Looking for information about best recovery practices a few weeks out
 

I just wanted to thank everyone for the information, especially Mark in Idaho who goes out of his way to provide detailed, informative responses in every thread.

I'm just over 3 weeks out from the Mild TBI now, I have seen a dulling of the initial severe symptoms, primarily being a headache which is now substantially reduced and often absent at all. I'm still getting other symptoms though, I find myself suffering from extreme anxiety symptoms on occasion which is not normal for me, I still get slightly recurring Nausea and the strangest one is the consistent tingling in my feet.

I went through and had a head and neck CT to rule out any further injury due to the symptoms taking a few weeks to reside, they were clear. You hear a lot of talk about the 'best methods of recovery' and 'appropriate treatment' but there isn't a lot of detail about that, at what point to you typically deem that the symptoms are mild enough to get back into 'normal life', be that exercising, socialising etc.

Its a bit unfortunate that the medical community doesn't really have strict guidelines for this kind of thing as I haven't found the information very forthcoming.

The consensus is to rest for the first few days then slowly introduce activities that do not cause an increase in symptoms. If going for a walk/exercise causes an increase in headaches, don't do it. If listening to loud music causes an increase, don't do it. And so on.

A neck CT is meaningless to rule out an upper neck injury. They are very subtle. They are often diagnosed with manipulations. If there is a tenderness behind the ears, that indicated a possible neck injury. The treatment is an upper cervical chiro or gentle but skilled Physical Therapist or osteopath. Most garden variety chiros are too aggressive. It also requires discipline to sleep and rest with good straight head and neck posture for a few months or more.

I bet you will find that if you look back, the increase in symptoms have a trigger, especially the anxiety. The concussed brain often struggles to filter out visual and auditory stimulation. Over-stimulation can cause the anxiety, nausea, etc. Your body will be your best guide if you just take the time to listen to it and correlate symptoms with your activities and environment. It might help to get some foam ear plugs. "Macks" makes the best.

You sound like you are a details oriented person. Such people often struggle to recover because they are too symptoms focus. This can be a self perpetuating situation. Learning to let go can be very beneficial.

My best to you.

If you're still experiencing symptoms then don't push yourself it's still too early. Your brain needs time to heal after a TBI and audio/visual overstimulation can be as bad as strenuous physical exertion in not allow your brain to fully recover.

Most concussions will resolve and there will be no long term ill effects IF properly diagnosed and treated. The real tragedy is when you push yourself too hard early after a TBI (either because you didn't recognize the symptoms, or though that you could ignore them) and that leads to long term problems that are much harder to resolve.

We've learned from the sad experiences of other student athletes who have paid too a high price for lack of understanding of TBI. Better to sit out a game, then to sit out your life.

The really sad part is that the guideline ARE there, it's just that too many are unaware. Educating yourself as you are doing is the best approach!

Good luck and best wishes for a full recovery!

Absolutely have a specific trigger, in this instance driving. Had to pull over to rest and calm down a bit. I'm fine on the freeways, its the tight inner city traffic that was causing it. Very strange symptom and hard to relate to other people.

I think after a few weeks now I am learning to just be calm and let it come. In the first few weeks you just really want to get back to normal asap, are itching to live your life, but I think you do learn to calmly do it.

I learnt one thing today, no coffee. I wasn't told that by any doctor, I'll be immediately cutting that out of my diet.

Thanks again for your replies.

yep, that is a very good point. I have thus far avoided any exercises and tried to spend my time rest and recovering. The unfortunate situation I'm not facing is my friends/family/partner don't really understand whats going on and I can sense growing agitation at me 'not just getting better'. Its hard in the first couple of weeks, because most (like me) have literally no idea about concussion or what to do, so its very difficult to follow the right treatment process.

newbie,

Please read the Vitamins sticky at the top. It has the do's and don'ts and some good links. The YouTube video series "You Look Great" is good.

If driving is a trigger, you may need to avoid driving during busy times. Traffic can be a huge cause of over-stimulation. There are just too many things around you to keep track of. The result can be severely degraded driving skills as your brain overloads. Fortunately, you were able to pull over before anything happened. I've been through the same situation but during a driving evaluation. I do very little driving. I have had too many close calls.

The term is over-attending. Your brain is trying to attend to many different things. It is also trying to attend/pay attention to things that it should be ignoring but can't because of your concussion.

It will likely help if you have no music or other distractions in the car.

