. Has this helped me? Yes, this empathy makes me feel more Human, wherever I can help some one, I am more understanding.
It's kind of weird to be in excellent physical shape yet feel like an 80 yr old man, and how do you explain? Only those who have experienced the same can truly comprehend the depth of despair this syndrome can bring,,,,but maybe others with other issues have the same despair.
My motto now is that if I experience even only one beautiful thing in a day, no matter how small, I appreciate that if I was dead, I wouldn't have even enjoyed that, so I focus on that. Truth though is there are many more then one beautiful thing I experience each day. Train your mind to always focus on whatever positive thing you can. guess that's all i have so hang on to the beautiful.

Same here
 

Same for me. I have a spinal cord injury in addition. I was partly paralyzed from my chest and down when I was 13 years old, so I am dependent on using a wheelchair. However, nothing I have experienced has been worse than my recurring concussion symptoms.

Jazzy,

In my opinion, there is a lot of research done for research sake, not for finding a treatment. Sure, they can see patterns of injury in the imaging. This is great if you are fighting with a personal injury claim and need to show you are injured. But....... What change in treatment is being offered from the research being done ? None based on what I have seen.

GirlfromNorway and 12many,

What steps are you taking to move forward ? PCS can be miserable and frustrating but there are lots of things one can do to move forward.

There are no magic cures. Every step forward takes effort on our part.

Mark in Idaho: Thank you so much for your support. I'm so happy I found this forum. The last couple of days have been much better - I hardly have any headache and I can sit more than to minutes on the computer. The last month I have mostly spent in my bead without doing anything. I have also started on most of the nutrition supplements you have recommended. Can I really take as much as 500 - 1000 mcgs daily? Right now I just take a B-complex with a lot of B-s, among them 200 mgcs B12. How much extra B12 should I take? I weigh about 60-65 kilo. Is there something else I can do besides resting and good nutrition?

However, I'm still dizzy and I've got a new problem that makes me even more worried and prevents me from falling asleep: My arms, my face and my neck are twitching every time I lay down on the sofa or in my bed. I try to relax, but can't make it stop. Sometimes my arm suddenly moves to another place. I'm not shaking (like tremors?), but I get these jerky movements and they are annoying and I 'm afraid they will make my headache worse (If my head is jerking too much). I've never had this problem before, only the last week or so. What can I do to make the twitching go away and what could be the cause? I guess it has something to do with the concussion symptoms. What do you think? There is nothing wrong with my neck, but I have been in bed a lot lately, so maybe my body needs some exercise...

Medication?
 

You aren't taking Topamax, are you? That made my face twitch and I had to lower my dosage. Just checking!

Nope, not taking Topamax. I take no drugs besides nutrition supplements, but I have started to think that some of the supplements may have caused the twitching. The twitching started right after I started with that for a little over a week ago.

GFN,

I had the twitching and ballistic movements (the arm just takes off in a ballistic trajectory when all I tried was a small movement). I found that I needed to protect my neck. Minor inflammation would interrupt the nerve functions and strange things would happen. ice your upper neck and relax in a straight posture. No tilting the head forward or to the side.

The inflammation usually take 10 to 20 minutes to start to interrupt nerve signals. I take gabapentin (prescription) before bed to help these problematic nerves from disrupting my attempts to sleep.

Yes, you can take the higher dose of B-12. A 1000 or 2000 mcg dose per day should be OK. Some people do not absorb B-12 well. They need a methylated version of B-12. Methylcobalamin is the preferred version. Check you B Complex to see what kind of B-12 is included.

If you are concerned about the supplements causing your twitching, list the ingredients and dosages. Maybe there is something odd in your supplements. Do you drink coffee or caffeinated beverages ?

Thanks Mark. There are so many ingredients in my supplements, so I have to do that a day I have more energy. However, I have tried to take as "clean" as possible nutrition supplements.

I drink very little coffee. Only less than half a cup in the morning. However, it happens even though I do not drink coffee at all.

My doctor could not say anything about my tremors, but he has sent me to a neurologist - I will probably not get an appointment before about two weeks. I will ask the neurologist if I can get some medication for the tremors.

Mark in Idaho: I've had this for the past two weeks. It happened after I had been crying a night. Now the tremors only gets worse, but the other symptoms are much better. Do you think the tremors are permanent, or is it something that will go away after a while, like the other symptoms normally do? I am really worried about this.

Just an update
 

Now I have almost completely recovered from my little concussion 1 1/2 months ago (I am very sensitive after more serious concussions in 2008). Now I have no symptoms except from muscle twitching. However, the twitching in my head, neck, shoulders and arms are extremely irritating and sometimes they make me get a headache (because my head is sometimes twitching really hard).

I will see a neurologist on Monday. I will ask her to do an EEG (as Concussed Scientist tipsed me about) and some medications. I will tell you all if she has some good tips (that hopefully some others here can benefit from).

Good to hear!
 

GFN,

Glad you are feeling better. That is good news.


pm