Concussion and PCS from a roller coaster
 

Hi everyone. New user here. Just wanted to get some advice and opinion on my situation. I'm a 32 year old male and in fairly good shape.

About 5 weeks ago, I went on a roller coaster. It was a pretty bumpy and rough ride. I didn't hit my head at any point, but my head and body was being rattled around due to the speed and tight turns. Right after the ride was over, I felt a bit shaken up and hoped that i didn't get a concussion. Soon after I felt fine.

A week later I started getting headaches/heavy head, light sensitivity, a bit cloudy at times. For one week i didn't know what was going on and I started suspecting i might have a concussion from the roller coaster. So I went to my doctor to get it checked out. After hearing my story and symptoms, he diagnosed me with Post concussion syndrome. So i'm taking medical leave from work and am trying to take it as easy as possible. Haven't done any weights at the gym or played any hockey since the symptoms started. Been limiting my screen time (phone, tv etc)

I will make a disclaimer that none of my symptoms have been debilitating. My headaches are bad but not to the point of some of the other people's stories i've read about.

It's a month since the symptoms started. Headaches start when I "do too much". This morning i did some basic errands, walked around a bit and drove to my doctor. This made my head hurt for an hour.Its a bit disheartening that I still cant do regular things without my headache flaring up. I've also been feeling a bit depressed at times.

At what point can I return to normal activities? And I"m a really active person. I'm so used to going to the gym and doing weights and playing hockey (non contact) a couple of times a week. When can I even entertain the idea of trying to workout again?

any advice is appreciated :)

You might also think about neck strain/whiplash etc.
soft tissue strain/injury / trigger points can cause headaches & all those symptoms too.

You might ask about an evaluation by PT , or even a gentle non force chiropractor that will address soft tissue too...

Oh yeah? Would those symptoms start a week after the incident like PCS too? Or are they more immediate?

I have a appointment with a neurologist in three weeks booked too.

Concussions and concussion like events are a process, not a single event. The cascade of chemistry can start slowly then hit hard.

I agree with Jo*mar. There is a lot of upper neck trauma that can be caused by the intense shaking.

I suggest you find somethings to keep busy with that do not trigger headaches. Manual tasks and crafts can be very good. The brain needs good blood flow to recover. It is also imperative that you get good sleep. Naps or resting during the day can disrupt proper sleep atnight so avoid daytime naps.

Screen time is not a problem if the visual is not too stimulating. Same goes for audio stimulation such as gentle music or diaglogue. A good rule is if you need to reread a line of text or did not understand what you heard, stop and find a different activity.

Being afraid of activity will increase stress/anxiety levels and slow your recovery.

What kind of work do you do ? Maybe there is a way you can return to partial days or work with frequent breaks.

I suggest you plan on staying off the ice for an extended period. No contact means you can still fall and smack your head. The reaction and balance skills of PCS make it a risk.

Ice is magnitudes more dangerous that a shaking roller coaster.

Thank you for your detailed reply Mark!

To answer your question, I work in advertising. I'm in the creative department. Me and my partner come up with marketing ideas and present them to clients etc. There is stress involved for sure. I think the plan is whenever i'm ready to come back, they will gradually increase my hours. I think i'll start off with working only 3 hours a day for the first week and increase and decrease the following weeks according to my body's response. So I'm glad my work is sensitive to my medical condition.

I will look into manual tasks and crafts. I have a mandella coloring book lying around somewhere. Maybe that will help blood flow. I have also found that reading books and books with lots of images didn't flare up any headaches or other symptoms. Maybe my eyes get strained a bit but not too much. Listening to soothing music or podcasts also seem good.

Follow up question about me staying off the ice for an extended period of time. Do you mean I should stay off till I'm completely symptom free? I love playing hockey and its a big part of my life (stress management, enjoyment, achievement etc) so right now it's hard and sad for me to think that I might have to give up on playing hockey...maybe for good.

And i'm also dealing with anxiety knowing that I might have to deal with PCS for a uncertain amount of time. Does anxiety/stress really slow down recovery like you stated?

I suggest staying off the ice until you are completely symptoms free.

I wonder.... How many concussions have you suffered during your years playing hockey ? Some may have been hard body checks, maybe some falls, or maybe some helmet to helmet checks.

Any other sports in your history ?

Prior concussions could have set you up for the difficult time you are having from just a roller coaster ride.

Anxiety is likely the biggest issue that slows recovery. Many struggle until they get anxiety under control. PCS makes anxiety much more prominent. Minor anxiety prior to a concussion can become a major problem after a concussion.