You really need to avoid those trigger situations. Each one causes a cascade of stress chemistry that you need to spend hours and even days recovering from. You may need to develop a strong spine to stand up to friends and family for the next few weeks or more. Christmas is the worst time to try to recover. There is just so much happening and needing to be done.

As you noticed, no caffeine, plus, no alcohol, no msg, no artificial sweeteners. NO energy drinks, even if they are caffeine free. I should have mentioned these issues first. Sorry I missed that.

If you are struggling with driving, it sounds like you are far more symptomatic that your post suggested. You should consider seriously cutting back on your daily activities until you are virtually symptoms free then start slowly introducing your activities back into your day.

Hope you have a better day tomorrow, especially without the caffeine.

Mark

Thanks for the tips Mark.

I watched the video you suggested, a good watch, unfortunately the final video was taken down by a copyright claim, but still overall very enjoyable (and relatable).

Newcomer
 

I have been reading your posts and they are very helpful. Thank you. I had a concussion a little over two weeks ago now. My symptoms didn't start until two days later. I am definitely getting better but I think as I am getting better I am becoming more aware of what I am not able to do. I am reaching out because you all sound encouraging and calming. I found myself last night as I was falling asleep getting paranoid that I am not a lot better. I didn't get a CT scan - my Dr. offered because he said they do not always show up and the treatment would not change. I started to be mad at myself for just not double checking but then as I said I am improving. I promised my daughter if I wasn't significantly better this week I would get one; however, I now realize I might not be. It may be a longer road than I want to admit to myself. My headaches are mainly gone. Still a bit of pressure feeling. TV obviously sets it off esp if lots of movement. Noises annoying no longer painful. Light sensitivity better. My Dr. said all normal. I did go out for a drive yesterday with my hubby he drove - we actually went to our couples therapy. I stayed very calm but I am not wondering if the effort set me back. I went out last week he dropped me off at Target; I was buying a gift. I felt ok I was standing there and some women banged into my cart so hard -accidentally. She wasn't looking and walking fast. She felt so bad because I started to cry. I have noticed the weepiness when I feel mental struggle like that. That plus other activity set me back. We are supposed to move in three weeks not far away; but, I am not sure about packing.Money is tight. I appreciate you reading this. I see how far worse others are so I feel a bit of not wanting to feel sorry for myself and I guess I just need to get it out of my head so to speak. I am definitely improving; maybe I am just impatient. I cannot take fish oil, anaphylactic to all shellfish and they cannot guarantee. My husband bought me Omega 3 tablets instead-vegan. Anyway I can feel I'm a little stressed -slight headache coming on. I really feel grateful to have others to talk to who get it. My family is understanding and supportive but it scares my girls and I know my husband has stiff upper lip trying to keep faith and solve/not solve it. It's hard on everyone. Once again thanks. I do listen to healing music very softly which is calming.

LouiseN,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to hear of your struggles.

As you doctor said, your symptoms and progression are normal. No need for a CT Scan unless you develop worsening symptoms like intense headaches or motor control, similar to stroke symptoms.

You are very early in your recovery. With proper quiet rest and avoiding stress, you have a good chance (85%) of a spontaneous recovery within 6 weeks. Yuck, 6 weeks. That is just a statistic. Every concussion is different.

This is the worst time of year to have a concussion because of all the busyness and stress for Christmas, etc. Noise, lights, socializing, shopping etc. I suggest you get some foam earplugs. The Mack's brand appear to be the best. They will help with the crowd noise.

The sudden crying from a minor disturbance is not uncommon. People usually are understanding to a simple "I'm dealing with a concussion and normal crowds and noise are a struggle."

When riding in the car, try to not look at things close to the car. They move too fast. Instead, focus in the distance. It will be much less stress.

Carlson's makes some high purity fish oil. They have a salmon version that should be safe. Plus, get the B-12, B-50 Complex, D-3 and magnesium citrate supplement regimen going. Read the vitamins sticky at the top. It has some good links at the bottom.

My best to you.

Newbie,

I am 21 months post injury.

Last month was my first time traveling since my injury and I noticed I was having fun driving on the freeway. Always enjoyed tight traffic at freeway speeds...reminds me of my racing days.

I have been driving for 7 months again but was only comfortable on quiet country roads and had to work extra hard at vigilance in traffic or not drive at all. The last month I feel more like myself but am definitely driving slower.

Bud

Yeah I know what you mean. I'm fine on quieter roads too.

