Question about dizziness/vision
 

Hi Everyone,

It has been awhile since I've posted here--I had a severe concussion from a bike wreck back in March of this year while training for the upcoming cycling season with a brief LOC. Although most of my symptoms have resolved (nausea, headaches, vertigo, and much of the fogginess is gone), there still remains the following:

* A near constant light dizziness and disequilibrium.
* Light sensitivity, esp. to fluorescent lights, which causes dizziness
* When this disequilibrium occurs, I tend to then get brain fog.
* I seem to have a problem with one dimensional vision.
* When I walk, often it seems like the horizon is *tilted*

I did get an analysis of my vestibular system and everything checked out very well (they said that I could do some higher level balance stuff). I continue to cycle and run, as that makes me feel better. I have also continued to work, although it has been a real struggle for me because I work under fluorescent lights. The dizziness causes EXTREME anxiety for me.

I am going to see an OT again and also have my vision checked; it seems like my main issues must have to do with my vision.

Has anyone had success with prism glasses to assist with getting vision and balance back to normal? I think this is my last hurdle. Thanks to everyone for the great help on this forum. Aside from figuring the dizziness out, I have to say that this does get better!

Thank you.

Seth,

I experience dizziness but it never seems to upset my balance if that can make sense. I got on a wakeboard the other day for the first time in a year and a half without any balance problems though I felt a bit off afterwards yet without any adverse balance effects.

Does it affect your cycling any? I wonder of late if I have always experienced these bits of dizziness but was never aware of worried by it...I know I am way over sensitive about my body now.

Bud

It doesn't actually affect my cycling at all, which is a blessing! I have also become way over-sensitive about my body as well.

I have also wondered, and maybe I'm totally out there in this query--could I have suffered a mild brain stem injury in my accident that is effecting my balance and vision? My CT Scan was fine, but perhaps an MRI would tell me more. It seems that my breathing has been affected since the accident, too, although I wonder if this has more to do with my anxiety. I wonder if I should pursue the MRI option at this point.

Would a CT Scan be able to tell if there was some sort of brain stem issue? Or is this just anxiety getting in the way.

Seth,

I have had breathing discomfort too.

I think for me it is straight up anxiety. It is always anxious or panicked breathing and that type of thinking that accompanies it.

Bud

Has this improved over the months?

Seth,

It has and it is definitely correlated to how well I control anxiety. If I allow the ruminations to take control I can feel my breathing tightening up.

I have no trouble swimming, walking or the short 1/4 mile I can jog every few days during my daily walk.

Bud

E
Doyou feel like you are your way to full recovery?

I have the same issues with fluorescent lights causing dizziness. I was given special red tinted glasses that helped. I got them at Mayo and they said that many have respond well to them.

I find the glasses help delay the dizziness but not stop it. I have now been focusing on core training with balance focus. This is helping but I have had many concussions and have been told that fully recovery is not likely.

Exact same problem here- positional vertigo and definitely exacerbated by fluorescent lights. Almost a year since my injury.

On the plus (?) side a MRI last month has me seeing a neurosurgeon & hoping the balance/numbness issues are resolved after the tumor removal. MRI with and w/o contrast was required, so ensure that you have both done at once.

Good luck,
Grace

Grace,

Thanks for the response--if you don't mind my asking, what was your injury? And they subsequently found a tumor was causing some of the issues?

Did they say that the light sensitivity to fluorescent lights might go away eventually? It is about my only light sensitivity issue. I find it immensely distracting . . . It seems as though everything I'm experiencing now are ocular phenomenon.

This was my second concussion, that I know of, but it was pretty bad. I'm also in my 40s, which might be causing the longer recovery time.

I was 51 but had too many concussion too count. It was just called getting your bell rung or seeing stars. I had two major concussion by the age 12. I always got better until the car accident 1.5 years ago.

I had a major concussion at around 44 from snow boarding. It took awhile to get better (I gave up most of my sports after that). I really think you will get better with only 2 concussions.

I did a search for the glasses - They don't cost much and are helpful - the is a link:

http://www.theraspecs.com/light-sens...y-photophobia/


Mayo also had me try and de-sensitize myself to things. This would be to slowly increase my time each day to one thing. This worked for most things.

I also thought visual issues was my main problem until I took some test and failed everything. I am an engineer with an MBI and failed 6th grade math.

Thanks for the link! I'll check into it. I've been using a cheaper version of the tinted specs, so maybe these will help me more.

Did you play football? I sometimes wonder if I received more than 2 concussions in my life. I know I've had two major ones--both from bike racing/cycling. My brother and I were extremely rough and tumble kids, and had an imaginary football league where we *played* as different teams every Sunday and beat the hell out of each other in the process. We had those cheap plastic helmets that offered almost no protection. However, this was the kind of thing that every kid did on our block in the 1970s. And we never did engage in the brawling tackle football pickup games that were always going on in the lots behind us.

I never played competitive football, though. I cannot recall having any sort of head injury as a youth, until a big one at 15. Maybe seeing stars once or twice from a good knock. But did play competitive soccer, and most especially, competed in bike racing very seriously from the age of 15 through 18.

With all that said--my dream of racing masters as a road cyclist once my girls get older is probably moot and over. It is a real bummer for me . . . but the fact that my recovery has taken so long seems indicative of having to give up the competitive side of the sport for good.

Have you been able to keep working? I have, although it has been a massive struggle for me. I have tried to keep them well apprised of my situation.

Pcs
 

Hi Seth,
I don't mean to infer that you have any tumor/MRI issues- just want you to rule those out rather than wasting so many months as I did.
I am having issues with my insurance company, so prefer not to post all the details- feel free to send me a PM.
Take care,
Grace