Stop reading if your eyes get strained. Or, use a blank sheet of paper to follow under the text so your eyes do not have to hunt from one line to the next.

A exam by a behavioral optometrist may be worthwhile. Visual issues can contribute to headaches. Health Care Locator Custom has a referral list.

Regarding returning to work. Avoid setting time goals and just work with what your brain tells you. Missing goals can cause anxiety.

I've only been playing hockey for about three years now. I took up hockey during a tough time in my life emotionally to set new goals and get the endorphins flowing.

My concussion history:
The only time I can remember anything close to a concussion was in January. I took a fall on the ice after skating through a rut on the ice. I did not hit my head. But a few minutes later I started getting a Migraine on the ice. (started losing my vision etc) Got another migraine later that day. Was sensitive to light for a few days but everything went back to normal within a week. Not sure if that was a concussion or just a migraine because I do get migraines every few months for years now. There have been a couple of other times I've skated into other players etc. But nothing left any sort of lasting effect.

Would anything like that have caused more during the roller coaster?

I played basketball up untill college.

RE: Anxiety
Ok so I haven't really had anxiety problems per say. But I'm definitely an over thinker. And I don't really do too well with personal problems. It's a cause for stress for me.

How do I get my stress/anxiety under control during PCS. Every time I get a setback, I get stressed and down. I have an appointment with a therapist later today. I usually go to her during tough times. Is therapy a good avenue during PCS?

And this is probably an impossible question to answer but how long will have to deal with PCS? I'm afraid the longer it goes, the more likelihood I'll be more stressed and depressed.

It sounds like you are one of those people who set high standards for yourself. These are the worst for PCS. The over-analyzing and such thought processes get magnified by PCS.

"There have been a couple of other times I've skated into other players etc. But nothing left any sort of lasting effect."

If you felt liked you suffered a 'dinger,' even for just a moment, that was a concussion. If you had to shake off the mental cobwebs for even 10 or 20 seconds, that was a concussion. Your fall to the ice may have caused a whiplash event and subtly injured your upper neck.

Many find benefit from therapy with CBT, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, where one is thought new though processes when an anxious though arises.

Many do best in recovery by accepting their current symptoms and limitations and learning to move forward with some simple work-arounds and accommodations. Ear plugs in noisy environments. Sunglasses for bright lights.Breaks at work. And avoiding the many over-stimulation events in every day life.

There is no need to have a meeting where multiple people are talking at the same time. That is very stressful on the brain. Learning to explain your limits can be helpful "My concussion has made it so my brain gets very stressed or confused when trying to sort out voices when more than one person talks at the same time. Can you please help me with this situation ?"

There are work-arounds and accommodation for just about every symptoms except headaches. When we use them to get back to a moderated life, we do much better and recovery seems to improve.

If thats the case, then i've probably suffered a concussion before then. I do recall a collision with another player a couple of years ago where I didn't lose consciousness and I had to skate back to the bench and chill out and shake off cobwebs as you put it.

You are totally correct. I have not come to grip with what has happened to me and i have not accepted it yet. I"m going to try my best to try and just let go and accept where I am in life. Hopefully the healing can take place.

Another question for you Mark. I live alone. My parents live in Charlotte and I live in Toronto. I was thinking of asking my mom to come live with me for the next little while as I heal. Is it better for the healing process if you're just alone and in solitude or can I heal the same way if I ask my mom to stay at my place for the next little bit. I feel with her around, I won't feel as down about my situation and will get to spend time with her as well.

Mark, thanks for your all of your advice in this thread.

I think this should be a wakeup call for you. I had no idea that I had experienced concussive and many subconcussive hits playing football in middle school and high school until I hit my head four years later and it was the straw that broke the camel's back. I'm not trying to scare you, I just don't want someone to make the mistake I did.

If you mom coming to stay with you will reduce stress levels, that would be good. But if she hovers and fusses and tries to fix every issue, that will not be helpful. If she is a talker, not so good. Finding your new moderated life level is best. Then, slowly start returning to some normal activities.

But, she has to first accept that you are truly injured and not discount your symptoms. Many struggle to do that just as you are struggling to accept your current state.

A tough decision so try to make it wisely.

AA,

PCS forces us to deal with life as it is handed to us in some ways.

We grow accustomed to having and making things go our way and suddenly we are out of the drivers seat at times.

Learn to be flexible when the setbacks appear and learn how to be in charge of what is unexpected and doesn't go your way...I don't mean to change the unexpected. There is that which can't be changed and the way we change that is by managing ourselves.

It became imperative for me to accept the crap, not think about how rosy the way things were prior to my accident, but to face the crap head on and accept the challenge that was presented me, figure out how to be in charge of that which was not in my plans.