The symptoms for me are more anxiety attacks. The second I get into traffic I can feel the anxiety ramping up. Which is very strange for me. I'm typically a confident driver. I'm not exactly sure if the concussion has changed something to make me feel anxious, or if I'm anxious about worrying about the anxiety. Its really hard to know. I have read anxiety is a common symptom of this.

Unfortunately I was planning driving home for Christmas, which is about 4 hours away by car. I think i'll have to scrap that plan. That will go down well.

Hi newbie,
I'm sorry you're dealing with all this. I would really suggest you try to get a handle on the anxiety if it's this bad at such an early stage. The problem with anxiety/panic attacks is that once they become entrenched it can become extremely difficult to stop them. I went through this many years ago especially with driving. Unfortunately it became almost impossible for me to leave the house for quite a long time. It was disabling.

Please talk to your doctor or another professional who understands anxiety as it is associated with PCS so that you can overcome this as early as possible. I make it sound easy, and believe me, I know it's not, it's just that I worry so much when I read posts such as yours where the anxiety is already changing your day to day life in such a way.

I truly hope that you are feeling a lot better when it comes time for your trip home for Christmas.

Was your anxiety following head trauma Lara?

I'm not sure if this is a concussion issue or its just anxiety from all the 'stress' surrounding this concussion. I was actually driving fine for a few weeks following it. But you are right, once it sets in its really hard to break. Even walking towards a car makes me anxious.

I actually race Go Karts on a semi professional level and I'm really not an anxious person generally. I now understand how crippling it can be, you just can't control it.

I think I had kind of reached the end of the road with the doctor I had seen, she was excellent but there is only a limit on what they can do. I was hoping this would all just kind of clear itself up, as I am only 1 month out after all. But it seems the anxiety may be the real sting in the tail. I recently moved to Brisbane and I'm in a pretty dense urban environment so I know what you say about it feeling like you're stranded. I highly doubt I'd have much issues on the open country roads.

I've dealt with anxiety at different times in my life but I became much worse after a bad fall and subsequent concussion. That was a number of years ago now but it really hit me like a ton of bricks. Sitting at the lights was the worst for me. I don't know why really. Maybe it's the feeling of being trapped and of course, once you've experienced that first panic attack there's the fear of another happening when in a vunerable situation. That is the problem with them because they become somewhat self-perpetuating.

I can drive almost anywhere now. I just shared a 2000K drive just under a month ago. I've even driven the M1 a lot the past couple of years because someone depended on my doing that.

Learning about the physical signs of the fight or flight response/hyperarousal helped me a lot because understanding exactly how my own body was dealing with stressful situations demystified the whole process and, rather than just being thrown into chaos at random moments, I was able to work more on not allowing myself to get to that level of anxiety by being aware of cues that my body was sending in advance.

You'll be alright. Just take care of yourself right now, as you're still in the early weeks of recovery really. Try to keep living your life, even if it's at a much slower pace for a little while.

I'm glad I'm not driving that Brissie traffic anymore. I need a quiet life. ;)

Thats the exact same way it came about for me. Stuck in dense city traffic at a traffic light. I think it stems from the inability to 'escape'. On most roadways and freeways you can just pull over, but there you are stuck in traffic.

I've just given driving a rest for a week, because its not actually essential I drive for work, I can just catch a short bus trip. I'll take it up again in a few days time, likely this weekend. Hopefully whatever is wrong has passed by then, although I'm not so certain. I watched a few videos on youtube about panic and driving and they were honestly rather helpful.

Thanks a lot for your help :)

Thank you I appreciate the time you took to share. I printed your vitamin regime. Yikes! I guess good to know so I don't push. I went out for a little walk today. Listened to a pod cast. I think too much listening and looking. head achy.
not too bad though. I will not worry about the naps and my sleeping schedule. Whoever mentioned the cracker and cheese I tried it. It took me about a half hour to fall asleep but I slept through. Nice to know you are out there Mark and everyone else. Your support is a comfort and helps. Thanks.

I thought I responded. Thank you so much. I am grateful for your responses and the many responses I have read that you have posted. 6 weeks Yikes! then I read within 6 weeks. Hope. Patience.Learning. Listening to my symptoms. Faith. You're right overstimulation sets off the headaches and paranoia/fears. I haven't ventured out again except to go outside for a little bit in front of the house. yesterday. My husband is going to get me some Macks. Again, comforting to read your responses. Grateful.