Do I get depressed about it, yes I do. I grab my proverbial boot straps and figure out how to smile and not allow life to beat me.

I would ditto Mark's mom advice...if she is capable of realizing you look the same but that does not mean you don't have a problem then it ought to work out. PCS is very subtle but VERY real and my wife realizing I wasn't faking things (even I thought I was making symptoms up for a time) made all the difference for me when it came time to learn how to move forward in a very altered state of life.

As far as how long this lasts, I did not plan on having PCS symptoms 2.25 years later. I thought this was like a broken bone, you just get better. Not saying you will be dealing with this for 2 years only, that it is done when it is done and there is no predicting when that will happen.

Don't sweat the small details.

Bud

Thanks for your advice guys. This forum is really informative and helpful.

So moving forward I have some questions:

I'm a month into my symptoms.

When i'm sitting at home and not doing much (listening to podcasts, cooking, etc) I don't get much symptoms. Maybe a twinge here and there. Its when I go and put a little exertion, thats when usually my headache usually kicks in. For example three days ago, i took the street car to city hall to pay some taxes. Then i walked around the mall and looked at some clothes. Took the streetcar home. And then my headache started. I also had to drive to my doctors to get a note for something. My headache continued when i got home for most of the day. So it seems regular errands and walking are too much for me right now.

At some point i'm going to have to try and make a gradual return to work. (i'm on medical disablilty from work. No rush to get back. health comes first) How do i know that i'm able to do so? Do i gradually increase the things i'm doing? I'm just really confused and concerned as to how I move forward without getting more setbacks and delaying recovery.

You likely need to learn how to break down an activity into the many parts so you understand what is triggering symptoms.

Sounds, especially voices, can be a struggle. Even if you are not listening to them, your brain hears them and tries to make sense. I did much better if I was looking at the person who was talking. My brain connected the visual with the audio.

The mall can be very visually stimulating plus sounds. The echos are the worst for me. An empty mall has echos. A busy mall has lots of voices and other sounds. Foam ear plugs can be a big help. Some work better than others. Macks brand have a good reputation and they make them in flesh tone so they are not obvious.

But, if somebody asks, you can simply say, "I suffered a concussion and my brain is very sensitive to sound. It's called hyperacusis."

Once you understand your triggers, you may be able to moderate them so you can avoid the headaches.

For some, in the early stages, headaches can be random with no identifiable triggers.

Does acetaminophen or ibuprofen help ?

How about icing the back of your head at the top of the neck ?

Yes I hear you on the voice thing. I do notice sometimes when i'm among a lot of people (crowded malls, at my office lobby with a lot of people), I hear all the sounds in a weird way. The best way i can describe it is it sounds like more hollow.

I find that when i get a headache, if i go into my room and just take it easy and listen to soothing music helps. Stressing about it obviously makes it worse and lingers.

I have not tried icing my neck yet. And i'm not a big fan of pills so i haven't tried acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Do these triggers eventually go away as the brain heals itself?

Also you and Jo*mar mentioned that it might also be from whiplash as the symptoms tend to be the same as PCS. How does one find out if its from PCS or whiplash? Do whiplash symptoms present themselves when you exert yourself like PCS?

Whiplash and PCS go hand in hand. 80% of PCS symptoms are neck related. Icing your neck can help.

With PCS, being anti-pills can make things much worse. Ibuprofen, 200 mgs up to 3 times a day can reduce inflammation and take care of most headaches. Inflammation is a problem that needs to be controlled. Either regular icing or 3 times a day of ibuprofen.

The 'hollow' voices says your brain is struggling to process such sounds. As I said, ear plugs can help. Also, limiting such events will give you a better chance at lasting a day. A response of "I'm sorry. My injured brain cannot tolerate so many voices. Can we go talk privately ?" can be a big help.

It can also help to not be in the middle of a room of people. Being near a wall will limit the number of directions the sounds come from. Corners are even better. This can help in restaurants.

These triggers can go away but it helps to reduce the exposure to triggers so your brain can heal. The brain heals best when it is symptom free. Being symptoms free does not mean you can go do something to challenge your brain. After a week of being symptom free, you can slowly start to increase your exposure to triggers.

You will likely need to learn how to explain your limitations to others so they can help you with these minor accommodations. Otherwise, you may end up with prolonged struggles.

Hi an Also, I'm 14 weeks post concussion and thankfully my vestibular therapist picked up on my symptoms and sent me to a Neuro Optometrist who diagnosed me with Post traumatic vision syndrome. You have many of the same symptoms I'm having light and noise sensitivity. I hope this helps.